PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB. — Hundreds flocked to the streets of Portage la Prairie for the inaugural pride march through town.
The speeches and march kicked off at the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation.
Organizers said in a time where tragedy is filling the community, events like these are more necessary than ever before.
“It’s more important now than ever before to stand together as a community to show that diversity and acceptance is here in the small community of portage especially with what happened with Orlando and Steinbach,” said one of the organizers of Pride Portage la Prairie, William Garrioch.
The recently formed group, Pride Portage la Prairie, said it hoped to inspire the LGBTTQ community like the Steinbach Pride March did last month.
Steinbach Pride’s Organizer, Michelle McHale, was also in attendance and said she was overwhelmed with joy.
“It feels humbling to think that something we decided we needed to take a stand for inspired other people like that,” said Michelle McHale.
While the streets were filled with marchers, and the sidewalks filled with additional supporters, the event was met with some opposition. Peaceful protestors holding signs with versus from the bible and singing “Amazing Grace,” popped up on a few street corners as marchers went by wishing them a happy pride.
Organizers said this was just what the hope was the first of many pride marches to take place on the streets of Portage la Prairie and other towns across Manitoba.