Karen Henderson, Centretown News
Andre Proulx, creator of Queerlude. Ottawa’s first winter Pride event will feature bowling and a cabaret. This year Ottawa will experience its very first Queerlude – not to be mixed up with the city’s winter festival Winterlude.
Winterlude began in 1979 and became the capital’s annual winter celebration. Every year over 600,000 people attend the festival in various parts of the city, according to Katherine Cyr, a spokesperson from the department of Canadian Heritage .
While Heritage Canada boasts of its diverse and unique programming for all ages, some people feel left out.
Cyr said that Heritage Canada is open to ideas and suggestions from the public about what goes on the final programme but they decide activities involved based on historical and educational value.
“It has to be something in line with Winterlude,” she says.
Andre Proulx is the owner of Black Swan Events and creator of Queerlude. He says he did take steps to be included on the official Winterlude programme by contacting Canadian Heritage but he did not get a response.
He says he wants to take advantage of the various people who travel from around the world to come to Winterlude.
Queerlude will be Ottawa’s first winter pride event. Besides skating on the canal in a large group Proulx plans to include decorated floats in the parade. He says he looks forward to bringing the LGBTQ community outdoors and celebrating winter in an inclusive environment.
“I love the Vancouver 2010 slogan of “We Are Winter” as Canada is and will always be the place to visit for winter destinations,” says Proulx.
He was inspired to launch Queerlude having tested it out last year by inviting some friends on social media to meet on Rideau Canal.
The establishment of events such as Queerlude shows that the LGBTQ community is creating its own spaces where their needs might not be considered or catered for.
Merissa Taylor-Meissner, the programming co-ordinator at the CUSA Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC) feels that there is a need for events that are more inclusive in Ottawa. “I don’t think we (Ottawa) are where we should be in terms of variety and diversity but people have limited energy and resources,” she says.
“I’ve seen that (Queerlude) is well promoted and I know people from my friend list that are going,” she says.
“Fighting the winter blues and skating with a bunch of LGBTQ folk sounds really nice.”