With the ongoing public health crisis and the general sense of uncertainty surrounding it, the Board of Directors of Fierté Sudbury Pride has decided to rethink its upcoming 23rd Pride Week, scheduled for July 13-20.
Rather than cancelling it outright, a digital Pride festival, Queerantine, will be organized in its place, though with reduced programming, said a press release.
Through community partnerships and the participation of local queer artists, activists, and educators, organizers say they hope to create a digital space for the local 2SLGBTQ+ community and its allies to celebrate its history of resistance, confront its present challenges, and imagine its bright future.
While some may think that this call is a little premature as the festival is still a few months away, the enforcement of restrictions on public gatherings for the foreseeable future and the severe impact this crisis is having on our own ability to effectively fundraise for and organize the festival in a way that would meet the community’s expectations make it extremely unlikely that a traditional Pride Week could go ahead as originally planned, said a press release.
“Other Pride events around the country and the world have taken decisions to digitize, to postpone, or to outright cancel their programming,” said Sudbury Pride chair Alex Tétreault, in the press release.
“While our announcement is bound to be disappointing to many, the decision was an easy one for us to make. It’s the best way to balance the health and safety of everyone with the need to hold a unifying event for queer folks in our community. We know that it won’t be the same, but now, more than ever, it’s important to feel connected to one another and so not organizing anything just isn’t an option.”
The festival acknowledges that the current situation is hardest for the most marginalized within its community and that isolation has made it extremely difficult for those of us who rely on support networks outside the home for their health and well-being, such as those in isolation with unsupportive or abusive family members and partners.
Organizers say they’re currently looking at ways of ensuring that our events remain accessible to as many members of the community as possible.
In the coming months, should the situation change, organizers will evaluate the possibility of holding physical events, like the Pride March, which they still hope to be able to hold in the fall. The full schedule will be released at a later date. In the meantime, organizers encourage all community members to follow government and public health directives.
