Don your rainbow colours and help Port Coquitlam celebrate Pride Day in the city next weekend.
Pride events at both the Shaughnessy Pop-up Park and Leigh Square on Saturday, July 24 will celebrate the LGBTQ2S+ communities with live music, food and displays.
The events are timed to coincide with the Vancouver Pride Festival, including this year’s Decentralized Pride Parade on Aug. 1.
City hall will also be lit up in rainbow colours on July 24 to recognize LGBT2SQ+ communities.
“Everyone interested in showing their support is invited to attend the two events, which reflect Port Coquitlam’s commitment to removing barriers and developing welcoming, inclusive and safe places for the city’s diverse populations, including the LGBT2SQ+ community and gender diverse people,” a city press release states.
Here’s what’s happening:
- Activities at the Shaughnessy Pop-up Park (2600-block Shaughnessy Street) will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include Pride pancakes by the Lions Club and music by Amanda Sum along with Patrick Masse
- The Pride in PoCo Event at Leigh Square, from 4 to 6 p.m., has been organized with the involvement of Port Coquitlam’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Roundtable, PoCo Heritage and local youth. The event will include a city info booth and performances by Emcee Ate Dee-Dee, Tanesha Chakraborti, Shauna Singer, drag artists and poetry by Dom Wakeland
- PoCo Heritage will host a Poetry Night on July 22 from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom. Details can be found at pocoheritage.org
“The Pride activities are part of the city’s ongoing efforts to ensure Port Coquitlam welcomes and celebrates all people. As part of this work, the city launched its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Roundtable last year to help address issues of racism and discrimination,” the city press release further states.
The roundtable has advocated that the city engage community members in celebrating Indigenous, Black, people of colour and LGBTQAI2S+ communities, and to foster engagement with people of diverse experiences and identities.
Information about the Pride events and other summer activities in Port Coquitlam can be found at portcoquitlam.ca/summer.
