It appears something’s gotten into the water down at city hall.
Food colouring, perhaps – and of every hue.
Last year at about this time, I had been at a community centre when I noticed on the monitor something about a “Rainbow Social” that would be held at West Richmond Community Centre.
That’s interesting, I thought. It’s also news, given that, until then, Richmond was notable for its lack of any Pride events, despite the fact that the rest of the Lower Mainland was awash in rainbow colours leading up to Vancouver’s massive Pride Parade.
In fact, the year before, the Georgia Straight newspaper noted that no Pride event had ever been sanctioned by the City of Richmond. Even Abbotsford City Hall, in the Fraser Valley’s bible-belt, had raised the rainbow flag by then.
With that in mind, I sent our intrepid reporter out to get the story — but he hit a brick wall.
Yes, a city spokesperson acknowledged a rainbow social would take place. But, no, we couldn’t talk to an organizer; no, we couldn’t talk to any participants; no, we couldn’t take a picture; and, no, the city doesn’t have much else to say about it.
It was the old “nothing to see here” response.
In a column I wrote at the time, I put it down to some kind of political balancing act the city felt obliged to perform. On one hand, meet the needs of the LGBTQ2S community, which wants recognition, celebration and support; on the other hand, be careful not to raise the ire of the city’s socially conservative element — an ire that’s out there, as was evident last spring when school trustees debated a policy that would facilitate greater inclusion of LGBTQ2S students at local schools.
Although the backlash is real, it seemed to me cowardice on the part of the city to throw up this social, then hide when we tried to report on it.
Now, about that water.
Clearly, over the past 12 months, something’s seeped in there and turned it every colour of the you know what. The steps to the Cultural Centre have been painted rainbow-style; Thompson Community Centre is covered in Pride-coloured streamers and is handing out Pride buttons and multicolored pencils.
I thought City Centre Community Centre might be more subdued, given it’s housed within Trinity Western University, an institution that doesn’t acknowledge gay marriage. But no. Not only is the rainbow flag flying high, staff there are looking positively smashing in their rainbow tie-dyed T-shirts.
And last Friday, the mayor himself proclaimed this Pride Week, acknowledging an array of contributions our LGBTQ community make to the city.
So what happened?
I asked one community centre worker what she thought prompted the city to suddenly get so loud and proud. She just smiled, shrugged and said, “People grow.”
Indeed, we do.
And it’s a beautiful thing to see ourselves grow into a city that, without a hint of skittishness, without fear of fallout and without tepid political compromise, steps up and flies the symbol of acceptance, diversity and inclusion.
