Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Greater Napanee Pride has announced it will host the town’s first ever Pride March on June 5.
Departing from Conservation Park, the march will travel along the Napanee River Trail to Springside Park, loop through Dundas Street East and then return to the pavilion in the park.
Event organizer Robert Dorey says the event will recognize the work that is already being done in the community to develop safe spaces for LGBTQ2S+ members, adding that the event is open to all members of the Napanee community.
Dorey adds the march is the continuation of the work started by the Greater Napanee Gender Sexuality Alliance, who got the ball rolling last summer by painting rainbows on picnic tables through the town to celebrate Pride Month.
Dorey spotted a rainbow table while on a walk with his daughter through the park last summer and was soon motivated to do his part for Pride in the community.
“Out of that project I think there was some discussion of raising the Pride flag at town hall or elsewhere, it ended up in the south of town because they’re working on plans for what to do with the Market Square, town hall, which is understandable,” said Dorey. “Last fall Brad Way, I give him a lot of credit, he really keeps us on task, he really wants to see this happening, so he reached out to me and hoped that I could take more of a role in communicating and building up to get people interested in a Pride for Greater Napanee in 2022.”
That led to the creation of Greater Napanee Pride, which launched a Facebook page in January.
“I grew up here and I certainly felt the pressure of conforming,” Dorey said of creating the group. “When there isn’t that visible presence or that idea of how to express yourself, it’s especially difficult for young people to understand maybe what it is they’re feeling.”
Dorey said holding a local march, similar to that seen in larger centres such as Toronto, is a way to show everyone is welcome here.
“There’s a great community of all ages here in Greater Napanee and the region,” said Dorey. “Since I’ve come back from Toronto more and meet more people who know my story and then they’re a bit more willing to share theirs, you realize that lots of people are looking for that safe space somewhere they can be themselves and they carve out their own little corner of what they can, but it would be really great if we could bring that vibe from other communities, especially Toronto where you do feel more comfortable and see other people who are like you. We know that the rest of the community, many of them, are very supportive and they just aren’t familiar what it means to be queer and what people might be looking for in their own hometown as far as that goes. I think that’s why things have been happening here in the last few years, just the pressure that people have felt and they don’t want another generation of young people to struggle as much as people have in the past and I think this is a great opportunity for that to change.”
Dorey says so far the feedback for the group and the march have has been large and consistently positive from all walks of life and all ends of the political spectrum. Neighbouring communities have also shown their support and willingness to help.
“I don’t expect anything negative, but if it does (happen) that’s what this is for,” said Dorey. “We’ll confront it and we’ll say positively that we’re here to be ourselves and we invite you to be your authentic self, whatever that is and let’s talk about it.”
Plans for June are building. Following the march Dorey says there will be a ceremony, and some performances at the pavilion as well as a barbecue and an art show.
Greater Napanee Pride is also working with council to come up with ideas to display the Pride colours through town. Community fundraising for the march is expected to kick off next month.
Anyone looking to volunteer with the march or just wanting to take part can join Greater Napanee Pride on Facebook as more details will be released closer to the date.