Vancouver Trans March
Friday, July 29, 5:30pm
Calling all trans, genderqueer, two-spirit, intersex people to take to the streets! Wear what you want, and feel free to be fabulous in coming together for a political protest and celebration of gender diversity.
Celebrate the ways in which our bodies are strong, resourceful and resilient in our long, often unmentioned history and celebrate the ways in which we are beautiful, brilliant and creative. Protest the legal, administrative and institutional failures to recognize and respect our identities contributing to bullying, harassment and violence.
Assemble at 5:30pm at Clark Park (East 14th and Commercial Drive) to craft signs, meet volunteers and get pumped. An opening welcome and land recognition ceremony will take place at 5:45pm to acknowledge that this march is taking place on unceded Coast Salish Territories. The march stands in solidarity with indigenous people’s resistance to colonization.
• The Vancouver Trans March begins at 5:30pm, July 29, at Clark Park (1500 East 14th).
Dyke March & Festival
Saturday, July 30, 11am
It’s no secret that the Vancouver Dyke March has seen a difficult year. Rumours flew earlier this year about the existence of its board and whether the resources were in place to continue the festival for 2016, but board member Christine Osgood says the show will go on.
“Our new board is taking an active role to promote the Vancouver Dyke March's social media presence and working to make the sure the march and the festival are as inclusive as possible,” Osgood says.
This includes drafting an official trans policy, and welcoming Black Lives Matter Vancouver as the march’s grand marshal. Cicely-Belle Blain of BLM says the group is excited to participate in what they consider a show of ally-ship and concrete action in supporting black communities in Vancouver.
“We are excited to show up as a group of black folks and queer people of colour to ‘visibilize’ our communities and celebrate the diversity of queerness in this city,” says Blain.
As the march winds down Commerical Drive to Grandview Park, a host of queer-centric vendors will dot the lawn, along with live music, DJs, drag performances and ASL interpretation. Now in its 13th year, the Vancouver Dyke March works hard to retain many of the same values Pride did in its early days: a family-friendly event designed to build on the traditions of community.
As Osgood, and a new generation take the reins, the women who blazed the trail before them are always close in mind.
“It’s time to give back and support the community that has supported me,” she says.
• Vancouver Dyke March & Festival begins at 11am, July 30 at McSpadden Park (2125 Victoria Drive).
Two-Spirit Queers, Trans, Intersexed and Bisexual People of Colour Pride March
Monday, Aug. 1, 1pm
In a stand of solidarity with communities recently afflicted with violence and suspicion, as well as the rise of blackphobia and Islamophobia, the 2SQTIBIPOC Alliance extends the invite to gather at Victory Square Park to march east to Crab Park, where participants will engage in a healing circle.
“We are an alliance of queer colour organizations and have been organizing in this city for more than 20 years,” says Imttiaz Popat, the 2SQTIBIPOC Pride March organizer.
Joining the alliance will be Salaam Canada, representing the queer-Muslim community and Trikone, the South Asian LGBTQ non-profit organization.
This event will be taking place on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory and homelands of the Musqueam, Skxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
“We are very grateful to these people for the knowledge, kindness and indomitable spirit with which they have taken care of this land for millennia,” Popat says.
• 2SQTIBIPOC Pride March begins at 1pm, Aug. 1 at Victory Square Park (200 West Hastings).
