Sudbury Pride decides not to hold a parade following backlash over police presence

Fiert Sudbury Pride is backtracking on an earlier decision to go ahead with its annual parade as some have expressed concerns over police involvement in the event.

As with a march, the presence of law enforcement is required to obtain an event permit from the city as the chosen route of the parade requires some traffic control.

Last year's paradewas scrapped for similar reasons but the board of the non-profit wanted to bring the event back this year as a way to increase 2SLGBTQ+ visibility amid a rise of hate across the country.

That decision, however, prompted some backlash, with several community members sharing their negative experiences with law enforcement at a Fiert Sudbury Pride meeting earlier in May.

The chair of the organization, Nathan Kanasawe, says the debate over whether to hold a paradeif it involves the police opened up opportunities for the community to get together.

"I feel like I've talked to more people in the last couple weeks than I have [since] becoming the chair," he said.

"So I think that it was really important for it all to happen this way."

Conversations about police and pride are complex and intersectional

The 2SLGBTQ+ community could still decide to organizea parade or a march, but it would not be hosted by Fiert Sudbury Pride, whichwill instead be focusing on its other pride week programming.

Kanasawe says conversations about police at pride events are complicated, with everyone having different experiences with law enforcement.

"There are some people that never have negative experiences with police, and other people will regularly have [one]," he said, adding he had both positive and negative experiences in Sudbury and elsewhere.

Kanasawe says the decision not tohold the march ultimately boils down to what is fair and equitable. He's hoping the 2SLGBTQ+ folks will use this as a moment to come together.

"We want people to show up. I want to show up and feel connected and part of the community," he said.

Some board members have stepped down

Three board members have left their roles in the weeks after the return of the march was announced.

The organization's financial lead, Matthew Morin, resigned on Monday. He believes Sudbury Pride should have gone ahead with the parade even if police have to be present at intersections.

"My personal experience with the police has never been great. I've been stopped in drag and basically ridiculed," he said.

But he believes the benefits outweighed the costs in this case, with police providing a barrier between the participants of the parade and potential counter protesters.

"This organization is supposed to be there to protect us, I do believe it can be changed with communication," said Morin.

Call for more volunteers, board members

Sudbury Pride's current secretary Cory Gaudette is also thinking about leaving his role and focusing on volunteering and event planning with the organization instead.

He says he learned a lot throughout this debate over policing. "Listening to people's stories, we understood right away people do not want police at pride for good reason."

He thinks the recent pledge to make meetings and decision making more transparent is going to pay off.

"The community is realizing that the board is not omnipotent and we don't have all of the answers, and that we really do need a lot more help," he said.

"I feel like it's easy to criticize from the sidelines. And don't get me wrong, that's work too. But we need hands," he added.

There are currently several open positions on the board and several committees recruiting, including a newly formed one focused on providing safety resources during pride events.