Gay Pride in YYC

The following article was written by AIDS Calgary’s HIV Education and Awareness Today (HEAT) outreach worker.

Pride 2012 was my third year of being involved in the planning and presenting of our Pride activities. The previous two years of 2010-11 were very different experiences than the one I had the pleasure of this year as we underwent a different way of involvement and activities.

This year was a bit different from previous years in that we did not partner with another agency nor did we include a float for the parade as part of Pride activities. Instead we created an internal working group of staff to ensure we had the best presence possible for promoting our agency and services, volunteer opportunities at AIDS Calgary, the upcoming AIDS Walk 2012 at Eau Claire September 23rd, 2012, the HEAT program and the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the activities that come with the annual Pride Festival and dances.

This year we had an information booth at the dance and showed off our new display from the Safer Sexy Campaign we developed in partnership with Gay and MSM launched at Pride 2011. We followed up with 2 booths at the Pride festival, each designed with a specific theme. One booth focused on the AIDS Walk and Volunteer program while my HEAT booth focused on Gay and MSM specific information and of course all the safer sex supplies required regardless of gender or orientation.

Our booth proved to be VERY popular as a result of our cool swag bags and other supplies, the crave cupcakes being sold next to us in another booth and of course our greatest promo item, our volunteer mascot “Captain Condom” who corralled, chased down, funneled and enticed people to come in and check out us out. Big thanks to a great volunteer “dick” who hung out the entire day of the festival. We would appreciate any pictures you have of our mascot at Pride please. I also had the pleasure of having other great volunteers from our agency who joined us in the tent and provided information, answered questions and gave never ending dental dam, condom and female condom demonstrations throughout the day.

It was busy, WINDY as could be for set up, and an absolute joy of a day to be involved with as over 375 people went through our booth, over 400 condom packs and other supplies handed out and a great was to spend a Sunday afternoon Pride celebration in Calgary.

Special thanks to my organizing committee members, our incredible volunteers for preparing items and working the day of the event for us, the pride Calgary organizing committee and their volunteers and of course YOU CALGARY who joined us in celebrating the diversity and Pride that our GREAT city has to offer! Cheers and see you all again next year for Pride 2013.