Pride celebrations return to Fort McMurray in August

Pride celebrations are returning to Fort McMurray for the first time sincethe May 2016 wildfire put off any plans for festivities last year.

"Today, I was Googling rainbow platform sneakers," said resident Lauren Elliott, who's excited for the LGBTQ festival's return to the city.

Although Fort McMurray is one of Canada's most culturally diverse city's per capita, Pride YMM organizer Jason Beck said it's not always easy being openly gay inNorthern Alberta.

"There's some of the roughest, toughest oil workers out there who happen to be gay," Beck said. "There's a large number of people who identify with the community, but are not vocal about it."

It gets better

Beckhas been openly gay for about two years and used to workas a pastor for a non-denominational church in Fort McMurray. After coming out, a few people fromthe church no longer speak with him, he said.

"I have people who walk by me who used to talk to me all the time but won't even look at me now," he said. "That's difficult."

Still, Beck and Elliottsaid Fort McMurray is more LGBTQfriendly than it has been inthe past. When Elliott moved to Fort McMurray 10 years ago,she wasn't fully out of the closet. That's no longer the case.

Beck and the other organizers of the newly formedPride YMM said they are driven by the workthat still needs to be done to gain greater acceptance for LGBTQpersons in Fort McMurray

The Pride celebrationswill take placein Jubilee Plaza, FortMcMurray'smain square, on August26th. The eventwill be for people of all ages and the whole community is invited to participate.

Organizers say they will share all their Pride plans with FortMcMurray'smunicipal council Tuesday night.The group will also enter a float in the city'sCanada Day parade on Saturday.

'Returning it with love'

A handful of Pride celebrations across Alberta have been tarnished by acts of vandalism this month.Rainbow pedestrian crossings have been vandalized in Lethbridgeand Pride flags have been removed from flagpoles in Edmonton and elsewhere

• Rainbow flag cut down on Pride day at Edmonton high school
• 'You're not doing stuff alone': Edmonton Pride parade brings together LGBTQ community, allies

Beck said he remembers a similar flag vandalism incident in Fort McMurray in 2013, but he doesn't expect a repeat this year.

"At the end of the day, we have not talked very much about negativityother than we acknowledged what happened [four] years ago," Beck said. "We're trying to focus on the positives."

Beck said with all the support they've seenso far, he doesn't expect a negative reception.

Elliott saidif the events fall victim to similar acts of vandalism, she will be happy to respond.

"If somebody wants to disrespect me and my sexual orientation, I would feel so much better about myself and representingmy LGBTQ community by just returning it with love," she said.

During itspresentation to council Tuesday night,Pride YMM will lobby to makethe Pride celebration an annual event in the city, and also inquire about painting sidewalks in the city and starting a non-profit group that supports LGBTQhigh school students.

Follow David Thurton, CBC'sFort McMurraycorrespondent, onFacebook,Twitteror contact him viaemail.