Altona celebrates unity and diversity with 2024 rally
Beneath a sunny sky, the Altona Centennial Park transformed into a vibrant and inclusive gathering place Saturday for the 2024 Pembina Valley Pride march and rally.
The event, which drew a diverse crowd of supporters and participants from across the community and the province, aimed to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
From the Rainbow Church service at the Altona United Church and the inspiring speeches to the hundreds of participants of all ages, marching down the community trails in colourful regalia, the day was filled with activities that underscored the importance of unity, acceptance and diversity.
Families and individuals revelled in the festive atmosphere, surrounded by bright colours and decorations. Children delighted in face painting, crafts, and a bubble machine, while adults explored vendors showcasing local art and merchandise.
Three food trucks were also set to arrive, but according to Pembina Valley Pride president Pauline Emerson-Froebe, they cancelled due to threats issued to one of the participating businesses by an unknown individual.
Fortunately, the Altona Elks Lodge 447 swooped in to offer a helping hand, providing hot dogs, pop and chips for attendees.
“We were super appreciative to Pembina Valley Pride for allowing us to be able to be a part of the event and fill a need for everyone,” said Elks member Rachael Friesen. “All the attendees were amazing. Their donations covered our costs, and the extra $1,600 will all go towards kids in need. It was a great day.”
The event’s lineup of notable speakers included community leaders and activists who emphasized the significance of inclusion, fostering a sense of understanding and shared purpose.
“We don’t celebrate Pride just because we’re proud of who we are,” said Emerson-Froebe, who moved to the Pembina Valley with her wife seven years ago. “We celebrate Pride to demonstrate our intolerance of bigotry, oppression and the marginalization of our entire rainbow community.
“I want you to be aware that we, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and our allies, we are the majority. The haters are the minority now, and because their numbers are dwindling, they are shouting even louder to spread their hate. But we will not let them win. We are stronger than that. We are together.”
Perseus Hamm spoke at the first Altona Pride celebration in 2022 and returned to share their journey. They empathize the importance of having peers that are queer and having a community around you that understands you.
“It is essential to encourage the day-to-day celebration of queerness through a lens of unwavering acceptance that people will be who they are, and that will change. The gift of this community is that they will stand by that change, and that is something that should not be understated, how important we all are for each other.”
Peter Wohlgemut, past president of Pembina Valley Pride, said it felt incredible to lead the parade and look back and see the long, endless line behind him.
“When I think back to the ally card situation that we had here about 14 years ago, now this is the second Pride event in Altona. It was huge. There were lots of people there, from kids to seniors, and it was interesting how many people said it was their first Pride event.
“It was amazing that they could see this as a safe place, where they could openly be with people that they knew would welcome them. That was so heartwarming.
“I think people have come a long way, and there are also people out there who don’t know how they can show their support, but with an event like this, they can show it by just being there.”
While an event like this sends a message to queer people, Wohlgemut said it also sends a message to the community at large.
“There’s a lot of support in this community. And if you’re going to be hateful, you might want to be careful about what you say because you might not know who you’re talking to,” he said. “There was a time when people felt it was okay to say negative things, but do you really want to ostracize this many people?
“There was a time when to be included in this community, you needed to have certain beliefs, speak a certain language, have certain identities, act, dress a certain way – you had to conform to a very narrow social contract. But now, that contract has broadened to include far more people than it used to,” he concluded.
Photos by Lori Penner/VOICE
