Shown, left to right, Kelly Waters with Battlefords Pride, Battlefords Family Health Centre's outreach worker, Cymric Leask, youth outreach workers, LeeAnn Klassen and Alyssa Poitras, and outreach worker, Amanda Maunula, at this week's Lunch and Learn event. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Pride Week

Lunch and Learn talk focuses on LGBT issues

Jul 21, 2022 | 2:53 PM

Youth were able to learn little about LGBT issues in a positive space at this Week’s Lunch and Learn event.

The event is part of the Battlefords Family Health Centre’s series of various talks for young people ages 12 to 19 in the local area this summer. The initiative is also supported through funding from the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute’s Youth-led Community Health Grants Program.

This week’s talk at Central Park was focused on LGBT issues to align with Pride Week in the Battlefords, and encourage people to be more empathetic and respectful to others.

“Every week we talk about a different topic related to education, sexual health, healthy relationships, consent,” outreach worker, Amanda Maunula, said. “This week we are focusing on sexual health for LGBTQ teens as this is Pride Week. We jumped on the band wagon to help out with Pride.”

The event included a lunch, along with the educational component.

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“It’s just another way to deliver information to youth,” Maunula said. “Parents always can talk to their kids, schools can talk to kids but their curriculum can sometimes only go to a certain level. And sometimes parents aren’t comfortable talking about every single topic. So we are here to talk about the things that other people maybe aren’t quite as comfortable talking about. But also keeping it age-appropriate and focused on the target group we are delivering it to.”

She said youth attending the talks get a chance to learn and have fun at the same time.

Two youth outreach workers led the presentation this week, asking questions to generate discussion, such as what might be the most difficult part for a person transitioning, including the legal aspects, perhaps finding a place to live, or telling their families.

They also asked why is it important to wave the Pride flag during the year, not just on Pride month to be allies to the LGBT community and create a safe space.

Kelly Waters, of the Battlefords Pride committee, attended the event and told battlefordsNOW she is glad to see the Lunch and Learn event taking place to give young people a safe space to talk.

She mentioned this year there has been a lot of support during Pride Week but also a significant amount of negative feedback, both on Facebook and in the public, which is disconcerting to the group.

“People from the LGBTQ community do feel oppressed a lot in this community,” she said. “So it’s sadly not surprising but it’s still frustrating, and it’s hurtful.”

When volunteers painted the rainbow crosswalk in North Battleford July 17 many came out to take part but two passersby stopped to make hostile remarks.

Again, when supporters raised a large Pride flag at the top of the Don Ross Hill during a gathering Monday afternoon when Pride Week launched, while some honked in support, one man shouted out negative comments from the highway below, which was upsetting to the group.

“The voices that are negative have gotten extra loud,” she said. “Someone screamed so loud from the highway… That took some effort. It was sadly not surprising but also a little puzzling and begged a lot of questions to what it is that gets people that angry.”

She said she contacted the RCMP to keep an eye on Pride Week activities as a precaution due to the amount of hateful messages being posted on the group’s Facebook Page.

Waters would like to see more people take the time to learn about LGBT issues and be more accepting to show their support instead.

“Clearly there is a lot more work to do in the community, raising awareness and education,” she said. “We are getting more support than we ever have, but there is still a lack of awareness.”

The list of this year’s Pride Week activities can be found on the Battlefords Pride Facebook Page .

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow