What’s happening?
The New West Pride Society has planned a wide variety of events for Pride Week, which runs from Aug. 5 to 13.
What events are planned?
An eclectic lineup of events have been planned for Pride Week 2022 in New West, including a karaoke and costume contest; a drag show; a queer family and transgender swim; a Rainbow Chorus sing-along; Pride trivia nights; a Pride Hoe Down at Century House, and much more. A Pride Week flag -raising event will take place at New Westminster City Hall at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 8.
Other events include: Drag Queen Storytime at the main branch of the New Westminster Public Library; a youth pride event at Anvil Centre; the Pride Edition of the New West Farmers Market. A screening and discussion of Emergence: Out of the Shadows takes place at the Douglas College Aboriginal Gathering Place on Thursday at 2 p.m.
Pride Week activities on Friday, Aug. 12 include the Fridays on Front Pride Edition, the Dandy Musical and the Pride boat cruise with Paddlewheeler Riverboat Tours.
These are just a sampling of the Pride Week fun that's being planned, so go to www.newwestpride.ca to information about all of the week's the activities.
What about the street festival?
Thousands of folks will descend to the downtown for the New West Pride Street Festival on Saturday, Aug. 13. It features three entertainment stages, food trucks, a beer garden, vendors, a kids’ area and more. It runs from 3 to 8 p.m. on Columbia Street, between Fourth and Eighth avenues.
That’s also same day of Untoxicated, a substance-free event at Anvil Centre. Clean Sober and Proud: Drag Stars Live features: Naomi Smalls; Brooke Lynn Hytes; Yvie Oddly; Aquaria; Jaylene Tyme; Alma Be; The Brat Pack; Kendall Gender; Gia Metric; Synthia Kiss; King Fisher; and Dj Lejos.
More details at www.CleanSoberandProud.com
Is anything else planned?
Pride Week 2022 wraps up on Sunday, Aug. 14 with a Pride worship service at 11:30 a.m. at St. Barnabas Anglican Church and a Pride Week wrap-up brunch at Begbies’s Tavern from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What is the New West Pride Society?
The New West Pride Society aims to empower, celebrate, and promote inclusivity, acceptance, and respect among persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in New Westminster and surrounding communities.
The society, which originally formed as the Royal City Pride Society, held its first Pride Week events in 2010, which were attended by 300 to 400 people. The number of events has grown through the years and pre-COVID New West Pride street festivals drew thousands to downtown New West.
What does the City of New Westminster say about Pride Week?
The city has proclaimed Aug. 5 to 13 as Pride Week, a week that aims to promote education in diversity, equality, trust and understanding and is a means for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to connect for the good of all.
The city’s proclamation states that all individuals seek recognition and respect of their human and civil rights, which are accorded to citizens in a free and democratic society, regardless of race, culture, creed, sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual people, plus those people who identify with the community yet cannot be restricted by a label, in the City of New Westminster, have come together to celebrate their uniqueness as individuals, as well as their shared goals and achievements,” states the proclamation.
