COURTESY: Niagara This Week - St. Catharines
By Paul Forsyth
ST. CATHARINES — A large, rainbow-coloured flag raised in front of St. Catharines city hall on Tuesday is doing more than adding a splash of colour to the stately old building.
To those gathered on the front lawn, it also symbolizes diversity and a world in which a person’s sexual orientation doesn’t make them a target for discrimination.
Brandon Vrysen, a Mississauga native who’s graduating from Brock University this week and who now calls Thorold home, told a gathering inside city hall before the flag raising that Canada has come a long way toward acceptance of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender) community. But he said people are still bullied in schools and in the larger world for their sexual orientation — meaning the push to promote tolerance and acceptance must continue.
“We deserve just as much respect as other people do,” he said. “Never stop fighting” for your rights.
St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan said Canada’s charter of rights and freedoms
ensures Canadians can’t be discriminated because of their sexual orientation.
“It doesn’t matter in this country,” he said. “It shouldn’t matter.
“That’s why we have events like this so we don’t forget that.”
Enzo DeDivitiis, chair of Pride Niagara, said the flag raising is an important, symbolic gesture of acceptance.
“It really unites all of us and celebrates our diverse community,” he said. “It shows we are all one.”
Sarah Burtch, women’s community development officer with AIDS Niagara, said embracing people’s differences is what makes a true community.
“When we come in solidarity to speak out against discrimination in all forms, whether it is on the basis of sexuality, gender, race or HIV, we begin to create a world in which each and every one of us can thrive and realize our full potential,” she said. The third annual Pride in the Park Festival will be held on Saturday, June 7 at Montebello Park in St. Catharines, with entertainment and vendors from noon to 10 p.m. capping off the week-long Pride Niagara celebrations. The day will feature Adam Coleman from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m., fitness from 1-1:45 p.m., the Nathan Drake production of ‘The Witches of Oz’ from 2-3 p.m., Lexi Tellings from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Shawnee from 5-6 p.m., the Pride drag show in the Pride pavilion from 6-7 p.m., the RuPaul Drag Race Diva Shangela from 7-7:30 p.m., and the Pride pavilion dance party from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m
 |
| PHOTO COURTESY PRIDE NIAGARA |
Showing Our True Colours
From Rainbow flag raisings and Niagara Falls lit in bright colours, to a celebration of diversity through the Niagara Unity Awards, Pride Niagara 2014 has given us much to be proud about.
 |
| PHOTO COURTESY PRIDE NIAGARA |
 |
| PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF WELLAND FACEBOOK PAGE |
From the City of Welland's facebook page, Mayor Barry Sharpe, Enzo De Devittis, and Tyler Neal raise the Pride Flag to Celebrate Pride Niagara.
Celebrating Diversity
The photo below, found on Pride Niagara's facebook page was taken at the 1st Annual Niagara Unity Awards. See more photos from the event at Pride Niagara's facebook page CLICK HERE.
 | |||||||
|
VIDEO | Dancing Fountain
Found on Brett Wood's facebook page the video clip below features the back fountain at Niagara Fallsview Casino as it dances and showsits colours for PRIDE
The 3rd Annual Pride in the Park event was held on June 7th and featured appearances by Fitness, Lexi Tellings, Shawnee and Shangela from the RuPaul's Drag Race, to name but a few. The event was once again held at Montebello Park in downtown St. Catharines
Although I was unable to attend due to being in a lot of pain that day, I was definitely there is spirit.
SCRIBBLES THANKS PRIDE NIAGARA, NIAGARA THIS WEEK, CITY OF WELLAND FACEBOOK PAGE, BRETT WOOD AND OTHERS FOR ALLOWING US TO REPOST THEIR PHOTOS AND INFO ABOUT PRIDE NIAGARA 2014.