Fort Saskatchewan's Pride Week holds a bit of added significance this year.
With the week officially getting underway on Friday (June 9) with a flag raising at Families First, organizers are expecting a week of celebration among a year that saw some concerning developments take place across the world.
"This year for sure has been difficult across North America and the world," said Lauren Reid, the chair of the Fort Sask Pride Committee. "[There has] been a lot of changes and attacks on some of the gender-affirming policies."
"[Some of our LGBTQ2s+ community] is in danger, to be honest."
Perhaps the most concerning development in North America is being seen in Florida, as the state has effectively banned gender-affirming care for minors.
Closer to home, an elected Alberta MLA recently compared transgender children to that of feces.
By putting on a slew of events, Reid is hoping that Pride Week will show that Fort Saskatchewan is not following along in that hatred and is a community that demonstrates acceptance.
"We just want to show that in Fort Saskatchewan [that type of hate] is not the case and our community supports inclusion and safety," said Reid.
"We want to get together this week and have that opportunity to not only support those things but also celebrate our community, our allies, and all of the great work that is being done in Fort Saskatchewan."
You can find a list of all the events being held over the course of Pride Week by clicking here. Some of the events are fairly straightforward, but for those who may not know what some entail, here is a quick rundown:
The BGC Pride Prom on June 9 will be a prom-like dance with a more inclusive spin on it.
"It's being more diverse and inclusive with what you would wear to prom, it doesn't have to be a dress or a suit and go to prom who you would like to go to prom with and that sort of thing," said Reid.
That will be followed up by a Drag Bingo at the Bears Den on Saturday night. which combines a drag show with bingo and will be an adults-only event.
Then on Monday (June 12), there will be an all-bodies swim at Harbour Pool which is open to everyone.
"We wanted to create a really safe space for people to go swimming who might not be comfortable being in their swimwear or in the changeroom," said Reid.
"They are going to put up curtains on the glass so it's more of a private event and the idea is that you wear what is most comfortable."
On June 13 there will be a Pride Play Mob put on by Family First which involves taking over a playground with activities and a full meal for all that attend.
The last event that might cause some confusion is the Dragging Youth event on June 14 at The Bridge.
"Dragging Youth is a separate organization that helps kids and youth explore their gender identity," said Reid. "They do makeup tutorials and that sort of thing."
To learn more about Fort Saskatchewan's Pride Week, visit their Facebook page.