Saskatoon Pride parade celebrates the trailblazers

Saskatoon wrapped up a week-long celebration with the annual Pride parade in soggy conditions Saturday.

Rain and wind pelted the dozens of floats that moved through downtown as people cheered them on, but organizers said the gloomy weather galvanized the reduced numbers out for the event.

“We’ve faced a lot worse than a little bit of rain over the years,” Pride Saskatoon board member Mike McCoy said prior to the parade’s takeoff. “We’re here to be proud of the fact that we survived it. Now we can celebrate it a little bit and help the people coming behind us.”

McCoy is a member of the Trailblazers of Pride group that was celebrated as part of the parade’s theme that marked the 50th anniversary of Canada partially decriminalizing homosexuality in Canada and the Stonewall Riots in New York, which are seen as beginning the gay liberation movement in the ’60s.

Celebrating the trailblazers — those who started the push for equality decades ago — was important to McCoy, especially when he considered his own journey to Saturday’s celebrations.

Happy Pride, #yxe! The Saskatoon Pride Parade begins with the trailblazers leading the charge! pic.twitter.com/dUkddlhkL7

— Keenan Sorokan (@KeenanSorokan) June 22, 2019

McCoy grew up in Saskatoon. When he came out at 16 years old, he said it was a very different time — and a dangerous one, if you were gay.

“Looking back on it, it was a pretty brave thing to do at the time,” he said. “Everything was very covert, and my parents were very clear: I should not tell anybody. You carry that with you all the time.”

Under constant fear of being victimized, McCoy’s worst fears were later realized.

“I was involved, at least a couple of times, in being physically assaulted — and not for anything, but for walking down the street,” McCoy said, adding there was even once an attempt on his life.

“That’s my experience. At the same time, today is about Pride and I’d say that when people are struggling they come together. That’s one of the reasons so many people are here — it’s a chosen family.”

Pride festival chair Amy Rees was proud to see thousands of people in Saskatoon line the streets to attend the parade. She thinks it shows the popularity of the Pride movement in the Prairies.

“How far we’ve come, the things that are being legalized slowly, the communities that are coming together… as the years go on, we’re ready for it,” Rees said.

Both Rees and McCoy acknowledged there is plenty of work to do when it comes to progressing equal rights for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. McCoy highlighted that transgender and two-spirited people, for example, are still facing many issues.

“We’re here to celebrate, but also to say, ‘We’re here with you; to help you gain the same rights and place in society where you’re respected,'” McCoy said.

Moe makes an appearance

Premier Scott Moe takes part in his first Pride parade on June 21, 2019. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

Premier Scott Moe also made an appearance at Saturday’s event, marking the first time he has attended a Pride parade.

Moe previously stated he would not be attending any Pride parade in the province, due to scheduling conflicts.

His participation marks the first time any Saskatchewan Party premier has attended such an event.

Moe sat in a Saskatchewan Party vehicle driven by Justice Minister Don Morgan as he waved to the crowd along the parade route.