It was a day of celebration in the Lethbridge community, as they concluded their 2016 Pride Fest Saturday.
Hundreds donned rainbow duds to close out the festivities.
Citizens were out all day showing their support at the Pride Fest parade, and later gathering at Galt Gardens.
“I’m overwhelmed with love,” Levi Cox, the Lethbridge Pride Fest chair, said. “My expectations are more than met, this is eight years in the making…I have never felt this much pride.”
It has been less than a decade since the community first began celebrating pride, and the event has grown significantly over the years. Members from the LGBTQ community were overwhelmed by the showing of support.
“This town is more progressive than anyone gives it credit for,” Shannon Phillips, the Environment Minister, said. “It is full of all kinds of different people, and it’s great to see that affirmed.”
Many from the community remember a time when pride was not a publicized event.
“It used to be a much more hidden, a small thing,” Cox said. “We used to host our dances outside city limits in a small hall.”
Lethbridge has changed since then. “It’s a lot easier now,” said Cox. “We can be out in our work and our schools now.”
Pride Fest serves to educate and promote understanding, while raising awareness for those who are marginalized.
“There are still a number of conversations that need to be had as a community,” said Phillips. “When people are visible they can be heard and understood, and we can move forward.”
This includes providing a new generation with an example of acceptance and tolerance.
“I’m a teacher and I think it’s important that I come to these things,” Annie Greeno, an elementary school teacher, said. “It’s one thing to tell kids when you’re in the classroom that we should all include each other, so I think it’s important to come out and actually do it.”
This was the eighth annual Pride Fest held in the city of Lethbridge.