City hall flag raising kicks off Lethbridge Pride Week
June is International Pride Month and it's hard not to notice with all the rainbow flags waving in Lethbridge.
Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lethbridge Pride Fest Society has had to make most of the week's events virtual for the second year in a row.
It all started Monday evening with a virtual Pride flag raising at city hall.
Some members of the community still showed up, but were wearing masks and observing health guidelines.
The ceremony started with a blessing from Blackfoot elder, Tom Little Bear.
There were multiple speakers as well, including Mayor Chris Spearman and Lethbridge Pride Fest Society board chair Lane Sterr.
Mayor Spearman attends the flag raising every year and believes in the importance of pride in Lethbridge.
"We need to make sure we're not shunning people, that we're not judging people and that we are accepting people and loving people for who they are and who they choose to be," Spearman told CTV News.
He said he's happy to support the LGBTQ+ community year after year and is upset that they aren't able to have a larger gathering again.
June is Pride month
"Most years there are various ways to celebrate, there's a whole series of activities," he said.
"These people are very much part of our community. They're very vibrant and they add to what Lethbridge is."
Sterr is upset about the lack of in-person events, but is looking forward to having at least one that will be taking place June 18 in the downtown core.
"We plan on doing a pride pop-up photo shoot like we've done last year," he said.
"It's a time for you to come and get your pictures taken by a professional photographer while celebrating pride with the community."
Other events for the week include gender diversity training as well as a virtual drag queen story time on June 16 with Levi Cox, also known as Crissy Cox, and Brandi Jayne.
However, that's not all that's happening, as both Crissy and Brandi have some exciting news to share for what will be happening after the story time.
"We're going to get vaccinated, in full drag, for our double vax at the downtown Pharmasave at three o'clock this Wednesday," Cox said.
Cox said he's not only excited to get fully vaccinated, but to do so while spreading pride and happiness.
Lethbridge Pride 2021
When asked what pride means to him, Cox had this to say.
"To me, pride is being proud of yourself and standing up and then just let the dust settle and see who stands with you and you'll be surprised."
Monday's event ended with the flag being raised as well as the annual selfie that Sterr took with everyone behind him.
He said that he plans to remain as chair to help plan next year's Pride Festival.
"I'm excited to plan next pride to make it bigger, better and badder then it's ever been."
For more information on what events are coming up, you can visit the Lethbridge Pride Fest Society's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.