“In Jasper it doesn’t matter who you love—it matters that you love!”
Those are the words the Jasper Pride Festival Society lives by.
They’re words of welcome. They signal that Jasper is a community that is open and accepting of everyone, no matter what.
Last weekend, the community proved that to be unequivocally true, as the town welcomed the LGBTQ community, as well as its allies, for the most successful Jasper Pride Weekend to date.
People came from far and wide—as far as Portland, Ore. and St. John’s, Nfld.—to participate in the sixth annual event.
And when they arrived, they were immediately met with signs of welcome. Up and down Connaught Drive there were nearly 30 rainbow banners hanging from the lamp poles and downtown there were 27 businesses with their windows elaborately decorated for the occasion.
Pride was flying high.
In Jasper, there is no shortage of support for the LGBTQ community. We have a fabulous Pride festival—which was extended to four days this year—and copious Pride-related events throughout the year. There are also dozens of businesses that proudly display rainbow stickers year-round, as a consistent sign of welcome.
Jasper’s support is undoubtedly there.
But, despite our community’s acceptance, we have to remember that not every town is quite like ours.
There are places where homophobia runs rampant, hate crimes against the LGBTQ community are frequent and homosexuality remains illegal—in fact, it’s illegal in 82 countries around the world.
Canada doesn’t make the list, but that’s not to say that discrimination isn’t happening in our own nation.
That was especially evident in the last few months as our provincial representatives debated whether to allow gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in the province’s high schools.
Legislation to ban the anti-bullying clubs was presented by the province’s Progressive Conservative Party in December and was met with public outrage.
Opponents argued that GSAs save lives by providing support to LGBTQ students who face pervasive discrimination in their schools.
It was because of extreme backlash that GSAs are now—if requested by a student—mandatory in every Alberta school.
That was a battle that had to be fought in our own backyard and that needed to be won. It now ensures that students in our own GSA can continue supporting each other and other students.
But, that fight is one small drop in the bucket.
More extreme battles—often over basic human rights—are taking place around the world.
So, despite the coziness of Jasper’s bubble, it’s important that we always remember that outside our boundaries, people are still fighting, and in some cases dying, for the right to love.
