Thank goodness for the young people in our lives! Whether they are our children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, our relationships with them help to keep us current. One of the areas that we have been helped with, is our familiarity with LGBTQ2+ issues.
A few years ago, Norah's family, who lives in Toronto, gave us a rainbow flag. We often fly flags so that was appropriate but this flag was not one we would have bought ourselves. "Why does this rainbow flag look different?" we asked. "Grandma", our grandchild answered, somewhat impatiently. "It's not a rainbow flag, This is a pride progress flag." This updated flag is meant to include more marginalized communities.
So we have flown our flag during June for the past three years. In Toronto, many businesses and homes fly similar flags. In Ottawa, not so much. We haven't seen another flag like ours in our neighbourhood. I wondered what our neighbors thought. How does it make them feel? Do they appreciate us flying this flag? Do they think it's strange for us to fly it?
As time has gone by, and I have listened to more media reports about how this community is being treated, I have felt more strongly about how important it is, to show solidarity with them. In a time with so many more pressing issues to worry about (climate change, the war in Ukraine etc.) why are people wasting their time and energy targeting a group of people for no good reason?
And then, out of the blue, a couple of weeks ago, a friend in the neighbourhood thanked me for flying the flag. It means a lot to him and his partner. I was touched that he mentioned it and told him we are happy to fly it. This community, made up of our neighbors, our friends and our family members, need to know that we support them, especially now.
Last weekend we were in Toronto. On Saturday, the day before the Pride parade, we drove to the train station and then decided to walk around. We went to the wonderful St. Lawrence Market, then walked around Church St. which was blocked off for Pride weekend. After that, we ended up at the old Maple Leaf Gardens building, which now houses a large Loblaws on the ground floor.
Everywhere we went, we encountered people in a happy mood. It was like being at a Christmas parade but instead of hearing "Merry Christmas" we kept hearing "Happy Pride ! " We bumped into a couple of Norah's friends from her high school days here in Ottawa. It was good to see them and all the other families out for a stroll, in a celebratory mood. I was impressed with all the creative slogans and displays at various businesses. You can call it mere marketing but it worked for me. Having these businesses put their money into supporting Pride events should help to make us realize that all of us, regardless of our backgrounds, are all part of humanity. We all deserve happiness, safety, comfort and love in our lives. Visible signs and symbols really do matter.
