'Bigger than last year:' Queen City Pride week starts Friday

Bigger than ever and something for everybody.

That’s how Queen City Pride co-chair Jesse Ireland describes this year’s pride week in Regina.

The festival runs over 10 days with the theme: We Are Connected.

“There’s so many different aspects of the LGBTQ community that people need to get out and learn about – there’s a lot of stuff that even people without the LGBTQ community don’t know about,” he told the 980 CJME Morning Show. “It’s great to get out there and experience different elements and get to know everybody’s uniqueness and all the differences that exist around Regina.”

Ireland said there are 56 events this year with the pride parade taking place on June 17. He said there are already more than 80 floats registered.

“It’s actually bigger than last year,” he said. “We had 3,000 people last year. We’re going to have even more people this year and that (parade) ends off in Victoria Park where we have our live main stage, children’s area, beer gardens, barbecue and our other marketplace for vendors.”

One event this year is brand new: a youth prom.

“It’s important to be able to supply different events for different age groups,” Ireland explained, going on to say the youth prom is a special event that they want to continue in subsequent years.

“The youth are our future leaders and they’re the people who are going to be able to shape our future, he said. “They need to be able to feel comfortable in their own skin and understand equality and unity at such an early age.”

The pride parade starts at noon on June 17 at 13th Avenue and Broad Street.