CENTRE WELLINGTON – Among the pleasant remarks about inclusion from politicians at the OPP Pride flag raising event Thursday, attendees heard from some that Wellington County isn’t always a friendly place for the LGBTQ+ community and that's why things like a flag raising ceremony are important.
Minto Pride committee member Sam Greer said she saw a big difference in how LGBTQ+ people are treated in rural Ontario since moving from Ottawa six years prior. For example, she said her seven-year-old son hears homophobic and transphobic comments on an almost daily basis.
“The bigotry and the slurs and the hate crime I witness here, it seems so much more amplified compared to Ottawa for some reason,” Greer said. “People seem so out of touch in these small rural towns and they’re so behind the times with their level of acceptance for such a basic level of humanity.”
Joanne Young Evans, Compass Community Services executive director, said the counselling service hears about bullying and harassment towards LGBTQ+ students every day. She shared a story from two weeks ago where a youth from Wellington County called the LGBTQ+ text and phone line struggling with suicidal thoughts.
“It was from a youth in this community who was so scared to come out to their parents that they were queer and they were so depressed that they truly felt the only option was to take their life,” Young Evans said. “After 90 minutes we were able to walk that person back from the ledge.”
This one of many stories Young Evans said she’s heard but wanted to drive home the message of things needing to change as the community has lost many lives to suicide.
“This doesn’t need to happen, we shouldn’t have to have this day, we should all be treated equally and that’s not happening,” Young Evans said. “So please remember what this stands for. Pay it forward. Be inclusive.”
Greer said she sees the flag raising ceremony and event as having more significance in rural Ontario and not an empty gesture by the OPP.
“I’m here today to stand in solidarity with the OPP as we raise the Pride flag together, demonstrating that hate has no place in our province and equity and justice for all and safety and inclusion for all is at the forefront of our community,” Greer said.
“We challenge every municipality in Canada, especially those in rural towns and communities to show that they value queer members of their community so we can fight back against this rise of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate in the country.”
OPP officer Jacob Unger said one of the things he finds great about Pride month is the opportunity to both celebrate and reflect on how to be more inclusive.
"We're not looking just for allies, we would like people to take that step and be active allies and to affect change in their community to call things out that are wrong when we see them," Unger said.
