Prince George should be proud, but not too proud, of itself for flying the rainbow flag at City Hall this week to mark Pride Week.
That flag is a symbol of Prince George's rapid progression towards tolerance and diversity, particularly the acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ) members of the community. It was just over a decade ago that Prince George's municipal government, led by Mayor Colin Kinsley and a majority of the city council of the day, refused to recognize Pride Week and to show its support for the Pride Parade.
One of the city councillors who stood in opposition to the mayor and his other colleagues was Dan Rogers who, when he became mayor, was more than happy to show how history proved him right by taking part in the Pride Parade. It was nice to see Mayor Shari Green continue that support, holding the flag on Wednesday, along with Coun. Murry Krause and Coun. Lyn Hall, one of the declared candidates for mayor.
The other mayoral candidates so far, Don Zurowski, was part of the majority on council that refused to endorse Pride Week and the Pride Parade.
"It's not up to this councillor to validate the gay community," he said in August 2000.
By 2002, however, Zurowski's position had softened to the point that he supported a watered-down proclamation in 2002 that excluded the phrase "gay community" but did mention "sexual orientation."
"To some, this is not as far as they would like it to be, but it's a step forward," Zurowski said after the August 2002 decision.
At least he took that one step forward, as did Kinsley. There was one city councillor who refused to compromise on this issue and that was Shirley Gratton. Perhaps her views have changed, as Zurowski's did, since then but perhaps they haven't. It doesn't matter. She is free to hold her personal beliefs, as we all are. They should not be used as the sole measure of the outstanding person she is.
Yet that points to why Prince George residents shouldn't take Pride Week to heart. Instead, Pride Week should be a reminder of how much work still remains to be done in the name of tolerance on both sides of these important social issues.
The biggest test for those who proclaim their tolerance of other lifestyles, cultures, religions and so on is whether they can tolerate intolerance. Far too many individuals who declare themselves as progressive free thinkers see no irony in their intolerance of anyone who doesn't agree with their worldview.
Theresa Healy played a leadership role with the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) that brought the Pride proclamation forward and she helped draft the 2002 compromise that was eventually passed by the majority of city council, except for Gratton.
"We designed something that you'd have to be Hitler not to agree with it," she said at the time.
Harsh, inflammatory remarks said in the heat of the moment by a woman who, like Gratton, has been publicly honoured for her devotion to improving community life. Perhaps Healy regrets those words, perhaps she doesn't. It also doesn't matter because she, too, is free to hold her personal beliefs.
Tolerance of diversity means tolerating diverse identities, as uncomfortable and alien as those identities may seem. Tolerance also cuts both ways, however, meaning the opinions of those who challenge those identities should be heard, as difficult as that may be for those whose identity is not being condoned.
Healy and Gratton are both great women and Prince George would not be as rich a place without them. They both have set a marvelous example to all with their deeds but we can even learn from their public missteps. They said and did things in their past that don't look so good in hindsight but haven't we all done that?
Tolerance starts us all on a path that leads to acceptance and eventually to forgiveness.
As a community, we're not there yet but we're moving in the right direction and both Gratton and Healy, as well as Zurowski and Hall, have made important contributions.
