Marching with Pride
by Dan Corbett, Community Enrichment & Engagement
How do we show pride in our community? What could be the biggest, most outrageous display we could cast forth before an audience of tens of thousands? The first thing that comes to my mind is a parade float. And float, we did.
In case you missed it, on July 26th, a steel, wood and fabric shrine, pulled by a tandem bicycle, carried the Primordial Rigden in the form of India Gailey entirely uphill from the harbour to the Citadel as part of the 2016 Halifax Pride Parade. The pedestrian entourage, proudly displaying the Shambhala name on a large banner, accompanied the rolling shrine in wonderful cheer for what turned out to be a truly magical day.
As it happens, making a float isn’t easy. Several crucial souls: Alex Tremblay, Brin Jones, Sarah Furey, and India Gailey invested many hours in creating the frame, the façade, the costume and the container for this project. To the people that made it happen and to the community that supported us, my gratitude flows ceaselessly.
Through the week approaching the parade, I’d grown so consumed by the construction process that’d I’d almost lost sight of what it was that we were building. But on parade day, when finally I saw India sitting atop our shrine, when I saw the ride come alive, I was overtaken with joy. I thought that was the end of the magic, that I’d seen the forest for the trees. But in truth, that was only the beginning. The ninety minutes that followed as we rolled through the streets of Halifax were pure wonder. The faces of the crowd were painted with curiosity, amazement, delight, and love. India and her whole entourage positively radiated the joy of the Great Eastern Sun. All those who caught a glimpse felt the light.
Beyond the almost entirely positive reactions to the parade, the most moving part for me was the minute of silence. At 1:45pm, the parade came to a halt, the music stopped, and everyone took a minute to reflect upon the past and ongoing violence in the world that specifically targets persons identifying as LGBTQ. It breaks my heart to know that people in this world are made to suffer simply for being who they are. At once, it warms my heart to know that tens of thousands of people can come together in the streets of Halifax to embrace diversity and celebrate the very thing for which many others around the world are unfairly persecuted. I’m especially proud to be a part of a spiritual community that can sincerely fly the rainbow flag on our front porch, welcoming everyone and working to grow tolerance the world around.
Thank you, Halifax. Thank you, Sangha. You are all wonderful to me.
Our fundraising efforts prior to the parade didn’t quite reach our target. It’s not too late to donate a few dollars towards the float project. Any surplus money will help ensure the float rolls again in years to come. Please visit this page to donate. Earmark donations for this project by writing “Pride Float” in the comments field.
Queer Dharma in Halifax continues on a monthly basis. Join us for a spirited brunch and a contemplative walk led by Acharya Eve Rosenthal on Sunday, August 28th at 10:30am.
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