Posted on 7 July 2018

This morning I had a read through the newspaper archives to refresh myself on the history of Pride celebrations in Prince George.

The first Pride parade here was held in 1997. One group that wanted to march was “Changed Pride”, a “Christian” organization for “gays and lesbians who desire to change.” The organizers declined their offer to take part in the parade, and several letters to the editor encouraged them to be more tolerant.

After several years of the mayor refusing to sign any Pride declarations, in 1999 he was away and the acting mayor went ahead and did it in his stead. The next year, the refusal was back and remained in place for several more years.

Prince George wasn’t alone. In Fort St. John, the mayor refused to sign for religious reasons. Terrace did the same. Four councillors in Nanaimo walked out when the mayor made the declaration, and Kelowna’s mayor got the attention of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to do the same (in response, he stopped making any declarations).

All of this was in the year 2000. This is not that long ago. I was a teenager and, frankly, this stuff wasn’t on my radar, but as an adult it’s important for me to realize things like the rainbow crosswalk down the street from city hall didn’t come easy to cities like mine.

As a straight dude, it’s easy for me to forget the circumstances for LGBTQ2S+ people, especially those living in smaller places like Prince George and Fort St. John. Tolerance aside, there’s more isolation, there’s fewer opportunities to find romantic partners and there’s the fact that you’re far more likely to have to interact with someone who once held- or still does hold-  less than favourable views towards who you are. It’s challenging in ways I can only barely begin to understand.

Driving back into town yesterday, I smiled to see Mr. PG, our city’s lumberjack mascot, holding a rainbow flag. It made me happy to think I lived in a welcoming community.

But that flag, or the one in front of city hall, or the rainbow crosswalk downtown, are not symbols of this city choosing to be tolerant. They’re symbols of the people who refused to let it off the hook for being intolerant, and demanded better.

They– you– made the rest of better. And I thank you for that.

Filed under: Prince George