Rural pride festivals promote acceptance within community, organizers say

Several rural communities around Nova Scotia are celebrating Pride with festivals this month, something organizers say creates important opportunities for connection that may not otherwise happen.

Pictou County Pride kicked off its second annual festival on Monday, with flag-raising ceremoniesin every municipality and town in the region, includingTrenton, New Glasgow, Stellarton, Westville and Pictou Landing First Nation.

Carissa Ainslie, the chair of Pictou County Pride, said hosting these events in rural areas, where the population is more scattered, offers an opportunity to come together and models inclusion for those who aren't2SLGBTQ+.

"I think it's really quite special seeing flags being raised at each town hall,"Ainslie told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Halifax on Tuesday."It's really quite signifying to the community at large that we're here and the community wants to support us."

Ainslie said about 100 people attended the flag-raising ceremonies around the county, including community members, members of the Pictou United Church, mayors and other local representatives.

Pictou County is among many rural areas of Nova Scotia that have started hosting their own Pride festivals.Valley Pride, which is held throughout Kings County, will host their second annual festival next week.

Ashley Cyr, co-chair of Valley Pride, said the idea for the first festival came together last spring, but they faced pushback from some groups regarding a drag event last June. That only encouraged them to host more Pride events the following month, Cyr said.

"We were really overwhelmed with how everything went, and just the warmth with which our community welcomed us and the enthusiasm about the eventsand the opportunity to really come together and meet other queer people in the valley," she said.

Cyr said it can be difficult to connect with other queer people in rural areas, because there are fewer spaces to do so compared to major cities.

Mainstreet NS9:04Pictou County Pride kicks off 2nd annual festival

Pictou County Pride has kicked off a week-long festival of events and activities across the region. The week will end with a Pride Day celebration at Pictou Landing First Nation on Sunday. The group's chair Carissa Ainslie joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what they have in store for their community.

She said it's also a matter of safety, and not knowing what kind of reaction a person will get if they reveal they are queer in a rural community.

"That isn't to say that everybody in rural communities arehomophobic not at all. There are so many welcoming, lovely folks out here. But unfortunately, it is the reality that we do encounter a lot of hate," she said, adding that a lot of that hate appears online.

"So it can be really scary to put yourself out there without that, sort of, created space for queer folks to come together to feel safe, to meet each other and build community. Soit's really, really important that we have those spaces out here so folks don't feel isolated."

She said it's also important for 2SLGBTQ+ folks to stay in rural areas to provide more representation for younger generations and create societal change.

"We have the choice to move to the city and there is that draw. But there are queer kids here and they don't get to choose where they were born, who their families are. So when queer kids who are growing up here see healthy, thriving queer adults, that makes a huge, huge difference in their lives."

Cyr said she's talked to people who were considering leaving the Annapolis Valley for other opportunities, including one who was going to open a beauty bar in Halifax,but after last year's Pride, they decided to stay and start their business.

"They were inspired to stay, to engage, to come into a leadership role in some way or other, so I think we are actually really making tangible change here."

Cyr encouraged any community that wants to host their own Pride events to connect with others and make it happen. It doesn't require special expertise, just passion to bring people together, she said.

"Honestly, have queer audacity. Just do it."

Pictou County Prideruns untilJune 23. It will end with a Pride Day celebration at Pictou Landing First Nation.

Valley Pride runs June 26-30. On Saturday, the festival is hosting a takeover of downtownKentville, where there will be a Pride march and artisan market.