Orillia lit up with Pride on Saturday afternoon as people marched down Mississaga Street for Lake Country Pride’s biggest event of the month.
“I’ve lived in Orillia for coming up on nine years now and for the first five years, June came and left and there wasn’t a lot going on,” says Celeste Lalumiere.
Lalumiere is a member of Lake Country Pride, which organized Saturday’s march.
“Someone needed to do it. We’re not perfect. We’re not experts. We are just doing our best to serve the community and have a visible Pride presence in Orillia,” she says.
This is the third annual march organized by Lake Country Pride. Lalumiere says events like this one are important to the community as a demonstration of both positivity and resistance.
“Especially online, there can be a lot of negativity, so (it’s important) just to drown it out and make sure love is louder,” she says. “Pride is political. It’s important to be visible and it’s more than just a party. It is a movement and a resistance against those who try to silence us.”
Saturday’s festivities started at the Orillia Public Library with a photo booth and free button and sign making.
“I go around after and I make sure everything is tidied up. The last thing I do is go to the library and pick stuff up, and just seeing the aftermath of the chalk and the decorations and the messages is really lovely,” Lalumiere says.
There were also guest speakers in the library courtyard before the march began.
“Pride is extremely important to me because it provides connection between the community and opens up a safe space where people can be themselves unapologetically. Going to Pride parades and events where I can meet other people like me makes me feel a little more normal in this world of heterosexual, cisgender people,” says Leo, a leader for the Gilbert Centre’s youth committee.
“Pride is a place of unconditional love, even between strangers. Our community has become so strong over the years, and when you put all of us together, it is undeniable that we are powerful, beautiful and amazing people. All we need is a space where we can shine.”
Alyssa LaPlume, Leo’s foster parent and a member of Lake Country Pride, also spoke before the march.
“Hate crimes against people due to sexual orientation (have) increased over 400 per cent in the last few years,” says LaPlume. “I say this as a reminder to everyone here: Nothing is enshrined, and that today we celebrate all identities, our love and our joy. Pride isn’t just a celebration. It started as a riot. And today, this is a march — a reminder of our resistance, of perseverance, and our determination to never, ever go back.”
Lalumiere says the difference between a parade and a march is important.
“It’s not a parade; it’s a march,” she says. “When there’s a parade, typically, you have booths, you have corporate sponsors that register, and then the people are standing on the sidewalks watching it go by. In a march, we are the parade. You are all in the crowd and we’re walking and chanting together. That sense of community and unity is what’s really magical. I think that all of us involved kind of ride that high for a while in terms of how heartwarming and uplifting it is.”
The event is funded by a grant from the City of Orillia and through community fundraising.
“A lot of it is fundraising. Getting donations this weekend will be a big part of how much we’re able to sustain and grow for next year,” Lalumiere says.
In the event’s first year, organizers started a GoFundMe to raise money for road closures. Lalumiere says more than $2,000 was raised in the first two hours, greatly due to local businesses.
“It really showed the support that we had from the business community and from individuals, and how much people want us here,” she says.
More information about Lake Country Pride and its events can be found on its Instagram.
