NWT Pride dissolving, handing off responsibilities to Rainbow Coalition

NWT Pride says it's shutting down and LGBTadvocacy and education group, the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife, is taking on its responsibilities for all Pride events in Yellowknife.

Leaders of both societies sayinvolvement in different activities has been dwindling. They say considering howsmall theLGBT population is in the territory, itmakes more sense for one group to take the lead on things likethe annual Pride festivities.

"Let's face it:the North is only so big and we didn't feel like there was room for two organizations to be doing two separate things," said Chelsea Thacker, executive director of the Rainbow Coalition, which runs programs for LGBT youth.

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In 2018, three of NWT Pride's four board members moved away,including president StormLarocque, who moved from Yellowknife toHay River to continue running the society. In August of 2018, Larocqueput out a call for volunteers on the group's Facebook page.

"Currently our board consists of your current president... me!" the post read.

Larocque says some people were interested in helping out, but there wasn't enough time to catch them up on how the society works and everything it needs to do.

NWT Pride also struggled to get city funding for Yellowknife events in 2018 after a paperwork issue, and turned to businessesfor support.

New direction, more education at future events

Thacker says they hope to make the Pride festival a better space for introverts and members of the LGBT community who don't feel comfortable in traditional Pride activities.

"I refer to myself as a 'quiet gay,'" theysaid.

"I really would like to go back to our roots, honour the Indigenous LGBTQ people in our community, and really do more outreach and education."

NWT Pride didn't just create events in Yellowknife. In 2018 the society also funded an event in Hay River, bringing in drag queens from Edmonton who performed at a pub and read for kids at the local library.

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Thacker says without NWT Pride,the Rainbow Coalition is "going to be responsible for the Yellowknife Pride Festival" but will continue to "support those who wish to hold their own pride festivities," which will include helping apply for grants.