Fredericton Pride cancels festival, board cites ‘harassment’
One of New Brunswick’s largest Pride festivals has been cancelled just hours before events were scheduled to start, but there is still a chance the Fredericton Pride festival could proceed with a different host organization.
Fredericton Pride announced its decision to cancel the two-week festival through social media posts late Thursday night, citing “harassment board members have received.”
“In order to ensure our own safety, that of our performers, and our volunteers … Fredericton Pride has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2024 festival.”
Board chair Jenna Lyn Albert confirmed the cancellation to CBC News but did not agree to an interview. At least some board members are also resigning, according to the post.
The announcement comes after organizers abruptly cancelled a fundraiser drag show, Silver Linings, at the Monarch Night Club, Wednesday “due to unexpected safety concerns.”
Alex Saunders, president of Saint John Pride, and a drag performer who was to perform at a drag bingo event tonight, described this as the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”
The nature of the safety concerns was not specified by Pride organizers.
The board’s decision to name Fredericton Palestine Solidarity as the grand marshal of the Pride parade, which was scheduled for July 21, and to not allow certain sponsors or participants, also sparked controversy in recent weeks.
Planned Pride celebrations in the city remain up in the air, after organizers cancelled one of New Brunswick’s largest such festivals.
Ayten Kranat, vice-president of Fredericton’ Sgoolai Israel Synagogue, called it “very disturbing for the local Jewish community” and launched an online petition July 2, calling on the city and other event sponsors to reconsider their support.
On Friday she said that as a longtime supporter of Pride, it’s disheartening to hear about the cancellation, but she hopes the event “can resume next year with a focus on critical issues affecting the LGBTQ community globally.”
Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy, New Brunswick’s first openly gay lieutenant-governor and regular Pride attendee, had decided not to attend “in order to uphold her commitment to neutrality and non-partisanship,” according to her office.
“While Her Honour firmly opposes the oppression of all marginalized groups, including Palestinian and Jewish people, she values inclusion and supports the guiding principle that Pride is for everyone.”
Transgender rights group offers to step in
The New Brunswick Coalition for Transgender Rights offered Friday in a social media post its resources and support “to ensure we still get to have a Pride Festival & march this year.”
Officials could not immediately be reached for comment, but according to the post, members plan to contact Fredericton Pride about forming an interim Pride committee.
A Facebook event page, Pride March, has also been launched for the same day and time as the parade. “PRIDE CANNOT BE CANCELLED!! The pride ‘festival’ might be cancelled but we as a community can still show our pride!!”
The event creator, Corey Furlotte, said he has reached out to the city about how to continue with the parade but is planning the march as a “backup plan.”
“My hope is we can safely gather as a community and peacefully march along the sidewalks downtown to show our pride.”
City proceeds with flag-raising
The festival kickoff, a flag-raising ceremony at city hall at noon, proceeded as scheduled.
The city remained “steadfast” in its commitment to the flag-raising, said Mayor Kate Rogers.
“To me, today is a representation of who we are as a city, and that is an inclusive city, a city always striving to be better, to do better,” she said. “We are committed to making everyone in our city feel welcomed, embraced, safe, respected.”
Rogers contends the hard fought-for rights of the queer community are “under attack” and fears more will be “under threat.”
“And so …as allies, now is not the time for us to be wishy washy and stand back. … Now is the time for us to be very committed to the cause.”
Asked if she was disappointed by Fredericton Pride’s decision to cancel, Rogers said she respects organizers.
“I’m most of all glad to see … volunteers and community members rallying and trying to salvage some of the events.”
She could not comment on the status of other events the city is involved in, stressing it’s not the organizer, but rather a “bureaucratic legal entity that has to give approvals and things.”
Community members hopeful
Catherine Derry, a member of the LBGTQ2+ community who attended the flag-raising, said she wishes the Fredericton Pride board members had just stepped aside instead of cancelling the festival.
“It’s the awareness and, you know, the acts of resistance and fighting for your rights — that’s more important than anything else,” she said. “It trumps everything.
“It means being a voice for those younger folks who are at home, who might be queer, who might be trans, who are scared to come out.”
Derry, 54, said she comes from a time when queer people had no rights.
She remains hopeful that at least the parade will proceed next Sunday.
“We want to keep this up and make sure nobody has the struggles we had back then.”
Riley Goodine, who also attended the flag-raising, agreed.
The festival “shows how far we’ve come and that I can leave my house with my fiancé, and we can walk around together and hold hands and be who we are and feel safe,” she said.
She’s glad a number of venues, such as Monarch Night Club, where she works, are still holding Pride events, she said.
“I just hope that the Pride events that do end up happening go off as well as I know that they can and that everyone enjoys the rest of what we can do this week for Pride and just be happy that we can still be who we are.”
Monarch posted on social media that Pride isn’t cancelled and a new Pride guide is “coming soon.”
“Pride continues at Monarch in the spirit that it always has; As a party and a protest,” the post said.
In its statement, Fredericton Pride said it will pay all outstanding invoices and be in touch with performers, partners and sponsors in the next few days.
