John and Steven Nicholson, a married couple, showed up dressed to the nines for 100 Mile House’s first annual Pride Parade last Saturday. The couple were two of just under 300 people who showed up to participate. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

John and Steven Nicholson, a married couple, showed up dressed to the nines for 100 Mile House’s first annual Pride Parade last Saturday. The couple were two of just under 300 people who showed up to participate. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Cariboo Regional District director Margo Wagner and District of 100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinknet participated in 100 Mile House’s first annual Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Abb’original returned to 100 Mile House to take part in this year’s Pride Parade down Birch Avenue. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queens Abb’original and Ella Lamoureux came to 100 Mile House to take part in the second Innagural Pride In the Park. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Juliette Kruz (left), Keenan Kruz and Jaxson Kruz all dressed up in rainbow coloured outfits to celebrate Pride on the back of one of 100 Mile House’s first Pride Parade floats. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Robin Hunt and Taralynn Leclair rode their horses down Birch Avenue during the inaugural 100 Mile House Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

100 Mile House’s first annual Pride Parade progresses down Birch Avenue on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

100 Mile District General Hospital nurse Shay Bevaart was one of dozens of people who took part in 100 Mile House’s first annual Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

(Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Juliette Kruz (left), Keenan Kruz and Jaxson Kruz all dressed up in rainbow coloured outfits to celebrate Pride on the back of one of 100 Mile House’s first Pride Parade floats. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

100 Mile House’s first Pride Parade featured the Big Gay Dog Walk for pet owners of all kinds. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Taralynn Leclair rides her horses down Birch Avenue during the inaugural 100 Mile House Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Participants in the first annual 100 Mile Pride Parade wave flags as they drive down Birch Avenue. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Big Rock Ranch’s float in 100 Mile House’s inaugural Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

The 100 Mile House RCMP detachment took part in the first annual Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson attended 100 Mile House’s Pride Parade and Pride in the Park celebrations on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

The Cariboo Chilcoltin Partners for Literacy were one of several groups that entered floats into the inaugural Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

The Cariboo Chilcoltin Partners for Literacy were one of several groups that entered floats into the inaugural Pride Parade. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Morgan pants as she’s held by her owner Nova Canning at Pride in the Park in 100 Mile House. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Emily Hicks holds still at local makeup artist Carol Gagne paints some rainbows on her face. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Abb’original poses for a photo astride a horse at Pride in the Park last Saturday. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Abb’original poses for a photo astride a horse at Pride in the Park last Saturday. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Rowan Hermiston dressed up as the Cariboo Chilcoltin Partners for Literacy’s mascot for Pride in the Park. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Grace Prodnuk dressed herself and her pet duck Ollie up for 100 Mile House’s Pride in the Park with rainbow face paint. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Grace Prodnuk dressed herself and her pet duck Ollie up for 100 Mile House’s Pride in the Park with rainbow face paint. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Amelia Law gets her face painted at Pride In the Park while enjoying a popsicle. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Attendees of 100 Mile House’s Pride in the Park event came from all walks of life. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Katharina Wetzig and Solaire Wetzig brought their pet goats Sir Isac Newton and Breadloaf to 100 Mile House Pride in the Park event. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Mile 108 Elementary School friends Charlie Murray (left), Ben Ma and Saul Skwarchuk enjoyed some big lollipops while checking out 100 Mile House’s second annual Pride in the Park. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Stickers made by Stevie Nelson prooved to be a hot commodity at 100 Mile House’s second annual Pride in the Park. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Ella Lamoureux lip-syncs to the tune of I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor for attendees of Pride in the Park in 100 Mile House. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Ella Lamoureux lip-syncs to the tune of I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor for attendees of Pride in the Park in 100 Mile House. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Ella Lamoureux lip-syncs to the tune of I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor for attendees of Pride in the Park in 100 Mile House. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Abb’original performs for attendees of Pride in the Park in 100 Mile House on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Abb’original performs for attendees of Pride in the Park in 100 Mile House on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

100 Mile House Pride founder Sabrina Zezza was overwhelmed by the community support they received during the inaugural Pride Parade and second annual Pride in the Park. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Julie Robert and Alynna Weschta attended Pride in the Park together on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Kate Robert took home a swag bag of items from 100 Mile House’s Pride in the Park on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Amy Weschta grins playfully as she scoops her daughter Alynna Weschta up off her feet during Pride in the Park last Saturday. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Amy Weschta sticks out her tongue playfully as she scoops her daughter Alynna Weschta up off her feet during Pride in the Park last Saturday. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Archer Hermiston shows off his face and body paint at 100 Mile House’s second annual Pride in the Park. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Drag Queen Ella Lamoureux emceeded the Pride in the Park event in 100 Mile House on Saturday, July 29. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

Girlfriends Emily Tinney and Floria Meili attended 100 Mile House’s second annual Pride in the Park together last Saturday. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

With plenty of love, laughter and rainbows, 100 Mile House’s first Pride Parade went off without a hitch.

A dozen floats proceeded down Birch Avenue on Saturday, July 29 with dozens of people cheering them on from the sidewalks. The parade made its way to Centennial Park where the second annual Pride in the Park kicked off with music, entertainment and games.

100 Mile Pride founder and lead organizer Sabrina Zezza said they felt incredibly lucky to be a part of organizing the event. Zezza remarked they had to go home briefly after the parade after being overcome with emotion.

“Watching the parade go down Birch Avenue was a highlight for me. I was literally choking back tears at the love and acceptance that we saw,” Zezza said. “I really feel that Pride is about celebrating diversity and inclusion and I really saw the community come together and embody that (Saturday).”

Zezza didn’t have a firm count on how many people attended Pride but estimated it was just under 300. This included Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson who made his way down from Williams Lake to show his support. Doerkson remarked upon the incredible turnout and that he thought it was a great event.

“I think the community has welcomed the event and I would say this has now become an annual event, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t,” Doerkson said.

Kelowna-based Drag Queen Ella Lamoureux, who was the MC for Pride in the Park, said she loves to see the sense of community in small towns like 100 Mile House. Lamoureux grew up in a small town herself in the 90s and recalled how they had nothing like this back then.

“Now that we have the space and the ability to make our voices heard, we can take up spaces in these parks to celebrate inclusion and love, it’s amazing and really beautiful to see,” Lamoureux said. “I’m very happy that I was able to come up here.”

When asked about the broader importance of Pride, Lamoureux referred back to its origins in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Back then, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community meant being persecuted for who you are. In some parts of the world, this is still the case and she believes it’s important to keep this recent history in mind.

“We have so many people asking us why we’re still having Pride and it’s kind of crazy but those questions are the reason we have to still have Pride,” Lamoureux said. “We still have our brothers and sisters being catcalled in the streets, we still have trans people being killed for no reason and we still have so many injustices happening to Queer individuals.

“Having our own specialized events (like this) where everyone here is an ally, shows that we can be free. That’s the importance of Pride.”

Just under a dozen local community groups and businesses set up booths including the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy. The CCPL’s settlement and integration services and language coordinator Kimberly Vance-Lundsbye remarked the CCPL knew they wanted to be a part of it the moment they heard they were doing it.

“I think it’s important for non-profit organizations and businesses to show their support for these events so that people in the community know we’re a safe place as an organization. We welcome all people and we’re very inclusive,” Vance-Lundsbye said.

Like Doerkson, Vance-Lundsbye predicts the Pride Parade and Pride in the Park will only grow bigger as time goes on and will become a signature summer event.

Zezza thanked all the sponsors and supporters of Pride who helped make it happen. They are looking forward to next year and officially forming the 100 Mile Pride Society to help run future events.

“I can’t believe that I am a big part of creating this space where I hope that people will be able to feel comfortable being their true selves,” Zezza said. “By next year we’ll be our own society and will hopefully be having more events coming every year in the future.”

patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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