Across BC, Pride Events Push Back Against Hate

In small towns, suburban communities and big cities across B.C., local Pride organizations are gearing up to hold celebrations of LGBTQ2S+ life.

With a sharp rise in political hostility towards LGBTQ2S+ issues and a troubling rise in hate crime reports, many organizers say Pride is more important than ever.

“In many ways I would say that Pride is more necessary this year, because it is definitely returning to its roots as protest,” said FJ Hachkevich, vice-president of Prince George Pride Society, which hosts a week of Pride celebrations in July.

“The overwhelming climate of hostility has turned every parade and event into a frontline stance for visibility, safety and human rights.”

Pride events were born from the queer and trans protest movements of the 1960s and ’70s, when LGBTQ2S+ marched against the criminalization of their communities in the United States and Canada.

As gay marriage legalization began in the mid-2000s and acceptance of queer people became more widespread, Pride transitioned into more of a corporate-friendly party for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit and other sexualities (LGBTQ2S+) and their allies. The more radical roots of Pride were pushed to the background.

But over the past decade a backlash has grown, with trans rights a particular focus of right-wing politicians and activists. Politicians have taken aim at age-appropriate LGBTQ2S+ materials in public schools and libraries, drag queen story hours, gender-affirming health care, name and pronoun policies, queer marriage and sports participation for trans girls and non-binary kids.

In both Canada and the United States, human rights protections for queer and trans people have been eroded and hate crime reports are increasing.

In light of both the celebration of identity, sexuality and belonging and the backlash, what does it mean to hold Pride events in 2025?

The Tyee spoke to representatives of five different B.C.-based Pride and LGBTQ2S+ resource organizations.

Pride in Powell River, Nanaimo and Prince George

This month’s Pride flag-raising ceremony in Powell River was postponed by a week after vandals cut the flagpole ropes.

Last year a rainbow staircase outside a local church was defaced, too. But this isn’t deterring qathet Pride Society, the non-profit organization that hosts the flag-raising, the Pride parade — now in its second year — and the Pride in the Park festival.

“Because we’re such a small community, getting out there and having events is not only a celebration of queer joy, but also of just reminding people that we are here, that we are community members,” said Donna Gillenardo-Goudreau, president of qathet Pride Society.

“I think visibility is really important, especially in a small town. It really has helped people understand and start to educate themselves on queer issues.”

Pride Week has happened in Nanaimo already, with Nanaimo Pride Society hosting a flag-raising, silent disco, sober Pride party, a Pride parade and festival, two Pride proms, drag nights and more.

Describing community response to Pride as a “mixed bag,” Nanaimo Pride Society president Lauren Semple noted they do receive a lot of support and positive feedback from the LGBTQ2S+ community, their families, friends and allies.

Hosting Pride in 2025 is about balancing the good and the bad, they said.

“Holding that space for celebration of who we are as people, but also how far we’ve come and the work of the elders and the marginalized communities within our own, whose shoulders we stand upon,” Semple said.

“The duality of it is holding space for the fact that things aren’t great right now, and are at risk of getting worse.”

In Prince George, Pride has been going strong for 28 years. Hachkevich said that this year, they’ve seen an increase in people wanting to participate. In addition to a Pride parade, Prince George Pride Society holds a bingo night, a festival and market, a movie night, a roller-skating event and a Pride flag-raising.

"We've certainly seen an uptick, I would say a surge, in registration this year," said Hachkevich. "We've definitely seen an uptick in community organizations wanting to participate in Pride.

“But also in members of the queer, trans and Two-Spirit community looking to participate in Pride, as well."

Marching dykes and supporting Qmunity across BC

Vancouver’s Pride weekend is held in early August to mark the Canadian history of protest against criminalization of LGBTQ2S+ people.

Dyke marches in particular began in Canada in the early 1980s to highlight that the concerns of queer women and lesbians, particularly Black women, Indigenous women and other women of colour, were being overlooked in the mainstream queer rights movement.

For the Vancouver Dyke March, the East Vancouver march, on Aug. 2 this year, has always been a protest.

“We really welcome everyone to attend, to show up how they are, to present that proudly, to really take up space and remind the city that we are here and we aren’t going anywhere,” said a member of the Vancouver Dyke March board, who asked to remain anonymous because of safety concerns. The board member added that the march is inclusive of all genders, races and abilities.

While acknowledging the backlash against LGBTQ2S+ visibility and rights is “terrifying,” the board member noted it is not new, as colonizers have tried for centuries to eradicate Indigenous gender and sexual diversity.

But last year’s march was particularly unsafe because of the Vancouver Police Department, the board member said, adding Vancouver Dyke March recently sent a letter to city councillors outlining concerns.

Whereas past years had seen Vancouver Dyke March safety marshals block traffic on both sides of the street, last year the Vancouver police allowed traffic to continue on the south side of the street, the board member added, and even allowed left turns through the marching crowd.

In light of the deadly vehicle attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day celebrations in April, this is especially concerning, they said.

“Having that oncoming traffic because of the actions of the police is something that we fear will really distress our community members — especially our queer and trans Filipinx community members — and pose a real safety risk,” the board member said.

In an emailed statement to The Tyee, Sgt. Steve Addison, the Vancouver Police Department's media relations officer, said the department supports the right to protest — to a point.

"That right does not permit protesters to block infrastructure, put people in danger, or do whatever they want. We must ensure the safety of protesters, the general public, and the police officers that are responsible for escorting demonstrators who choose to walk on roadways that are open to traffic," Addison's statement reads.

“We appreciate there are elevated concerns in light of the vehicle attack at the Lapu-Lapu Festival, and we’re prepared to work with organizers of this event to develop a policing strategy that balances everyone’s needs.”

Qmunity is not a Pride organization but a frontline resource for low-barrier mental health and social services for LGBTQ2S+ communities across B.C.

But this summer Qmunity will be visiting nearly 30 Pride celebrations across B.C. as part of its Summer of Love campaign, supporting people in rural and remote areas who may not have the supportive LGBTQ2S+ community that urban regions do.

“When we look at the most marginalized communities within 2SLGBTQI+ communities, it tends to be folks that live in isolated communities,” said Michael Robach, Qmunity’s director of development.

This is the third year Summer of Love’s “glorified road show,” as Robach calls it, will travel throughout B.C. setting up booths at Pride and other events, connecting people not only to Qmunity but also to local resources and supports.

LGBTQ2S+ organizations are rarely flush with cash, and touring the province is not cheap, Robach noted. Safety concerns are also leading to rising costs. During Qmunity’s B.C. tour, at least one staff member and two volunteers must be at the Qmunity booth at all times, a policy that is in response to safety fears.

That’s why Robach appreciates federal funding like the newly announced $1.5 million for parade safety measures.

But he noted that in the past, federal money has not always reached B.C. Pride events.

“British Columbia and the West often gets forgotten,” he said.