Carleton groups marched along with thousands of people through the streets of Ottawa for the Capital Pride parade Aug. 25 to celebrate the spirit of pride in the GLBTQ community.
The parade headed down Bank Street for the first time in 10 years. The celebration passed through the six-block stretch of the GLBTQ village down Bank Street—from James to Nepean—for the first time since the area received city signage.
The march went to City Hall, where a beer garden and main stage awaited the cheerful group with music, food, entertainment, and information tents.
Attendees were everyone from toddlers to seniors, wearing everything from black leather to full rainbow, travelling by foot, rollerblade, or sitting in bathtubs on top of parade floats.
The Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC), the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA), Carleton Safety, and the Carleton Staff Association walked side-by-side, representing Carleton.
“There was definitely some Carleton community building,” Erica Butler, GSRC programming co-ordinator, said.
Butler said it was important for Carleton to be visible at the event as it was an important day to go out and feel supported and celebrated by Ottawa.
There was also an attempt made to celebrate the pride festivites at Carleton by raising the pride flag on one of the university’s flagpoles.
Lauren Montgomery, GSA vice-president (external), said she was directed by Equity Services to the university’s flag protocol, which impeded that effort.
The protocol includes the circumstances when the university or Ontario flag may be replaced on the university flag poles on Library Road.
According to the protocol, the Ontario flag may be replaced with the United Way flag during a campaign, by the personal Canadian flags of visiting royalty, and likewise for the Governor General of Canada and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
The university flag may be replaced by the flag of a major externally-sponsored event taking place on campus and in which the university is a partner, by permission of the president.
Butler said the protocol disallowing the pride flag to be flown is unfortunate.
She said Carleton has made a commitment to equity and celebrating the diversity of students and raising the pride flag would have been “a good way for Carleton to send a clear message of acceptance and diversity.”
Montgomery said she supports changing the flag protocol.
“I think it’s really important that the university supports pride, pride activities, and pride week, in solidarity with our students and our members, our administration and human rights policy,” she said.
According to the protocol, the revision date for the flag policy is September 2013.
