As the province moves into Stage 3 of reopening, a group of approximately 20 gathered near the steps of the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre Sunday for the raising of the Progress Pride flag.
While the Progress Pride flag still features rainbow stripes, Susan Rajamaki, Sault Pride committee chair, said the original Pride flag “didn’t recognize our Black community, our Indigenous community. These are folks that were not represented underneath that flag, so with the Progress flag there are stripes that are facing towards the rainbow, and that means we’re going to progress in inclusion.”
“The flag recognizes intersections within our community, honouring the queer people of colour as well as the different gender identities,” Rajamaki said.
The Progress Pride flag was designed by graphic designer Daniel Quasar, a graduate of Portland, Oregon’s Pacific Northwest College of Art, in 2018.
“These last two years have been a really tumultuous time (due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings), especially for Pride seasons. There have been over 500 Prides worldwide that have been cancelled. We’re all eagerly looking forward to a time when we can celebrate face to face again,” Rajamaki said, addressing the audience.
Sault Ste. Marie held its first Pridefest in 2014.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Pride flag was raised at the Civic Centre in 2020 with no accompanying ceremony, parade or gatherings.
For Pridefest 2021, Rajamaki said Pride signs have been erected around town, a virtual Pride bingo game is in the works for July 24 and LGBTQ books are available at both Sault Ste. Marie Public Library branches.
Sunday’s ceremony was attended by Rajamaki, City Councillor Donna Hilsinger (on behalf of the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Mayor Christian Provenzano), Barbara Finch, OLG senior community programs specialist and Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Chief Hugh Stevenson.
“We have a lot of initiatives right now with Algoma University, looking into our police training in relation to the community, we’re looking at gaps in service from the survey that Algoma University did. We have a lot of things on the go right now and I want you to understand that we are your police service and we want you to be able to reach out to us directly, or through your community,” Stevenson said.
“It’s really important to me to be here to celebrate and support you...you matter, and you deserve acceptance, you deserve your diversity to be honoured, you deserve love, you deserve respect and as a member of city council I will continue to talk about that with my colleagues, and as a citizen of Sault Ste. Marie, I am completely committed to that. It’s wonderful to be a part of this flag raising for Pridefest 2021,” Hilsinger said.