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Tears fell as flags were raised in Jasper on Friday for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
鈥淭oday is an opportunity to stand up and raise awareness of human rights of LGBTQ2+ people,鈥� high school student and GSA member Hailey Duguay said during an empowering speech.
鈥淲e at the GSA are able to do these events because of the support we receive from people like you.鈥�
Two flags were hoisted at Jasper鈥檚 emergency services building, the rainbow flag and the transgender flag.
The flag raising marked both the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in Canada on May 14 and the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia May 17.
It was one of 50 flag raisings organised across Canada.
Mychol Ormandy, director of OUT Jasper, hosted the event. He thanked everybody for coming and said: 鈥淚 am so glad to call Jasper my home.
鈥淚ts diversity and inclusiveness and acceptance of what you are, it doesn鈥檛 matter what your sexuality is.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we have OUT Jasper - so we can be here for the community.鈥�
Emotions ran high as a number of guest speakers took to the stand, including Lynn Wannop, co-chair of Jasper Pride Festival, Anna Declerq from Community Outreach Services, Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce general manager Patty Pavlov, and Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland.
Ireland said: 鈥淭ake a day like today to raise the flags to show our community and the world what we are about in this community.
鈥淔lags are the most appropriate because they are symbolic.
鈥淥ur underlying values, our respect for human dignity, it symbolises home and this is a home for inclusion.鈥�
Ormandy said it had been a great week for OUT Jasper.
鈥淭here have been a lot of emotions here, there and everywhere,鈥� he said.
鈥淓specially with getting the crosswalk and having this follow shortly after. Now it鈥檚 time to go home and chill out and get ready for the next event.鈥�
