To officially kick off Pride Week in Victoria, Mayor Lisa Helps and city council joined members of the cityB次元官网网址檚 LGBTQ community on Monday to raise the pride flags outside City Hall.
Addressing a small crowd assembled beside the flagpole on Pandora Avenue, Helps pointed out this was the first year the City raised five flags to represent the LGBTQ community.
B次元官网网址淚n the 80B次元官网网址檚 it was okay to just say B次元官网网址榯he gay communityB次元官网网址� or the B次元官网网址榯he queer communityB次元官网网址� but as we learn more about each other, and as we learn about queer people who are queer like us, and different from us, we grow as a community,B次元官网网址� she said.
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The rainbow-hued pride flag, and the transgender flag (pale blue, pink and white) were raised alongside the two-spirit flag (red and white with rainbow feathers) to honour Indigenous people who carry multiple genders within themselves, the genderqueer flag (purple, white and green) and the non-binary flag (yellow, white, purple, and black) representing those whose identities donB次元官网网址檛 reflect a specific gender.
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Chrys Tei, a member of the CityB次元官网网址檚 ad-hoc trans policy advisory committee, said Victoria is a good place to be queer, because of its potential to be a community B次元官网网址渨here diversity is celebrated, not just adjusted.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淣o community is going to be final, or finished with the work,B次元官网网址� she added, pointing to reconciliation as a similar journey. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not something weB次元官网网址檙e going to get done. ItB次元官网网址檚 life work and we have to do it together.B次元官网网址�
Victoria City Coun. Marianne Alto prepares the two-spirit flag to be raised at City Hall, kicking off pride week, Monday June 25. Kristyn Anthony/VICTORIA NEWS
Kingsley Strudwick, a transgender advocate and founder of spoke of a recent experience chatting with the mother of a nine-year-old boy who was unable to conceive of the gender fluid character in a novel they were reading.
B次元官网网址淥ur work isnB次元官网网址檛 done if our presence is still met with surprise and disbelief,B次元官网网址� Strudwick said. B次元官网网址淲e must challenge one another to write new stories; stories that reflect as many realities as there are people to live them.B次元官网网址�
The raising of the pride flags marks the start of a week of celebrations with events for all ages across the city, culminating with the July 8 Pride parade and festival, hosted by the .
B次元官网网址淢y hope is that this Pride Week will serve not only as a platform for raising marginalized voices, but as a catalyst for action throughout the year,B次元官网网址� Strudwick said.
