The cleanup crew poses after the cleanup of Finlay Bridge on Saturday, with members of the Prairie Pride Guild of Medicine Hat & District and Medicine Hat Skateboard Association.--Photo courtesy the Prairie Pride Guild
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The Prairie Pride Guild of Medicine Hat & District was joined Saturday by the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association for the second annual cleanup of Finlay Bridge and area in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.
The day, initiated in 2004, aims to draw awareness to the struggles faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals both close to home and around the world. The date, May 17, was selected to commemorate May 17, 1990, when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.
To hold space for the date, the Prairie Pride Guild organized a cleanup of Finlay Bridge and the surrounding area.
“This day is, of course, to bring awareness to the discrimination and violence that the 2ALGBTQIA+ community faces, and so we just wanted to do something good in the community, give back and also hold space and raise awareness for those people,” said Kimberly Large, a director with the Guild.
This year, they were joined by a number of allies from the MHSA, who pledged their afternoon despite the drizzle to doing some good in the city they call home.
“We are just so happy to be out here and support what the Guild has going on. We just came in as a support, we believe in what they’re doing,” said Davie James with MHSA. “We’re collecting trash. We’re going to go cook some hot dogs after. We’re always super grateful when we see community groups in motion, out there making a change and really being a part of said community.”
The turnout to this year’s cleanup was significantly larger than the prior year, noted Large, and they hope this is a sign of things to come for being able to do their part in the city and to stand proud as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies.
