Originally posted on TCPS’s social media accounts on July 11, 2025
The Tri-Cities Pride Weekend and the Coquitlam Pride Festival are rapidly approaching and we are so excited to hold this celebration of our vibrant and diverse 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities. While doing so we want to ground this celebration in the politics and ethos Pride grew from and to reflect on the structural contexts in which we exist and resist.
Cis-heteropatriarchal structures are responsible for the existential threats that folks of diverse gender and sexual identities have faced and continue to face. This structural violence against queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people has its roots in and is continually maintained through settler-colonialism and imperialism both near and far. As a pride society we will keep aiming to platform and amplify Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and other Indigenous queer and trans folks. While we take part in these joyous celebrations of identity and diversity we never want to forget that we do so on stolen land and the responsibility that entails. We strive to continually deepen our solidarity with all individuals, nations and movements practicing, reinstating and defending Indigenous sovereignty. This means Land Back!
We also want to unequivocally state our support for a Free Palestine and opposition to Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism. We aim to align our procurement and sponsorship practices with the BDS movement and screen potential sponsors and partners to ensure their operations are in agreement with our values and those of the communities we serve.
Additionally, our events and programming will always be spaces where police, armed forces, and other instruments of state violence are not welcome in a professional or promotional capacity. This is in the spirit of community care, the sentiment of “we keep us safe” and in remembrance that Pride is a commemoration of an uprising against police brutality and violence.
Accountability to our community is top of mind for us. We always welcome engagement, discussion, and constructive feedback from you on how we can best uphold the values of a liberatory politics! We wish you all an abundant and nourishing pride season and hope you will join us in our vision for Queer Joy and Liberation.
With care, love and solidarity,
The Tri-Cities Pride Society Board