3 days ago
Halifax Pride to host first ‘Gaylidh,' brings back active living events
Crystal Garrett speaks with the executive director of Halifax Pride about this year's celebration.
Halifax Pride will kick off July 17 this year, with 11 days of events to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
The Halifax Pride Parade will take place July 19 at noon along with other events such as the Back to Our Roots Picnic and Market at the Garrison Grounds on July 17, the Halifax Naked Peace Protest Ride and March on July 20 and Aqua Drag Fitness on July 21.
Executive Director of Halifax Pride Fiona Kerr said the 'Gaylidh' – a gay Ceilidh – has been in the works for a few years but will take place for the first time at this year's event.
'Finally, this year we're partnering with Neptune Theatre, and we have some really great performers, a few from Cape Breton, a few from here,' Kerr told CTV Morning Live host Crystal Garrett. 'It's going to be a really fun night.'
Halifax Pride features over 150 community and Pride organized events. The Halifax Pride Society engages with several queer groups and individuals throughout the year to help plan events that best support and celebrate the community at large.
This year is also bringing back active living events for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerr said. Some events such as Aqua Drag Fitness and Zumba Drag Fitness are in partnership with the John W. Lindsay YMCA.
'There's something for everybody,' Kerr said.
The Halifax Pride Parade is the main event and features several accessibility sections.
'Our parade has multiple accessible viewing areas,' Kerr said. 'We have a described viewing area for folks who are blind, we have a low sensor viewing area inside the YMCA for folks who want a bit of a quieter space, we also have a masked viewing area if anyone wants to be specifically with other masked folks.'
The event will also be lived-streamed for anyone who wants to watch from home.
Kerr also said Pride is especially important this year, to not only celebrate, but to create more safe spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
'Now it's a little bit less about celebrating and more about showing up and creating spaces because as the spaces become more unsafe for our community, we have to continue to grow so those people do have space where they can be with each other,' Kerr said.
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