A bit of rain in the forecast won’t darken the rainbow expected to shine in Collingwood this weekend.
This weekend marks the third-annual Collingwood Pride Festival – the second in-person – with events taking place all over town from July 14 to 16, rain or shine.
Michelle Kemper, vice-chair of The Rainbow Club of South Georgian Bay and Collingwood Pride, is getting ready for her spot on the Rainbow Club float in Saturday night’s Pride Parade, the main event of the weekend she says should not be missed.
“Last year, we were on the Rainbow Club float, which is the last float in the parade. We were nervous. We didn't know how many people would come we didn't know what community reaction would be,” Kemper told CollingwoodToday.
However, Kemper says she and her fellow float riders were all moved by what they saw.
“We saw several thousand people from every walk of life, from every age group, from every part of Collingwood. People that have lived here for multiple generations; people that are newcomers. Everyone was smiling, having a good time, embracing us.”
“It brought us to tears. It was incredible,” she said.
New this year, vendors, a beer garden and a stage will be taking over the Eddie Bush Arena parking lot at 140 Ste. Marie St. all weekend. Attendees can download a free Collingwood Pride app to organize their visits.
Major events taking place around town include Ross Matthews performing at the Gayety Theatre, a main stage performance by My Son The Hurricane, a drag brunch at Poppy’s, a youth panel discussion at the Collingwood Foundry, a Pride Rainbow Run by VO2 Sports, a Saturday night show of Shantay — Superstar Drag Show Extravaganza featuring Brooke Lynn Hytes and a Pride Family Zone.
The Collingwood Pride Parade takes place Saturday, July 15 starting at 5 p.m. and will run down Hurontario Street.
“We're pretty excited about our plans,” said Kemper.
While Kemper says the majority of the energy is positive, she says she and other Collingwood Pride organizers have seen their share of hateful messaging in the lead up to this year’s festivities.
“We've seen an increase in hate rhetoric both online and in-person. We've experienced situations where we have not felt safe,” she said.
But Kemper refuses to let the comments get her down.
“I think it’s our job to continue to bring a positive message and continue to live authentically. There are so many allies in this community that have stood beside us,” she said. “We've still got work to do to change hearts and minds.”
When asked why Pride events are so important, Kemper says The Rainbow Club and their pride festivities are meant to fulfil three key purposes: to celebrate, innovate and educate.
“It is a time for us to have a good time, bring non-judgmental attitudes and really just come and have a celebration,” she said. “But, it's also a time for us to reflect on the ways in which the LGBTQ+ community still, in lots of ways, is being subjected to laws that hurt people. They continue to bring (forward) untrue and unfair discriminatory ideas about who we are as people.”
For more information on Collingwood Pride including a full schedule of events, click here.
