Winnipeg Pride organizer relishes progress of LGBTQ2+ rights, says much more needs to be done

Organizers say safety and sustainability will be the focus of this year's Pride celebrations as many activities return to in-person. Morgan Modjeski reports.

By Morgan Modjeski

Winnipeg Pride is taking a safe and sustainable approach to celebrations in 2022 as the event marks 35 years of work.

Officials say the community is excited to reunite in person following the recent pandemic pauses.

“As much as restrictions have been lifted, we’re also working daily with city officials, federal and provincial officials to pivot in case something changes,” said Barry Karlenzig, the president of Winnipeg Pride. “We’re making sure we have hand sanitizer, masks on site.”

Karlenzig recently marked a decade of service with the organization this April. He says while COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in the province they’ve made some adjustments to the event to ensure it can go ahead while still protecting its patrons, with the event spread across several sites.

“By expanding our footprint, so not everybody is crowded into one spot, so that everyone feels safe, because safety is obviously No. 1 priority,” he said.

He says the event is one of the largest in Canada and each year it involves thousands of volunteer hours to put on. He stresses there has been a lot of progress made when it comes to LGBTQ2+ rights, but he says, the fight is far from over.

“We know, 35 years ago, individuals were walking with bags over their heads, because if they came out, they could have been fired, prosecuted, there was so much,” said Karlenzig. “Thirty-five years later, there’s a lot that has changed, but there’s still a lot more to do.

“The ‘L’ and the ‘G’ have better rights than most of the rest of the acronym, now it’s up to all of us who identify as the ‘L’ and ‘G’ to take our privilege and our power that we have and bring up the rest of the acronym so that eventually everyone has equal rights.”

Pride celebrations in Winnipeg run throughout the week and wrap up June 5 with the pinnacle parade and rally beginning at the Manitoba legislature.

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