Kuujjuaq Pride Parade aims to increase visibility of LGBTQ community
Talking about sex still ‘taboo’ in Nunavik, organizer says
A group of organizers of Kuujjuaq’s Pride Parade rides aboard a truck decorated with rainbow-coloured messages, Friday. It was the second year for the event in the village, something organizers hope will become an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community. (Photo by Cedric Gallant, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Rainbow flags and jovial music took over Kuujjuaq on Aug. 19 as the community celebrated its second pride parade with dancing and singing.
The parade consisted of a flatbed truck followed by a crowd of rainbow-clad people, many carrying flags or wearing colourful capes. It was kicked off by youth organizer Niivi Sinuupa, who called everyone in the LGBTQ community to action.
“Be queer, and be proud,” she said.
Maxime Lamoureux, a sexologist for the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, spearheaded this year’s event.
A colourful crowd walks during Kuujjuaq’s pride parade on Aug. 19. (Photo by Cedric Gallant, special to Nunatsiaq News)
“We want to raise awareness regarding LGBTQ rights, and also develop an LGBTQ+ community in Nunavik. But there is very little support and there is very little visibility for them right now,” she said.
Lamoureux said there has been a lack of discussion about LGBTQ issues in school curriculums. Some teachers choose to include it, and others don’t.
“I think it is still a bit taboo to talk about anything related to sexuality in Nunavik, especially LGBTQ,” she said.
Maxime Lamoureux, left, and Tommy Sequaluk embrace as their work for the Kuujjuaq Pride Parade comes to fruition Friday. (Photo by Cedric Gallant, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Tommy Sequaluk helped organize the parade, and said he was excited to finally get an event like this off the ground.
“We’re finally doing it today, and we’re doing this to support our LGBTQ+ community, our local community, and the communities all around Nunavik,” he said, adding it should be held every year.
“We are already planning next year’s event, this time in June.”
Sequaluk said Pride is important to him because it was the support of his friends that helped him to be himself.
“I am proud!” he said.
oh nooooo…..
taboooo?????
what will the pentecostal church goers and anglican church goers think?
what about the elders?
will the elders believe in themselves that they failed as parents and grandparents because their child or grandchild is lgbtq??
what a shame
love is love.
it shouldn’t matter who it is, you just fall for someone and it’s none of our business and never should be. in no way does it impact your life and please do not force your views on anyone else’s business.
politics, religion and love are personal matters and your own views shall be respected and please respect others choice in theirs.
simple.
Love is Love ? doesn’t matter who ? Love ? your cousin ? your uncle ? , niece ? with no impact ? What is going on.. you’re looking sideways like almost everyone else. Doesn’t matter who… it does matter… look what world is turning to.
your argument is absurd. putting words in my mouth.
man man. women women. it does not matter. love is love.
does it affect your life if you see two people kissing that is not a man and a woman?
no.
They’re a very, very small percentage of the population. They should be treated equally to anyone else, but they do not need special treatment nor additional acknowledgement. Who you love & sleep with is your own business. The world doesn’t need to know, regardless of whether you’re straight or gay.
This is an interesting point to bring up. At what point is a pride parade no longer needed? At what point do we achieve true equality and no longer see the need in promoting, emphasizing, or uplifting any group among our greater civic culture?
Similarly, when do we do away with Black History Month? Or, Indigenous People’s Day? It is hard to imagine that day will ever come, but because it never comes will we ever truly regard each other as equals?
LGBTQ, Nunavik Where’s it at?
There are people in this world that determine for the rest of us what it is that deserves to be the news. The things that do not change things for themselves where they defend their high place in power and wealth. It so happens that the gay lifestyles is one if those things that does not affect them, the wealthy and powerful. It is an accepted lifestyle today that most people do not have a problem or issue with, Yet it draws a lion’s share of the info being pushed by large media orgs which are carrying out the demands of that small percentage of the powerful, in fact they care little if at all about peoples’ rights and freedoms.