Communitynow Burnaby Pride Week kicks off with flag raising

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow.com

Just exactly who, what and where is Burnaby’s queer community?

Burnaby Pride organizers still don’t really know, but they’re keen to learn more, according to chair Athena Affan

Now in its sixth year, the organization is presenting another series of summer events starting with a barbecue at Keswick Park last weekend to celebrate localTwo-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual/aromantic, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) residents, but the nature of the community has remained somewhat elusive

When Burnaby Pride threw its first summer street party at Civic Square in 2018, Affan herself was pleasantly surprised.

“I was just like, ‘I didn’t even know that there were any queer people in Burnaby,’” she said in an interview with the NOW “We don’t have any specifically queer spaces.”

Burnaby Pride was started through community organizations, Affan explained, but organizers would like to see it be more responsive to the needs of the individuals it serves

“In order to do that, we really need to get a sense of who the community is and really do some community engagement so that we’re really offering something that’s meaningful for the queer folks who live and work in Burnaby,” Affan said

Meanwhile, the events Burnaby Pride is already putting on every July provide important opportunities for members of the queer community to come together in solidarity and celebration where they live, work and play, according to Affan.

“As a queer person living in Burnaby, you want to know you’re supported; you want to know that you’ve got other community members out there; you want to know your community supports you,” she said

The events also give other Burnaby residents “lowrisk” ways to learn about queer people’s experiences, according to Affan

This year’s offerings kicked off with a Pride community barbecue last Saturday at Keswick Park near the Lougheed SkyTrain station

On July 17, there will be a Pride flag raising ceremony at Burnaby City Hall at 1 p m to kick off Burnaby PrideWeek

Then, on July 22, the big event, Burnaby Pride Festival, hits Burnaby Civic Square from noon to 6 p.m. (see information below)

A youth Pride movie night on July 28 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. rounds out the

(Youth interested in attending can call Alphabet Soup at 604-294-7606 or DM @alphabet soup bby; on Instagram for more information.)

The first in-person festival after the pandemic last year drew a big crowd, with about 3,000 people coming through, according to Affan.

The barbecue was also popular

“We had a lot of seniors come out to that event last year, which really sur- prised us, and we’re hoping to see the same this year,” Affan said

Burnaby Pride organizers hope anti-trans and anti-SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) protests won’t dampen the celebrations, but Affan said Pride organizations across the country have recorded an uptick in antagonism toward the queer and trans communities over the last year

Burnaby Pride has safety plans in place and is asking people not to engage if protesters show up

“Some of the ways that the protesters are engaging these days, is that they might video you,” Affan said “They’re trying to get a negative response to portray the community in a bad light ”

The best way to deal with the situation is to notify a volunteer or Burnaby Pride representative, according to Affan.

“Avoid and report,” she said “We’ll have a safety plan in place so we can address it,” she said.

While it might be tempting to engage, Affan said there are lots of other ways to be an ally of the queer community without creating a “tough vibe” at events

“On a day like a Pride event, folks just want to relax and focus on the celebration,” she said

This year’s Burnaby Pride Festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. on July 22 at Civic Square outside the Bob Prittie Metrotown library.

The event will feature a diverse lineup of live music, comedy, drag performers, interactive booths, activities and more

The drag segment will run from 5 to 6 p.m. and feature performers Batty Banks, King Fisher and Bongganisa

Musical acts will include Fallen Stars, IAMREBELWILL and Parlour Panther

“We’ve got a lot of new performers this year,” Affan said

Among the new acts is a mother-daughter duo Affan is “really excited about,” but she wouldn’t say much more for fear of spoiling the surprise.

Performances on the main stage will run from 1 to 6 p.m.