Pride Winnipeg says there is strength in numbers as the initiative aims to bring organizations together

Advocates say a new initiative to bring Manitoba pride organizations together to share resources, including those in rural areas, is long overdue.

Pride Winnipeg announced this week that it will use some of the funds it received from the province last year to create the Manitoba Pride Alliance.

2SLGBTQ+ organizations that host Pride events in the province, such as parades, festivals or cultural events, will be part of the alliance, which will host educational workshops, share knowledge and other resources.

Jenn Rands, Pride Winnipeg's vice-president of advocacy and chair of the alliance, said she hopes the initiative will benefit smaller organizations.

“There is more power in numbers and … as 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians, with the current climate and challenges, it's more important than ever that we grow the Pride movement,” Rands said in an interview with CBC Radio on Thursday. Up to speed.

LISTEN | The initiative aims to develop the Pride movement in Manitoba by:

Barry Karlenzig, president of Pride Winnipeg, said smaller organizations need expertise in administrative tasks, such as setting up bank accounts or helping sell merchandise.

But he added that when it comes to the rise of hate in Canada and around the world, they need to support each other on the advocacy side.

“What we're seeing in Alberta, in particular, is (is) allowing a bigger voice to be heard,” Karlenzig said, referring to proposed policy changes affecting transgender and non-binary youth.

Under Manitoba's new alliance, “it's not just about pride,” Karlenzig said. “Now this one little pride, along with 17 other prides in the province, has a big voice … to make sure our community is heard and our community is valued.”

Some of the provincial grants could be used to pay for security at Pride events, Karlenzig said.

He said he hopes the alliance's model — which Pride Winnipeg says is the first of its kind in the country — will be replicated elsewhere in Canada, particularly on the Prairies.

“If they had the funds to build a platform like that, they could have that voice and share those resources,” he said.

“(It) means these young people don't have to flee their small towns to be accepted in a big city or to find the resources they need. These resources will be available in their hometowns. .