Celebrating Pride in Our Communities, Op-ed
NOTE: The following is an op-ed piece from Eunice Harker, chair of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Halifax Pride Festival is July 16-26.
As this year's Halifax Pride Festival theme "It's Your Pride" suggests, pride is deeply personal. It bolsters an individual sense of belonging, respect and dignity. It is the actualization of living a life free from discrimination.
Over 11 days, members of the LGBTI community in Halifax, across Nova Scotia and elsewhere will come together to celebrate inclusion, the value of education and the importance of working collaboratively to strengthen the fabric of our society.
I encourage all Nova Scotians to participate in these celebrations as Pride is a reminder that we're in this together. We are all members of a human family.
Pride reminds us of where we've been, and what we are working towards. It reminds us of those who experience harms and the effect our actions or lack of action has on others.
With stories of fear, hatred, exclusion and violence so common, we must celebrate when communities succeed at moving our society forward. Pride is a celebration of success.
These celebrations should not be about acceptance or tolerance. They should be about people, respect for one another and our collective right to a life of dignity. Pride celebrates our inherent right to be our whole self -- at home, at work, in our communities -- without fear of discrimination. Pride is about diversity and the power of difference to make us stronger. It's about supporting the efforts of our friends, families and neighbours building trust in the people, institutions and society that support us all to live full lives.
Pride celebrates the hard work of Nova Scotian advocates, allies, community leaders and groups who dedicate themselves to moving our province forward. It is an acknowledgment that we are all called to be human rights workers.
It's this work that drives change in our province and our country. It's these voices that government heard and responded to with changes to the Vital Statistics Act announced earlier this year. Regulations that will support these amendments have been submitted for review. They will make it easier for people seeking to change the sex designation on their birth certificates to align with their gender identity.
This change is significant, but once implemented, the work continues. Work that builds and sustains stronger networks. Work that creates wide-reaching supports in communities for members of the LGBTI community who don't find the support they need at home, in school, at work or elsewhere.
It's about creating new and strengthening existing relationships; but relationships are complicated. They're complicated in our personal lives, complicated in our professional lives, but they are the foundation of our communities.
Our participation in Pride celebrations demonstrate the commitment we have made to creating healthier relationships. To educate. To not be afraid of asking for support. To demanding change when it's needed, and making change where you can.
As we celebrate Pride, it's important that we consider how we can build support in our communities, in government and our workplaces.
Together we can create a more just and inclusive Nova Scotia.