ST. PAUL – On June 2, members of the St. Paul community celebrated the Rainbow Rendezvous, a community event hosted by Pride St. Paul and held at the Mannawanis Native Friendship Centre.
Leslie Frick, co-chair of Pride St. Paul, said the gathering was to honour both Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month.
“We want to bring all these people together and celebrate,” says Frick.
Some family-friendly activities included a community art installation, barbecue, face painting, and a panel of guest speakers including people from beyond the Lakeland.
The event’s purpose also extends beyond celebration.
“It's also a time to acknowledge and recognize the ongoing challenges that both our communities experience,” she said. “Especially with the current political climate and things that have been happening lately.”
Frick says there are many people in the 2SLGBTQI+ and Indigenous communities who are uncertain about what the future might hold. And the event is a way “to come together and celebrate... to show that they’re not alone in those fears,” says Frick.
Diversity, Frick says, is something that deserves to be celebrated and acknowledged.
“And that’s part of what we’re doing together here today.”
Frick reminds others that there is support available, including support for young 2SLGBTQI+ students.
Brittany Zionek is the Diversity, Equity, and Human Rights Committee chair for the local Alberta Teachers Association (ATA).
During the event, Zionek says the ATA created “safe space” posters for 2SLGBTQI+ students.
“If you are in a classroom, and a teacher has one of the safe space posters up in their classroom, that is supposed to represent that they are a safe person to talk to, and that you are welcome in their classroom,” explains Zionek. “We want them to know that schools are meant to be a safe space for all students and that's what brought us here today.”
Frick thanked all those who came to the event, and all those who supported the event to make it successful.
She says Pride St. Paul hopes to do more similar events in the future to raise more awareness, celebrate diversity, and bring people together.
