On Saturday, June 7th, joy and celebration were at the core of a first in the Pembina Valley.
Carman hosted the region’s fifth annual Pride.
From town to town
Pauline Emerson-Froebe, the president of Pembina Valley Pride, says that because the organization covers such a “wide swath” of land, it rotates its pride marches through different towns.
Carman’s turn was marked by togetherness and vibrance.
The structure of the day
Emerson-Froebe says the day kicked off with a church service led by the Carman United Church, speeches, and a choir performance by Prairie Soundscape, followed by one of the main events — a 20-minute march through Carman.
“I think everybody ... understood that there were a lot of people who have laid the groundwork along the way over the years for us to be having this kind of celebration here in southern rural Manitoba.”
-Pauline Emerson-Froebe on Pride in the Pembina Valley.
The event was capped off with entertainment, but it was unfortunately cut short due to adverse weather conditions.
Despite the weather-related hurdles, Emerson-Froebe is pleased with how the event unfolded.
“The lightning stopped us and so we had to shut everything down, but we got so much in, which was wonderful,” she says.
A happy environment, honouring those who laid groundwork
Emerson-Froebe says that by the Pembina Valley Pride’s estimate, there were about 200 people in attendance for Pride this year.
“It was just a wonderfully happy environment,” she says. “But I think everybody still understood that there were a lot of people who have laid the groundwork along the way over the years for us to be having this kind of celebration here in southern rural Manitoba.”
2SLGBTQ+ community and allies united
One of the things that stood out to Emerson-Froebe during the event was the mix of people in attendance.
“There were so many allies in the crowd as well as members of the rainbow community — people I did not expect to show up,” she says. “I would have never imagined they'd be coming to this kind of event, but they were there to support and to help and to express their love.”
For Emerson-Froebe, the gesture of unity and support “means the world to so many.” For her, it’s something that benefits both the individuals in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and the region as a whole.
“We're just feeling more and more accepted to be who we are and to stay where we love.”
-Pauline Emerson-Froebe on Pride in the Pembina Valley.
“If people feel supported here in the Pembina Valley, we don't feel the need to have to move away and take our talent ... to big urban environments,” she says.
“We can stay here, and we can stay near family and stay in a rural environment.”
‘The community really came together’
In the end, Emerson-Froebe says that the “community really came together” for Carman's Pride, including businesses, the public works department in Carman, and a large number of people from across the Pembina Valley.
Another factor that strengthened the day was the absence of negativity that has previously surrounded Pride in the region.
“Fortunately, we haven't gotten any threats this year. We haven't gotten any of the nasty email communication that we would get in other years," says the Pride president.
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"It's becoming the norm that we're here and that we're not going anywhere.”
Ultimately, for Emerson-Froebe, the successful Pride event also stands as a day of visibility and progress.
“We're just feeling more and more accepted to be who we are and to stay where we love,” she says.
With files from Robyn Wiebe
