Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Issues facing the 2SLGBTQIA+ population will be the focus on Oct. 18 when Greater Napanee Pride hosts a question and answer session with candidates running in the upcoming Greater Napanee municipal election.
The event gets underway at 6 p.m. at the Napanee Lion’s Hall and will offer every candidate appearing on the election ballot a chance to speak. Acclaimed mayor elect Terry Richardson has been invited to speak as well.
“It’s open to everybody, I’ve been in touch with everybody. I’ve been in touch with most candidates so far,” said Nina Irvine of Greater Napanee Pride. “To be honest the response I’ve gotten over all has been a thank you for doing this, which is really great to hear.”
Members of the public will have a chance to pre-submit questions to be read at the event to https://greaternapaneepride.com/contact.
“It’s hard to find an opportunity to have these conversations,” Irvine said of talking about issues that matter to the local 2SLGBTQIA+ population. “I think it’s important that we have this opportunity where we provide a safe space…by putting this on we’re providing that safe space where it’s like ok, LGBQT community is prioritized tonight and that’s whose feelings we’re talking about and it provides that space for the community and the candidates to come together where they just haven’t had that opportunity before to have those conversations.”
Irvine says the Q&A event is just another opportunity to give a voice to a portion of the Napanee population that hasn’t traditionally had a chance to speak about some of their issues and concerns.
“We’re not only here in the summer, we’re not just here for a big weekend in Pride Month,” Irvine said of Greater Napanee Pride. “We are here to be a presence in the community and part of it is to open the conversation and be a platform where the community and our leaders can get together and have the conversations that they’ve been wanting to have for who knows how long but haven’t really known how to.”
Allies are more than welcome to attend the event as well to show support, though the focus of the night will be the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.