02/06/2023
Mark your calendars — July 9-24! Let’s make this upcoming Pride Festival one for the books!
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A MESSAGE FROM THE NEW ST. JOHN’S PRIDE BOARD - Please help share the word.
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We have exciting news! We announced dates for the 2023 Pride Festival.
We're gonna start on the 9th of July with the q***r market, and then we'll go right up until the parade and pride in the park on the 23rd of July.
It's a longer Festival this year because the community did what the community will always do - started organizing with or without a Pride Board.
So we reached out to people we heard were doing events in the community, and when we mapped it all out on a calendar, we ended up with the dates we have.
We only have weeks to bring the Festival together. But it's been inspiring day after day to see that the community is gonna make pride happen.
The Board still getting into finances and files, and thank you to each and every person who has come out of the woodwork so far to offer to help, past board members who haven't been involved in some time have come forth and said "I've got this file" or "I used to organize the parade, call if you need advice" - and THAT has been tremendously inspiring and gave us comfort to know we can make this happen if we come together.
Here's what the board for pride can do so far for events happening:
-logistics support
-getting the word out
-volunteers for your event
-we might be able to help out with offsetting some expenses for events that are going on
-we can help bring an idea for your event together
Couple of things going on where we can talk about this and get excited for the festival.
Today we did a round of media for the launch of pride at Confederation Building, and this morning on VOCM Open Line.
If you want to hear that chat it's here at around the 28 minute mark - https://vocm.com/2019/08/01/open-line-with-paddy-daly/
Saturday, 3rd June 10am - 2pm - the board will be at the graciously provided community table at the St. John's Farmers' Market
Sunday, 4th June 12pm - 2pm - Kaleidoscope Drag Lounge and Restaurant has offered to host the board during their brunch to kick of the pride season.
Thursday 8th June 7pm - 9pm - we'll be Velvet Bar (sorry folks the tag didn't come up for me) has offered to host a meeting for drag performers.
If you can't make it to any of these opportunities - the fine folks at Quadrangle NL have offered to help us find an accesible space where we can host a bigger public meeting to talk about the festival this year. We're hoping that will happen in a couple of weeks.
We have also reached out to
- many q***r focused groups
- anti racism groups
- enforcement agencies
- accessibility advocates
We will continue to reach out and have those conversations leading up, during, and after the festival.
When we get through what has the potential to be a great time in July - we will have a public debrief meeting to talk about how pride went, what to change, what to keep...all that stuff.
AND talk about the advocacy, education, and work our pride organization can do between festivals.
If you reading this can share this info with everyone, you have my profound thanks.
we'll repost once we get access to socials.
To every person younger, older, BIPOC, gender diverse, drag performer, business owner who offered help, made time for a long call, gave advice, and offered blessed words of encouragement
THANK YOU. This is my proudest June 1st. Our community has a lot of hurt. But do we ever have some great great people in that hurt willing to offer our community support.
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