Diversity, inclusivity celebrated at Altona's inaugural Pride parade

Under warm sunny skies, a large and boisterous crowd filled the streets of Altona for Pembina Valley Pride's inaugural parade in the southern Manitoba town on Saturday afternoon.

Approximately 400 people turned out to celebrate and support diversity at the parade. Mayor Al Friesen and Altona Police Service Chief Perry Batchelor were among those who walked the streets with supporters after the six-coloured Pride flag with five-coloured chevron, which emphasizes inclusion and progression, was raised outside the town office.

"Today was a reassurance that the town is moving in a progressive way," Friesen said. "Our hope was that today those who came from either here or elsewhere that they experienced that in Altona."

The 67-year-old mayor acknowledged that enthusiasm for the Pride parade was muted in some parts of the town, but he invited residents to turn the page and look forward to a brighter and more inclusive future.

"It seemed like there was a real appetite to have a party kind of event with the reality that it hasn't always been a party-kind-of place, or a party-kind-of atmosphere. I think it's reassuring," Friesen said.

"I think it speaks well to the people of our community saying, 'This is our town. We would like this to be a part of our definition in who we are.'"

The parade morphed out of Morden's first Pride parade in 2019, which Peter Wohlgemut called "the genesis" of Pembina Valley Pride.

Wohlgemut, the president of Pembina Valley Pride, called the Morden event a pivotal personal moment for themselves, since they didn't have many 2SLGBTQ connections in the southern part of the province prior to that day.

"At that event, it was made clear that we do have a community here, and a lot of us thought we were all alone," Wohlgemut said. "It's hard to find each other sometimes when you have to be so careful."

But skip ahead three years later, and Wohlgemut isn't afraid to speak out.

"There are people who want us to be ashamed of who we are, and the name Pride speaks to the fact that, no, we are not ashamed of who we are," they said.

"We are proud to be the rainbow community. We are proud to be 2SLGBTQ. We are not going to be ashamed. You can try and make us, but we're not going there."

Tamara Franz isn't ashamed either.

Franz, who has called Altona home on and off for more than two decades, held a banner along with other supporters during the parade.