For the first time, the City of Langford will participate in the Victoria Pride Parade on July 7.
“It is important to see yourself in the community,” Langford Coun. Kimberly Guiry said.
Guiry said she would be at the parade again this year after she, along with councillors Mary Wagner and Colby Harder, attended last year.
“It is a big privilege.”
Langford is already a member of the Victoria Pride Society and participating in the parade aligns with the council’s priority of fostering an inclusive environment in the city.
“We are thrilled to welcome the City of Langford in the Victoria Pride Parade,” said Ace Mann, president of Victoria Pride Society.
Along with attending the Pride Parade, the Langford displayed new city banners designed by Jeannie Chipps, daughter of Russ Chips, Chief of Sc’ianew First Nation (Beecher Bay).
The banners feature the rainbow trout and incorporate the colours of the pride flag with Indigenous culture.
“When making this design, I wanted to create a unity between the 2SLGBTQIA+ and the Indigenous communities that would be seen as powerful for both groups and equally meaningful for people residing in both groups,” Jeannie Chipps said.
The banners will be displayed on lampposts along Goldstream Avenue in downtown Langford.
“These initiatives represent progress in fostering a more inclusive and respectful community for all, and we are grateful to see these symbols of diversity and equity,” Mann said.
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