Halifax Pride Launches Community Event Funding

Halifax, N.S. (K’jipuktuk) – The Halifax Pride Society has launched a new program to assist LGBT2Q+ event organizers fund their projects. Non-profit organizations, ad hoc groups, and individuals organizing events during the Halifax Pride Festival are encouraged to apply for financial support through the Halifax Pride Community Event Funding Program.

The Halifax Pride Community Event Funding Program aims to ease the financial burden of those hosting LGBT2Q+ community events and ensure the festival includes diverse community programming. Eligible events are to be:

• organized by a registered non-profit organization, ad hoc group, or individual;
• held within the geographical boundaries of the Halifax Regional Municipality;
• organized primarily for the benefit of LGBT2Q+ community members;
• scheduled to coincide with the Halifax Pride Festival.

Adam Reid, Halifax Pride executive director says, “Halifax Pride values LGBT2Q+ community events that celebrate queer heritage, allow for knowledge sharing, build community representation within the festival, and foster community pride.”

Average anticipated funding will range from $250 - $500, with a maximum of $1,000 for a single event. Funding decisions will be made by a selection committee of community volunteers. In reviewing applications, the selection committee will prioritize:

• Events organized by and/or focusing on QBIPOC and trans communities
• Free public events
• New events 
• Events that account for mobility and accessibility concerns

The Halifax Pride Society does not select or curate community events for inclusion in the Halifax Pride Festival. Individuals producing events for the LGBT2Q+ community during the festival are not required to apply to this program to be included in the festival guide. Application deadline for the Community Event Funding Program is April 7, 2017. 

About Halifax Pride

The Halifax Pride Festival will take place July 20-30, 2017. The annual parade will take place in the opening days of the festival, on Saturday, July 22. 2017 will mark Halifax Pride’s 30th festival. Halifax Pride is one of the premier Pride festivals in Canada.

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Contact:   Nick Voutour (pronouns - he/him)

                   Media Liaison

                   nick@halifaxpride.com

Halifax Pride announces 2017 festival dates

Monday, March 6, 2017  

Halifax, N.S. (K’jipuktuk) – The 2017 Halifax Pride Festival will take place July 20-30, 2017. The annual parade will take place in the opening days of the festival, on Saturday, July 22. 

The festival dates were tentatively released for July 13-23. The new dates allow Halifax Pride to hold the parade on the first weekend of the festival without changing the parade date originally communicated. This will be the first time the Halifax Pride parade will be held on the first weekend of the festival.

“Moving the parade to the first weekend of the Halifax Pride Festival means our largest gathering leads the 11-day festival,” says Adam Reid, executive director of Halifax Pride. “Often at the parade, as the festival is nearing its end, we are asked, 'What’s next?' We want to ensure that the diverse activities celebrating our community, culture, and pride are well promoted and well attended. Now we’ll have the opportunity to tell our largest audience about the many events yet to come.”

The Halifax Pride Festival features more than 100 events each year organized by LGBT2Q+ community members. Events range from public lectures, comedy shows, vigils, sporting events, panel discussions, dance parties, drag shows, and more.

“We feel it’s important to emphasize there is more to the Halifax Pride Festival than the parade,” says Morgan Manzer, chair of Halifax Pride. “However, we know many people book vacation time for the parade date, which is one of the reasons it will still take place July 22.”

The parade route makes its way through downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, ending next to Citadel Hill, at the Garrison Grounds where Halifax Pride offers its mainstage and festival site. Festival planning is underway and Halifax Pride will hold meetings this month to consult with community members and partner organizations on festival events. 

About Halifax Pride

2017 will mark Halifax Pride’s 30th festival. Halifax Pride is one of the premier Pride festivals in Canada.

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Contact:   Nick Voutour (pronouns - he/him)

                   Media Liaison

                   nick@halifaxpride.com

Letter from the Board of Directors, Executive Director

As the new executive director, and on behalf of the of Halifax Pride board of directors, we want to acknowledge and apologize for the pain Halifax Pride has caused this community. The board regrets their actions and inactions leading up to and during the 2016 Annual General Meeting. Our decision-making process was flawed and allowed for a meeting full of racism, misogyny, and hate.

Halifax Pride failed to protect the community. The board holds no one but themselves responsible. We acknowledge that the boycott is a direct result of our failure. We are committed to working with the community to address the harm we caused and to learning from this experience.

We want to state the following:

1. Halifax Pride did not provide a safe space to meet and discuss the issues impacting our community prior to or at the AGM.
2. Halifax Pride will develop a formal Anti-Discrimination Policy with our community.
3. Halifax Pride will review and revise Society membership criteria with our community.
4. Halifax Pride commits new funding and resources for use by our QBIPOC and trans communities to develop events.

As individuals working on behalf of Halifax Pride and as concerned community members, we are committed to finding ways to begin healing and building a Festival and a Society of which we can all be proud.

Sincerely,

The Halifax Pride board of directors and executive director, Adam Reid

HRP Reimagine 2017 Festival Participation

Halifax, NS ー Through collaboration and discussion with the Halifax Pride Society, Halifax Regional Police (HRP) has decided not to march in this year’s pride parade. HRP will explore alternative ways to engage with the LGBT2Q+ community during the 2017 Pride festival. 

“We feel that stepping away temporarily from the parade will best support the LGBT2Q+ community by helping to allow for meaningful discussion of this divisive issue,” says Chief Jean-Michel Blais. “After several months of discussion with Halifax Pride, we recognized that our participation in the parade may contribute to divisions in the LGBT2Q+ community which is contrary to our intent of building a strong and sustainable relationship.”

“The HRP is being sensitive to the needs of our community and listening to their concerns,” said Adam Reid, executive director of Halifax Pride. “We have discussions with all of our community partners about how they wish to participate in the festival, and we’re happy that HRP is committed to growing and strengthening our relationship.”

“To my knowledge, HRP is the first police service in Canada to take this community-minded approach to its pride participation,” says Reid. 

There is a debate in local and national LGBT2Q+ communities about the role of police in pride festivals. This is why we continue to consult with members of our local community and partners like HRP to create a festival in which everyone feels welcome.  

HRP’s participation in the 2017 Halifax Pride Festival will be shaped by input from the LGBT2Q+ community and HRP employees. Ideas being explored include a community barbecue and a public lecture. HRP will continue to provide traffic duty and ensure the security of those participating in and attending the pride parade.

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Note to media:

Adam Reid and Chief Jean-Michel Blais will be available for questions on Monday, February 6 at 2 p.m., HRP Headquarters, 1975 Gottingen Street.

Community Meeting Announcement

On Thursday, January 5th, Halifax Pride will host a community meeting at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library to discuss goals for the upcoming Fierté Canada Pride (FCP) Conference.

The Halifax Pride Society will host the FCP annual conference and AGM from February 16 to 19, 2017, at the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. This annual conference is an opportunity for Pride organizations and organizers to network, participate in workshops, and share ideas from across Canada. This year, Halifax Pride is working to include the community in these conversations by offering a variety of accessible dialogues and seminars. 

The community meeting on January 5th will focus on gathering suggestions as to how this conference may be used to best serve the community, and ways for organizations and individuals to participate. 

The Halifax Pride conference committee has also invited groups and individuals to submit proposals for seminars, lectures, or panel discussions they would offer as part of this year’s conference. Tentative themes for discussion at the conference include “Prioritizing QTBIPOC people through spaces, funding, and leadership” and “Challenges facing Pride and the LGBT2Q+ Community”. 

The community meeting will offer potential seminar applicants information on what their participation might look like, but applicants are not required to attend the community meeting. For more information regarding proposal submission, please visit www.halifaxpride.com/fcp. 

Halifax Pride Community Meeting – FCP Conference Suggestions and Planning

Thursday, January 5th 

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Halifax North Memorial Public Library

2285 Gottingen Street

Snacks and light refreshments will be offered. The Halifax North Memorial Public Library is wheelchair accessible. 

For more information please contact Executive Director Adam Reid at adam@halifaxpride.com.