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By Angela Brown

Dinner, dancing and guest speakers

BATC to hold ‘Gender, Diversity and Equality Masquerade Ball’ fundraiser

Apr 14, 2023 | 12:53 PM

Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Inc. (BATC) plans to bring the community together for its upcoming “Gender, Diversity and Equality Masquerade Ball.”

The event which includes dinner, dancing and a silent auction will be held Friday, June 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Western Development Museum (WDM) in North Battleford. The night will also include live music and a deejay.

Funds raised will support BATC’s new LGBT and two-spirit education and programming.

“We want to look more into education on the histories, especially two-spirited people,” said Jordon Weenie, on the event organizing committee and program manager at Atoskewin Success Centre. “There is such a limited amount of resources out there in regards to two-spirited people. So, finding and sharing that information, and having those sessions with not only people who identify as two-spirit or LGBTQ, but with the public in general – creating and sharing those resources, I think is super important.”

The aim of the event is to promote diversity and inclusion in the Battlefords. The night will also include a number of guest speakers, such as Jazz Moise, talking about LGBT and two-spirit history and share their stories.

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Local dignitaries including Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie, North Battleford Mayor David Gillan, Russell Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, and Saskatoon Meewasin MLA Nathaniel Teed will also take part in the event.

There will also be an educational component. The adjoining room at the WDM will showcase a display of artwork, fashion, newspaper clippings and other archived items reflecting LGBT history in the province, with additional support from the University of Saskatchewan’s LGBT collection and Saskatoon Archives.

This family event will be alcoholic-free, with mocktails served at the reception. There will be prizes for the best mask and costume, as well as door prizes.

Weenie said the event will help “open the door” for BATC to offer LGBT education to area communities in the Battlefords and area First Nations.

He said the gesture of wearing the masks for the masquerade theme of the event connects with the thought that, through increased education and understanding about LGBT and two-spirit people, “now we are able to remove our masks.”

“It’s different from when I was growing up,” Weenie said. “A lot of people are more comfortable with who they are, exploring who they are. So, it’s celebrating taking off the mask.”

He added the event will help bridge the gap between the LGBTQ2S community and Battlefords and area First Nations.

“It’s a continued fight for acceptance, anywhere you go,” Weenie said. “[It’s] to celebrate the people in this town [the Battlefords], to help them be comfortable with who they are, and let them know: ‘We’re here to celebrate you. We’re a family ultimately.'”

Tickets for the event are available through BATC.

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW