Prairie Pride Week 2013, Winnipeg

Winnipeg’s LGBT community is alive with colour and celebration during Pride Week. Events take place all week culminating in a rally at the Legislature, parade through downtown, and Festival at The Forks with concert headliners Ultra Nate and Kristina Maria (May 24 - June 2).  

Complete Pride Guide

Toonies for Pride - Watch for the “Toonies for Pride” donation buckets at many events. 

Dump some toonies – or whatever you might have – into the can. it’s that easy!

May 24

Pride Flag Raising Ceremony

12:15 pm

FREE

Kick off Pride Week 

with this official rainbow flag-raising ceremony at 3 City Hall, 510 Main Street. 

This all-ages event features greetings from representatives of city council, the flag-raising, and free Pride cake courtesy of Chocolate zen Bakery. 

Join us during your lunch break and watch the rainbow colours fly high over City Hall!

The snowy owl monarchist society annual Pride Booty Call with BreYanna BurLesque

190 Garry Street l showtime is 10 pm

$5 cover with proceeds to the soms 2 club 200 

A fun drag show to kick off Pride, featuring the performers of the SOMS!

Fight for Equal Rights

6 Fame nightclub - 279 Garry Street

doors open at 9:30pm

$5

inflatable boxing ring set up with inflatable gloves.

• Barb Burkowski (last year’s prez versus this year’s prez) Jonathan Niemczak

• Lita (Empress 2013) versus Vida (Empress 2012)

• JD Francis (Energy 106) versus Jonathon Kindzierski (2012 Mr. Gay Winnipeg)

May 25

Pride Golf Tournament

Hosted by Rainbow Resource Centre

registration: 1:30 pm; shotgun start: 3 pm

$75 l $45 (dinner / dance / auction only)

20 southside golf course

Includes nine holes of golf (Texas Scramble), dinner, dancing, music, and auction! 

Golfers of all abilities are welcome in this fun event! 

May 25, 9:00 pm until 3:00 am
The 2nd Annual DIRTY DANCE -PRIDE PARTY
Royal Albert Arms Hotel, 48 Albert Street

Queer Pride Kick off Party and Fundraiser (for Community HIV/AIDS initiatives)!
Come out to this tribute party to the dirty, sweaty 80's and the Dirty Dancing movie!
The QueerView crew will be dropping a mix of dirty grindy 80's/ 90's as well as your current urban, homo electro favorites!
Bring your ID 18+

• Just 5 bucks or PWYC!
• Dirty Dance competition!
• QueerView DJ's + Special Guest: Mama Cutsworth!!
• Fully Accessible Space!

June 2

Pride Parade through Downtown

12:00 pm

The Pride 2013 Parade route starts in the traffic circle of the Legislative Building. 

Watch as floats and groups show off our city’s rainbow colors! 

Who will take home the titles that are up for grabs in our Parade Competition? 

Contact our Parade Director to find out how you can participate!

Due to safety regulations we advise all guests at the Parade to remain on the sidewalks until the END of the Parade where they can join “The March.”

DO NOT throw anything to onlookers. 

If you wish to give away treats to the crowd, please hand them out individually.

DO NOT give out condoms during Rally and Parade. It has created previous litter issues.

Please help us keep the site clean by using trash receptacles.

Protestors have a right to be present on the parade route, just as we do. If, however, you feel harassed or threatened, speak to a marshal, police officer, or to the on-site security. DO NOT confront protestors on your own.

During the Parade, make noise, wave to onlookers, and have fun!

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WALK PROUD!

George Takei PSA Teaches How To Treat Anti-Gay Hypocrites (VIDEO)

Funny Or Die produced this PSA narrated by George Takei explaining that if you meet someone who opposes gay marriage in the wild, it's important to treat him or her sensitively and with restraint. And maybe expose them to snazzy bow ties and Broadway shows.

Check out the clip above to see Takei, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Brad Goreski explain how to treat homophobes.

Winnipeg Pride 2012 l Chris Vogel and Richard North

Rainbow flag will fly high over City Hall!

Kick off Pride Week with the official rainbow flag-raising ceremony at 

City Hall, 510 Main Street on Friday May 25! 

This free, all-ages event features brief remarks, the flag-raising, and free Pride cake courtesy of Chocolate Zen Bakery. 

We are honoured to be joined for the second year in a row by His Worship, 

Mayor Sam Katz, who will bring greetings on behalf of the City of Winnipeg. 

You can also pick up a Pride Guide, and talk to members of the Pride committee about all the great activities planned for the week to come! 

The ceremonies begin at 12:15 pm sharp. 

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Pride Winnipeg is pleased to announce that community leaders and  human rights activists Chris Vogel and Richard North will lead this year’s Pride Parade on June 3. 

Chris and Richard will also speak at the rally at 11:30 am on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature, to kick off the parade through downtown.  

Here are some of the highlights of their contributions: 

Chris and Richard became involved in the Campus Gay Club at the University of Manitoba 1973 just as the organization was evolving into Manitoba’s first gay liberation organization, Gays for Equality, which introduced queer rights issues to Manitoba politics in the provincial election of 1973.  

The movement for human rights protection continued with little success for 12 years. Chris and Richard’s involvement culminated in a 59-day hunger strike in 1985 to protest the failure of the government to include sexual orientation as a  prohibited ground for discrimination in the Manitoba Human Rights Act.  

In 1974 they were married in the Unitarian Church of Winnipeg. They took the  provincial government to court when the Registrar of Vital Statistics refused to register their union. This was the first case in Canadian law to challenge the  exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage in Canada. They were  subsequently involved in the legal campaign for spousal benefits, which began  with a human rights complaint in 1982.  

Chris and Richard were involved in organizing gay pride celebrations, with speakers, films, and discussion panels at the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg in 1974 and 1975. They also helped organize the 2nd National Gay Conference, which was held in Winnipeg in 1974 and included the first gay march  in Winnipeg.  

In 1978, they helped establish the Council on Homosexuality and Religion and the weekly radio program “Gay Christian Forum,” later “Gaysweek,” on CJUM-FM.  This radio program ran from 1978 until 1980. Chris then hosted a weekly cable  television program “Coming Out,” from 1980 until 1994.  

In 1980, they helped found the Oscar Wilde Memorial Society, which operates Gio’s (originally called Giovanni’s Room after James Baldwin’s classic gay novel). Gio’s was originally part of the Winnipeg Gay Community Centre, and opened in 1982 on Sherbrook Street across from Happenings. 

Media contact:  Scott Carman, Director of Media & Communications Pride Winnipeg 

Phone: (204) 805-3553

Winnipeg Pride Events

2011 Pride Rally & Parade

Manitoba Legislature

Sunday, June 5. from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm

Join us for our annual rally on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature as we get everyone pumped for the Pride Parade to follow. 

The parade will make it way down Broadway to The Forks, ending with a free Festival.

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2011 Pride Winnipeg Festival

The Forks

Sunday, June 5, 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm

FREE and open to all!

Featuring:

- Live entertainment on the main stage

- Expanded beer tent serving Queer Beer

- Lambda Business Fair

- Kids play area

- Food vendors

Main stage line-up:

- Martha Wash

- Rae Spoon

- Sons of York

- Tyrell Witherspoon

- Women of Pride

- Lesbian Potluck

- Little Butterfly Drummers

- TechPara

- Queens & Kings of Manitoba

Pick up a Pride Guide or visit 2011 Pride Winnipeg Festival where you can also listen to an exclusive preview of Martha Wash's new single 'I've Got You.'

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The 3rd Annual "Other Pride Party"

The Lo Pub, 330 Kennedy

Doors: Sunday, June 5, 8:00 pm

Cover: $5.00 and the drink prices are cheap, too! 

Come out for a night of affordable fun and queer good times!

Check out the killer DJ line up - spinning everything from funk, hip hop, electro, ol' school and all your favourite club and dance tracks!!

DJs  Pim, Jonny Mexico, Two Topping, Nicole and Fluer are here to make you sweat! 

And this year we are featuring:

DJ Guero Bandolero who spins at some of the most infamous queer parties in Vancouver!

The Winnipeg Dyke March

The Winnipeg Dyke March is an annual demonstration of the presence, strength and solidarity of queer women and our allies. 

Our goal is to promote visibility and community.

Saturday, June 4, RAIN OR SHINE, from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Please arrive around 2:00 or 2:30 pm.  

We'll take over the streets at 3:00 pm sharp.

River Osborne Community Centre, 101 Pembina Hwy, through the Village to Memorial Park

Who's Invited?  EVERYONE! 

This is an all-ages, all-abilities and all-genders event. 

You don't need to identify as a dyke or a lesbian to march!

Bring anything! Signs, banners, bikes, pompoms, pasties, pets, boom boxes, cameras, rainbow flags, as well as food and sporting equipment (for the park afterwards).

The WDM was initiated by Lauren Bosc, Jess Leppik and Joey Lowen in 2010. 

We are so grateful for the enthusiasm, help and participation from so many wonderful people. We couldn't do it without all this love.