Lloydminster Pride Week begins with Pride Walk

Nineteen groups were out in the sunshine on Sunday afternoon for Pride Walk in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the Midwest region.

Maintaining physical distancing protocols, the groups left one at a time from the Cenovus (Husky) Energy parking lot for the Synergy Credit Union building, walking west along Highway 16 and back.

Christopher Wyse, Board Chair with Slay the Night says it’s important for their group to have this celebration.

“The reason why the LGBTQ+ Society of Lloydminster and Slay the Night organized this Pride Week is not only to celebrate all the progress that the community has achieved, but also the struggles that we continue to face on a daily basis.”

Those struggles include overcoming societal barriers and gaining more acceptance for families and individuals in the LGBTQ+ community. Wyse points to the gains that have been made over the years as he grew up in this community.

“Well definitely growing up gay in Lloydminster has not been the most friendly to LGBTQ+ members and I would say in my early twenties I definitely felt unsafe. In the last five to ten years there has been more acceptance and awareness.”

The LGBTQ+ community is thankful for the local corporate and community support that has helped to increase that awareness and the partnership is most welcomed.

The Pride Walk is kicking off a week of events that include a virtual drag show and the first Lloydminster stop of the Drag Me Across Saskatchewan Drive-In show at the Lloydminster Exhibition June 26th.

More information can be found on the Lloydminster Pride website.