For the first time in its decade-long history, the Pride festival in Timmins, Ont., had to budget for security this year.
Previously, there had been no online threats, no reason to believe safety was any issue. But hateful anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has ramped up across the internet, and the northern Ontario city of 40,000 was not spared.
害羞草研究所淭ypically it害羞草研究所檚 $17,000 for our entire Pride Week, because we害羞草研究所檙e small; we害羞草研究所檙e little,害羞草研究所� said Julie Nobert-DeMarchi, who serves as treasurer for Fiert茅 Timmins Pride. 害羞草研究所淏ut our security bill was $3,000. That害羞草研究所檚 far different from what we害羞草研究所檙e accustomed to.害羞草研究所�
Pride organizations across the country have been grappling with more threats, while anti-LGBTQ protesters have come out in force to oppose events held by the community year-round, such as child-friendly drag performances. It害羞草研究所檚 put security top of mind for Pride organizers 害羞草研究所� in some cases, for the very first time.
In Timmins, police were on hand for the parade, Nobert-DeMarchi said, but it was too pricey to also have officers at an inclusive drag brunch earlier in the day. Instead, the organization contracted private security.
One protester showed up to the kid-friendly event with a loudspeaker, she said, and volunteers formed what she described as a 害羞草研究所渨all of love害羞草研究所� to separate that person from the attendees who were inside the Timmins Museum. They also blasted music to drown out what the protester was saying.
害羞草研究所淲e had a security plan,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 know how many people were going to show up to protest or what might happen, so we had to prepare for the worst. That makes it really difficult, because you害羞草研究所檙e thinking worst case scenario.害羞草研究所�
Nobert-DeMarchi, who is also board president for Fiert茅 Canada Pride, the national association of Pride organizations, said that group did a survey of its members ahead of this year害羞草研究所檚 Pride season.
害羞草研究所淎ll communities have identified an increase in online hate, an increase in experiencing hateful messaging, and additional concerns around planning their events. What was very different was how everyone would be approaching it,害羞草研究所� she said.
In some cases, outdoor events were moved indoors to keep them contained. In others, like Timmins,organizers paid forprivate security in addition to police.
Farther west, in Steinbach, Man., RCMP and local police will both be on hand for the parade.
害羞草研究所淲ith the way that everything is going these days, you hear so much negativity, and you hear so many cities and communities that are having these big security problems,害羞草研究所� said Chris Plett, president of Steinbach Pride. 害羞草研究所淲e were very nervous as to how that would play out for us this year.害羞草研究所�
Pride in Steinbach has always been something of a contentious issue. The city of 17,000 in an area often described as Manitoba害羞草研究所檚 Bible Belt held its first march in 2016, after much opposition. Elected officials 害羞草研究所� the mayor, the MLA, the MP 害羞草研究所� have yet to attend, Plett said.
While Steinbach hasn害羞草研究所檛 received the same influx of threats as other communities, Plett said there害羞草研究所檚 always negative talk about Pride online, and he害羞草研究所檚 been on the receiving end of some hateful messages. To prepare for all possibilities, Plett said organizers were also implementing a 害羞草研究所渃adet害羞草研究所� system to help police.
害羞草研究所淥ur biggest goal is to make sure that the people that attend don害羞草研究所檛 realize how much work was into the safety and security. And they can just enjoy themselves and enjoy the day,害羞草研究所� Plett said.
It is a lot of work.
Pride Toronto, for example, said its security team was authorized to check everyone for weapons using a security wand as they entered designated festival areas.
The organization害羞草研究所檚 cost of policing more than doubled, and the price ofprivate security rose by 25 per cent. Insurance this year cost more than $300,000, up from $67,000 in 2022.
That害羞草研究所檚 part of what prompted the federal government to issue emergency funding to Pride groups across the country to help with security.
Fiert茅 Canada Pride said $750,000 would be split between Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, while $600,000 would go to smaller cities and communities.
But asking police officers to protect members of the LGBTQ community doesn害羞草研究所檛 sit well with everyone.
Gary Kinsman, a member of No Pride in Policing, argued that for most of history, police have not been on the side of the LGBTQ community.
害羞草研究所淥ver and over again, in terms of the right wing害羞草研究所he police end up defending them,害羞草研究所� he said.
Sometimes, he said, the police have even been the aggressors, such as during the bathhouse raids in Toronto in 1981, for which Kinsman was present.
In those cases, LGBTQ people were responsible for defending themselves.
害羞草研究所淐learly people understood the police were not on our side,害羞草研究所� he said of the events 40 years ago. 害羞草研究所淧eople organized the Gay Street Patrol, which actually was a regular patrol that went on the streets that dealt with any sort of queer bashing, or violence against queer people that was taking place.害羞草研究所�
These days, the executive director of LGBTQ group Egale Canada said different communities have to take different approaches to security.
Helen Kennedy said in some areas, particularly those that include people on the intersection of multiple marginalized groups, it害羞草研究所檚 not appropriate to involve police.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been victimized at the hands of police throughout history, and in some jurisdictions that害羞草研究所檚 still pervasive and still continues,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a lot of work to be done.害羞草研究所�
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