Councilor Kevin Seesequasis and Chief Roy Petit raise Pride flag at Beardy’s Band Office. Photo by Dean Bear.
Cool and wet weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of members of the Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation on Thursday as a large crowd turned out for the community’s 2nd Annual Two Spirit Pride festival and parade.
The event celebrates equality and gender diversity and the struggle that members of the LGBTQ community face every day.
The parade featured floats, plenty of rainbow flags and community members showing their support for the initiative.
Councilor Kevin Seesequasis said the support shown by members of the reserve and Chief and Council shows that attitudes are changing when it comes to how the community sees gender diversity and sexual orientation.
“It’s heartwarming as a person who identifies within the LGBTQ spectrum that the community is so welcoming, accepting and loving,” he said.
This is the second year for the Two Spirit Pride Festival and Parade and it has grown since being the first PRIDE Festival on a First Nation in Saskatchewan. Seesequasis says the number of children involved in the parade and festival means a lot to him. “They are learning an incredible value that I think is going to take us in a very positive way in the future and that is acceptance,” he said. “In our community, one thing we very much pride ourselves on is that sense of community, and that it doesn’t matter who you are, we are all related.”
Seesequasis said that people are recognizing that the old ways of division no longer work and are not meeting the needs of the community.
“People are becoming more embracing and understanding and more informed on issues,” he said.
“Informed attitudes are taking hold in our communities and that is really reassuring.”
Members of Chief and Council joined in the one-kilometre walk from Dodgie’s Convenience Store to the Band Office. Chief Roy Petit says it was great to see so many people supporting the parade by waving rainbow flags and honking their car horns. “It is a lot bigger than last year’s event and that shows the community supports this initiative,” he said.
There were other LGBTQ groups showing their support for the event. Members from groups such as Out Saskatoon and Pride Saskatoon joined in the walk and Seesequais says that there was a group from Moose Jaw joining in. He says the LGBTQ 2S community in Saskatchewan has embraced what Beardy’s and Okemasis has done and says it’s a reminder that anyone who identifies as a two-spirit person that they are not alone in this. “There are organizations and people right across the country that are willing to support us and embrace us,” he said.
Seesequasis says there will a talking circle this evening and a film screening about LGBTQ bullying where members can learn more about gender diversity and sexual orientation. He says he is looking forward to hearing from community members and their stories and relate to them in a different manner.