The Comox Valley’s annual Pride Week takes place all week (Aug. 21–27), featuring a series of activities to recognize LGBTQ culture.
The annual event is put on by Comox Valley Pride. It runs in conjunction with Pride Weekend.
“Pride Week is to create awareness and bring community — not just the pride community but the entire community — together to celebrate our diversity and to accept diversity in the Valley,” said Comox Valley Pride social media and volunteer co-ordinator Phyllis Katcher. “We know we live in a world where, unfortunately, sexual orientation or gender are still [taboo]. This is our way to say, ‘when we no longer have to demonstrate and show the people we are the same as everybody else, that’s when we know we fit into society’.”
This year marks the second year of Pride Week since the event’s resurrection following a four-year hiatus.
The week features the raising of pride flags at Courtenay City Hall, Comox Town Hall, Cumberland Village Hall and the North Island College Courtenay campus. The raising of the flags take place at noon each day from Aug. 21–24.
The hallmark of the week is the annual Pride Dance, which will occur this year at the Native Sons Hall on Aug. 26. The dance starts at 8 p.m. and is open to all ages. Tickets cost $20.
“Every year, we try to get out and do activities to make people aware and bring on different communities, just to bring that into the community to show people we’re not freaks. That’s what we’re trying to demonstrate,” said Katcher.
Katcher says the committee’s biggest challenges are securing funding and volunteers.
“It’s nice to have people who want to join and do the events, but we can’t do it without volunteers,” said Katcher. “We always try to put out for volunteers or people who are interested in becoming a member of Comox Valley Pride.”
For more information on Pride Week events, visit comoxvalleypride.ca