Hundreds of people gathered downtown on Saturday to celebrate Pride Week in Prince George and show their support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
More than 30 organizations took part in the city's 18th annual Pride Parade downtown on Saturday, parade organizer and Pride Prince George past president Valentine Crawford said.
"We've arrived. It's not a protest movement anymore - it's celebrating that community with everybody," Crawford said. "There were a lot of people who showed up [after registration closed] and wanted to participate. We don't turn anybody away. There were [RCMP] members in red serge this year. We have more paramedics, more non-profits participating."
People from all walks of life lined the parade route, which began and ended at City Hall, to cheer the procession that featured plenty of colourful costumes, music, floats and a 30-foot-long rainbow flag.
Grand marshals Barry Williams and Michael Pockett, local business owners and Pride volunteers, lead the parade in convertible.
"We've been working with the Pride community, or gay community, for 12 years," an emotional Pockett told the crowd before the parade. "This is quite an honour to be able to lead the parade today."
David Parsons let it all hang out during the parade - dancing on a float in only his underwear.
"It takes quite a bit of courage. But when you get up there and start shaking your ass, it's not bad," Parsons said. "It's less hard than you think."
Bystander Kendra Mitchell-Foster said it was important for her and her wife to see the support for the gay, lesbian and transgender community.
"We moved to town in September from Vancouver," Mitchell-Foster said. "It was really important for us to know, now that we live here, if this is a good place to live."
Sussanne Skidmore, B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union executive vice president, said she was impressed by the turnout.
"This is so exciting," Skidmore said. "It's probably the biggest and best pride parade we've ever have."
Things have changed dramatically from the city's first Pride Parade, Anglican Ven. Peter Zimmer said.
"I've been involved in support for the gay and lesbian community since the 1980s," he said. "I remember when there were 140 people at that first Pride Parade here, and about 15 spectators -most of whom turned their backs on us. I'm happily married and as straight as they come, but we're all people."
Zimmer said he officiated the wedding of two local women in 2004, "the first year it was legal," but acknowledges that many members of the religious establishment wouldn't be as comfortable doing that as he was.
"The church is like society, slow to learn," he said. "[But] whenever any community gets together for dialog, they need to go in understanding their minds may be changed."
Christie and Oliver Ray were among the many parents who brought their children to watch the parade and enjoy the food, entertainment and vendors at the Pride Festival on the lawn of City Hall Saturday afternoon.
"We just wanted to show our support for the community," Christie Ray said. "We feel it's important to bring our kids down."
Prince George has changed in the 15-plus years since the couple moved to the city from the Lower Mainland, Oliver Ray said.
"When we moved here you wouldn't have seen this in Prince George," he said. "[And] it seems to be growing."
While watching his daughter play in the bouncy castle at the Pride Festival, Bjorn Butow said he brought her down because "we're an inclusive community."
City councillors Lyn Hall, Frank Everitt and Albert Koehler took part in the parade and on July 2 the City of Prince George raised the rainbow flag at City Hall to honour Pride Week.
T-shirts proclaiming the wearers are "Straight but not narrow" were everywhere at the Pride Festival on Saturday. The shirts are the brainchild of Heterosexuals For Same-Sex Equality founder Derek Forgie. The organization, which began in Toronto, represents heterosexual people who support equality for same-sex couples.
Local radio DJ Launie 'The Schwartz' Schwartz is the local representative for the organization.
"When you see two people holding hands... it should never, ever, ever matter what gender they are," Schwartz said. "Intolerance is something I'm not every tolerant of."
Other Pride Week events held last week included Cosmic Pride bowling night, Pride Celebration Party, How Rude drag show, Phoenix Brunch and Pride pool party at the Four Seasons Pool.
