Pride Flag Raising at City Hall - June 20, 2022.

Speech by Lane Sterr, President.

The past three years have been difficult. We used to gather as a community before COVID-19 existed where we could drop the straight-acting facade and come as we are. With the pandemic came restrictions and measures to keep our community and loved ones safe, but what also came with it, was isolation and fear. Gathering together turned into phone calls and facetime's, zoom calls and talking with glass barriers between us, and no opportunity for hugs, connection, and community. For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic claimed the lives of loved ones, many from the actual virus, but also many who lost their lives to suicide due to the icy grips of isolation and fear that I know that we all felt and continue to feel from this pandemic.

Human beings look to define themselves. There are many common and life-giving ways in which this can happen, such as personal accomplishments, drawing

substance from meaningful experiences, or affirmations from our family and community. For queer people discovering who we are, our experiences are often anything but life-giving. Often, before we have even come to know ourselves as we are, we are defined by insults and slurs, anxiety, depression, and rejection. For many, the most powerful and defining experience of our lives is fear.

Closeted queers will age with vigilance, ensuring that their voices aren't too high, their wrists are not too limp, their mannerisms not too gay or queer. A constant looking over their shoulders out of fear for their life, dropping the hand of their partners out of fear of being verbally and more often, physically harmed. Trans youth and people will avoid shopping in their preferred clothing section out of fear that someone will see them and judge them for who they are. And for anyone that has thought about attending a pride festival but has turned on the news to see the constant attacks on 2SLGBTQIA+ people, queer people of color, trans people of color, we worry. We worry about becoming the next news story that features yet another hate crime and yet another queer person hurt or murdered simply for being who they are.

Even today, as I stand here with you all, I am still afraid. I’m afraid of the thoughts and opinions of others. I am still that queer that looks over his shoulders because I am scared for a lesson to be made of me. I am afraid that I will not be the palatable queer that the world prefers me to be.

Left unchallenged, fear can become a debilitating burden of self-doubt and shame. But these are not the only products of fear though. Fear can motivate us to jump into the unknown and experience something for the first time. There is a divine and sacred power in knowing that we all have that ability.

Despite all of this, I choose to hold hands with fear and choose to become the person that my younger self needed when he was growing up, held captive by fear, anxiety, and depression. I want to embrace my fear and honor the position that I have, and the platform and voice that comes with it.

For the closeted queer, they can push through the fear of judgment and embrace their flamboyant mannerisms, trans youth and people can swallow their anxiety, lift their heads high and buy their first bra or binder, to have that first conversation with their doctor to help begin a part of their transition. And for all of us here today, we stand as a testament that we can come together to overcome the hateful and dangerous efforts that threaten us, that threaten our queer and divine history. I know that we are stronger as a community together than we are divided.

So, I want to encourage you all to embrace fear. Yes, I said that right. Embrace fear, listen to its opportunity for change, growth, acceptance, and transformation. Fear is what our queer and trans fore-bearers felt when they marched in the first protest fifty-three years ago and because of that, they revolutionized the world and as a result, our world has never been the same since. Pride is about shouting our existence into the world. Pride does not whisper or simply say gay, trans, or queer. Pride shouts it. I implore you to shout with me today and every other day of the year.

Because we did not let this fear silence us, we made much progress and achieved many milestones as a community this past year as well as in our own Lethbridge community alone. There is still much work to be done though.

On January 7th, 2022, Bill C-4 became law, protecting queer people from the cruel practices of conversion therapy. I cannot help but think what if we had this law ten years ago, or even just one? How many beautifully queer, trans, and non-binary individuals would be alive and celebrating with us today had our government listened to our queer voices sooner? Some people would rather offer sweet-like-candy sentiments and listen to cis-gendered, straight people that think they can speak on behalf of our community and endorse the harmful therapy. Listen to our queer voices.

On May 3, 2022, the permanent progressive pride and trans crosswalks were installed here in Lethbridge. Though, it did not take long for people to vandalize them. I want you to imagine a young queer person who has not yet come out, seeing the defacement and vandalism of the crosswalks or other acts of hate and discrimination. Imagine the fear that those acts of hatred would instill in them. What sort of narrative would they begin to form about themself?

We will continue to see efforts to censor our queer community all over the world. Let your voice be heard in this fight, our existence and demand for rights and protections are not up for debate. Our community is strong and fierce and we will not back down until we have left this world better than we have found it. Thank you.