The LGBTQ+ community of Kitimat came together earlier this month for the second-ever Kitimat Pride Prom.
The event was organized by the Tamitik Status of Women and the Kitimat GSA in honour of Pride Month and designed to provide an all-inclusive celebration for Kitimat鈥檚 LGBTQ+ community.
The all-ages, family-friendly event included a panel with local speakers, face painting and glitter tattoos, a full course dinner, door prizes and a dance. The panelists 鈥� Duane Grant, Northern Sentinel journalist Hunter Wild, Sonny Duncan-Green, Elliott Knight and Terrace and Kitimat RCMP Chaplain Teri Meyer 鈥� brought insight to a room that featured people that were allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community alike.
Gabby Goffinet, who was instrumental in organizing Kitimat鈥檚 first-ever Pride event, the Kitimat Pride Potluck in 2019, said over 175 people attended the event, showing substantial community support.
The event had 鈥渁mazing support from local businesses,鈥� Goffinet said.
After the Potluck鈥檚 success, Goffinet had envisioned a series of larger events, but plans were thwarted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Nevertheless, the community鈥檚 enthusiasm didn鈥檛 wane. In 2021, Tamitik Status of Women held a successful outdoor Pride Picnic. This year and last, they partnered with the Kitimat GSA for the Kitimat Pride Prom.
鈥淧eople offered to volunteer to help set up and the Royal Canadian Legion donated their space for us to host,鈥� Goffinet said. 鈥淭hen COVID-19 hit in 2020 shut the whole world down,鈥� halting their natural progression to a larger-scale event.
鈥淭amitik Status of Women put on a wonderful outdoor Pride Picnic in 2021, Goffinet. 鈥淚n 2022, I asked them if they would be putting on another event and they asked if the Kitimat GSA would like to partner with them.鈥�
Goffinet said she agreed and the rest is history.
鈥淲orking with them has been absolutely amazing,鈥� Goffinet said. 鈥淥ur committee itself has grown each year as well and I suspect it will continue to grow with each passing year.鈥�
Elliott Knight, a committee member, echoed Goffinet鈥檚 sentiments and underscored the importance of visibility and acceptance for the local LGBTQ+ community, particularly the youth.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important they know they鈥檙e loved and accepted just the way they are,鈥� Knight said.
READ MORE:
The event also caught the attention of local NDP MP Taylor Bachrach, who acknowledged the role such events play in fostering inclusivity and visibility. Bachrach noted that the confidence-and-supply agreement between the Liberals and NDP is working towards advancing LGBTQ+ rights in Canada and abroad.
The MP suggested the appointment of a special envoy on LGBTQ+ rights as a method to ensure advancement in human rights worldwide, and to create a safe haven for LGBTQ+ refugees.
鈥淥ne of the things that we鈥檝e been talking about is the need for Canada鈥檚 foreign policy to reflect our country鈥檚 values around LGBTQ+ rights,鈥� Bachrach said. 鈥淐reating a special envoy on LGBTQ+ rights is an important way that we can ensure that we鈥檙e working to advance the human rights of LGBTQ+ people who face discrimination in our relations with other countries around the world.鈥�
鈥淐anada should be a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ refugees and we鈥檙e certainly pushing the government in that direction,鈥� Bachrach said.
The event included a unique religious perspective, with Terrace and Kitimat RCMP Chaplain Teri Meyer speaking on the damage caused by traditional religious denominations鈥� judgment and exclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals. Meyer called for a counter-narrative of acceptance, worthiness and valuable contribution from LGBTQ+ people to society.
鈥淎s a church, we鈥檝e done so much damage 鈥� I鈥檓 talking denominations, across the board 鈥� by telling people that they weren鈥檛 good enough, that they weren鈥檛 right, that they were broken, that they were hated,鈥� Meyer said. 鈥淚 just wanted to be part of a gathering that says to young people, 鈥榳e鈥檙e glad you鈥檙e in the world and we鈥檙e excited about what you鈥檙e going to do.鈥欌��
Meyer also tackled Biblical interpretations concerning homosexuality, arguing that homosexuality as it is understood today was not the issue in ancient texts. The Chaplain suggested the key issue was about power imbalances and the dehumanizing effect of treating men as lesser, equating them with women who were considered imperfect in the Old Testament.
鈥淟eviticus 18:22, specifically 鈥榶ou shall not lie with a male as with a woman鈥� is more about power imbalances, prostitution and abuse,鈥� Meyer said. 鈥淚n the Old Testament, the issue wasn鈥檛 necessarily gayness.鈥�
鈥淭he issue was God is a man and human men are made in the image of God, meaning men are perfect,鈥� Meyer said. 鈥淔emales are less than human. They鈥檙e not perfect because they鈥檙e not men, so if you as a man were to lay with another man, you were making that man a woman and why on earth would you make a perfect imperfect?鈥�
鈥淲hy would you take perfection and ruin it?鈥� Meyer said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 about the sex, it was about the dehumanizing 鈥� taking away their power 鈥� and that women were considered lesser.鈥�
Viktor Elias joined the Terrace Standard in April 2023.
Tips or story ideas? (250) 638-7283 ext. 5411 or viktor.elias@terracestandard.com.
Like the Terrace Standard on and follow us on .
