1st Pride Week in New Westminster
After a few days of digital mayhem I am able to report on the successful New Westminster Pride Week.
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Last week, the former capital of British Columbia, New Westminster made history celebrating for the very first time its own Pride Week .
The man behind this initiative is retiree and Royal City Pride Society (RCPS) VP, Vance McFadyen. Considering the growing population of the gay community in New Westminster, it was about time.
Later on, McFadyen would join efforts with Coming Home Café owner, Guy Dube to form the RCPS and organize the activities for the festival. Dube became the Society’s president.
RCPS president, Guy Dube at the Diversity Festival at the City Park .August 7th 2010.
The celebration kicked off with an opening reception at the Westminster Club . It was an opportunity for the attendees to meet and greet new people and old friends, as well of course, to get to know the GLTB community of New Westminster.
Among the attendees were the councillors Betty McIntosh, Jaimie McIvoy and Bill Harper as well as member of the Parliament (Burnaby-New Westminster riding), Peter Jullian , who wearing a distinctive orange t-shirt with his name on it.
RCPS vice-president, Vance McFayden: “Having a pride week means to me, one that the City supports our community, the gay community unanimously [two], they want to include us in the community, that we are part of the community, we aren’t just gay –we are part of the whole community and we like to give to the community at large, not just to our own selves, so that what is really important that they [people] become aware that gay people aren’t bad people, we are just ordinary people that just happen to have different sexuality , and they enjoy and like their neighbours just as anybody else. That is what really all is about to me”.
RCPS vice-president, Vance McFadyen.
New Westminster councillor, Jaimie McEvoy on how the pride week got the unanimous and inmediate support of the City.
“It doesn’t take long for a community festival to happen: we believe in diversity and equality in new Westminster,” McEvoy said.
“New Westminster is a small city, with a big heart and so for us it is a routine matter, even though that it has never happened before, but for our City Council it was a routine matter to say ‘yes’ to approve this festival and provide support just as we do with all kinds of community festivals.”
Councillor Jaimie McEvoy.
The Pride Week included various other activities including Stand Up comedy at the Laff Lines , a night of dinner and improv at the New Wesminster Club, the 2010 PRIDE STONEWALL PARTY at the G.I.N -Heritage Grill.
On Saturday, August 7th, it was a rainy day, but about 80 people joined the Hills and Heels walk -a Fundraiser for Youth Centre at Century House- and climbed the hill from Sixth Street to the City Hall for the Pride Proclamation by acting mayor Jonathan Cote along with councillors Betty McIntosh, Bob Osterman, Bill Harper and Jaimie McEvoy. After the ceremony the crowd left to attend the Diversity Festival at the City Park.
Finally, on Sunday, August 8th the party started at the Coming Home Cafe for the Burr Brunch; a cruise on board of the Paddlewheeler and the closing party at the Quay, right beside the Fraser River. It was animated with live performances: R&B singer, Sibel Trasher who offered a homage to the disco era, teathrical, jazz and rock performances, as well as a Cher impersonator, Cera Rivers who got the crowd moving to hits such as Believe and Strong Enough.
The RCPS and its volunteers succeeded to deliver a fun-filled week celebrating diversity and integrating the community of New Westminster.
Images of the Pride Week in New Westminster:
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Tory Inglis, standing true to herself
One of the stories that stood before and during the New Wesminster Pride Week, is without a doubt, Tory Inglis’.
High-school student, Tory Inglis posed for a front-page photo at The Record newspaper on June 12th with RCPS president and vicepresident, Guy Dube and Vance Fadyen accompanied by an article regarding the Pride Week celebrations in New Westminster.
After a about a month, the 17 year-old, got a call from the minister of the First Presbyterian Church of New Westminster, where she was a leader of the junior youth group, to say they wanted to talk about it.
Tory Inglis at the Diversity Festival during Pride Week in New Westminster on August 7th, 2010.
“They thought that I was not a good role model for the youth and I was promoting a sexual lifestyle for my involvement with the Royal City Pride Society.” Inglis was the leader of a youth junior group in the church. They suggested Inglis ends collaborating with the Pride Week, instead she and her parents left the the church.
Inglis revealed to EF that she was understandably “quite upset” as it happened it the place where she grew up and the church she has been attending her whole life, where she could go no matter what, and then “they are going to discriminate people [just] like that”.
But the optimistic and courageous adolescent has the total support of her family, friends and church members.
“My friends and family have been very supportive of me and they are very upset to hear what happened at the church. They have my back 100 percent.” In addition, Inglis said that since leaving the church, she has been getting positive responses from members of the church, “wishing me well on my [future] ventures”.
Tory Inglis and friends at the Diversity Festival during Pride Week in New Westminster. August 7th, 2010.
“It’s really the minister and few members of the session who didn’t agree with what I was doing,” the young woman added.
In spite of this ordeal, where some would turn the back to religion, Inglis keeps her faith and her relationship with god intact.
“I realized it’s just the view of a few it doesn’t affect my views on religion or my relationship with god or anything in that manner.”
For now, Inglis and her parents are looking for a new church to attend.
“I probably won’t go back to the Presbiteryan Church, but you don’t know where the wind carries you”.
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For more information on the Royal City Pride Society visit: www.royalcitypridesociety.com
