Rainbow flag raised in La Ronge last month (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

pride

La Ronge Pride weekend set to run

Jul 2, 2021 | 1:57 PM

Another opportunity to continue the movement for equality: that’s the key message from La Ronge mayor Colin Ratushniak ahead of a big weekend of Pride events.

Patterson Park and the Mel Hegland Uniplex parking lot will be the centre of attention amid various planned events that Ratushniak— who is on the local Pride committee— says will be a blend of celebration and reflection.

“It’s a festival of sorts: we have everything from live music, dance, storytelling, art, drag shows, drummers and Elders speaking,” he told larongeNOW. “And there will be a moment when we reflect on what’s happened in Canada over these last few months,” he noted, regarding the traumatic discoveries at former residential school sites.

Pride activities run noon until 4 p.m. at Patterson Park. Then on Sunday at 1 p.m. the Pride Parade goes from the Lac La Ronge Indian band office to Patterson Park. That’s followed by a couple of shows from YXE Drag Collective in the parking lot of the Mel Hegland. It’s a drive-in style show and COVID protocols will be in place throughout the weekend given the full restrictions aren’t lifted until July 11.

Lac la Ronge Pride poster (Facebook)

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“The LGBT community has historically been oppressed for many, many years and we’re still dealing with over a hundred countries around the world where you can be criminalized simply for being gay and for who you are,” Ratushniak said.

He spoke to the mixture of celebration and serious elements that will make up the weekend.

“We obviously want to celebrate who we are as LGBTQ2+ people but what people don’t realize is the freedom we have here in Canada is not necessarily what’s reflected around the world,” he explained, noting there’s still education to be done in our own backyard as well.

“As much as it seems we’re progressive in this country there’s still a lot of people who don’t feel that way. We still have a lot of work to do.”

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glenn.hicks@pattisonmedia.com