Capital Pride organizers call this year's festival the biggest yet
More than 75 community events being held across Ottawa this week
Pride week has kicked off in Ottawa, and organizers are concentrating on the theme of community during what they're calling the city's largest festival yet.
A week of programming is taking place throughout the city until next Sunday, with events ranging from movie nights and book readings to clothing swaps and drag queen bingo.
Toby Whitfield, chair of the board of directors for Capital Pride, said many community groups have been working to make the city more welcoming, and the organization is taking the opportunity to highlight those efforts.
"[We're] taking a moment to recognize and celebrate the people and the community groups and organizations … that are so important to making the LGBTQ2 community vibrant, safe, inclusive for all," Whitfield said.
Speaking at a community picnic Sunday, Whitfield said the 2018 festival is the largest yet.
The festival has about 250 volunteers — double last year's total, Whitfield said. There are 75 community events, and the roughly 150 groups taking part in the Aug. 26 parade — up from about 130 last year — will make it the biggest one yet, he said.
The street festival on Bank and Somerset streets has also grown this year with a larger main stage, he said. Most events are also free this year.
'So proud'
Margie Pepin is a volunteer with Capital Pride and brought her eight-year-old son Samuel to Sunday's family picnic at Hintonburg Park.
She said it was a good opportunity to show him that families come in all varieties.
It's just beautiful and important that they do things like this.— Margie Pepin
"I'm so proud to have a son who is so accepting of his mom and to be my own personal cheerleader … I've only recently come out to him," Pepin said.
"It is a little bit emotional, you know. I mean I think it's just beautiful and important that they do things like this, and that I can share it with my son and have him be proud of me is just — it means a lot to me."
Sharing experiences, building community
"I'm pretty happy to come here because I get to meet a lot of my mom's friends," her son Samuel added. "I think that it's pretty cool to come here and meet other families."
Hannah McGechie, executive director of the Ten Oaks Project — which primarily runs summer camp programs for youth from LGBT families or are LGBT themselves — was also at Sunday's picnic.
She said it was great that Capital Pride has continued to expand.
"Folks who have felt a bit isolated can come and meet some other folks who have shared experiences, shared interests and begin to form community for themselves. So it's wonderful," McGechie said.
History installations, rainbow flags
Other families at the picnic also said they appreciated the wide range of community events.
"I think that a lot of the Pride activities are family friendly and great family opportunities," said Elizabeth Graysen, who was at the picnic with her partner and son.
"I think it reflects what families look like around here now."
Activists from Ottawa's LGBT community are also being recognized this week with the unveiling of six new installations on Bank Street that tell their stories, as well as new banners courtesy the Village Legacy Project.
Both Ottawa and Gatineau city halls will be raising rainbow flags on Monday.
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