Niagara-on-the-Lake will hold its own Pride flag raising this year after a public split with Pride Niagara over what meaningful support for the LGBTQ+ community should look like.
At the centre of the dispute is a new participation request Pride Niagara, the region’s primary non-profit group supporting the LGBTQ+ community, introduced for municipalities taking part in its annual Pride activities: hosting a table at the Niagara UNITY Awards, which town officials said would cost $480.
Pride Niagara said in a Facebook post earlier this month that some municipalities, including NOTL, “have indicated they will not participate under these requirements” and will not be part of its 16th annual Pride flag raising or Pride Niagara Festival.
“We will not be hosting our annual Pride flag raising ceremony in Niagara-on-the-Lake this year,” the organization told The Lake Report. “When a flag raising is organized as a municipal event, it is most effective when it is developed in collaboration with the community it is intended to support.”
“In the spirit of inclusivity and the town’s continued commitment to supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community, we encourage approaches that are guided by community input and collaboration.”
The group said municipalities were asked to participate in five ways: attending the flag raising, having the mayor or a councillor offer remarks, delivering a statement at council, flying the Pride flag during Niagara Pride Week — ideally for the full month of June — and hosting a table at the Niagara UNITY Awards.
“This year, Pride Niagara made purchasing a table for $480 at their event contingent on their involvement in the raising of the flag,” said Coun. Erwin Wiens.
“We declined the offer due to budget issues,” he said. “The town has raised the Pride flag for years.”
Pride Niagara disputed that municipalities had to pay to take part in the flag-raising ceremony itself.
“The statement that municipalities are required to make a payment or donation to participate in the Pride flag-raising ceremony is incorrect,” the organization said. “Participation in this initiative has always been at no financial cost to the municipality.”
The group said the fifth element was added after “ongoing community feedback encouraging support that moves beyond symbolic gestures toward more consistent and meaningful engagement with 2SLGBTQ+ communities.”
Community concerns included “limited tangible investment in local 2SLGBTQ+ organizations, including time, resources and funding,” the organization said.
With independently organized initiatives, “there can be a risk, however unintentional, of support being perceived as symbolic rather than substantive,” it added.
Coun. Wendy Cheropita said that for now, “the town is committed to hosting a flag raising on June 1 and delivering remarks at the first council meeting in June.”
“Pride Niagara was invited to participate, however they have declined,” she said.
The organization said the town’s separate flag raising would take place at the same date and time as the organization’s already scheduled community event.
Coun. Maria Mavridis said this was the first year Pride Niagara “told us that we need to purchase a table at the UNITY event,” which she said would involve “using taxpayer funds.”
She said the town declined to purchase the table but said it would encourage others to support it personally.
“And they responded with, ‘Then return our flag and we will not be at the flag raising,’” Mavridis said.
“The town will need to purchase a flag and will of course do the flag raising regardless,” she added.
Pride Niagara said it requested the return of its flag “following the town’s decision not to proceed with participation under the outlined framework” and that it will be used at other festival events.
The group owns the flag and said it was funded through community fundraising.
