Rebecca Rose, a member of the Lakefield Pride Committee, vividly remembers her encounter with a local senior during the first Pride picnic in the village of Lakefield.
The woman, who Rose had previously met, introduced her non-binary adult child to Rose at the event.
“(The mother) doesn’t drive, and lives at the local senior citizens’ apartments,” Rose told kawarthaNOW. “Her entire community is Lakefield. When her child expressed their identity to her, she didn’t understand, she was afraid, and worried for her child. She didn’t share with any of her peers as she felt shame.”
“She believed something was wrong with her child, and wondered how she had gone wrong,” Rose added. “A few hours at our picnic and she left armed with information, reassurance, pamphlets, and the knowledge that her adult child was okay. She was full of pride and happiness, and most of all, relief.”
The encounter, according to Rose, remains one reason why having a Pride picnic in Lakefield each year is critical for the village.
While the Lakefield Pride Committee participates in the Peterborough-Nogojiwanong Pride’s Pride Week from September 20 to 29, Rose says it’s also important for the village to have its own event.
Committee members are getting ready for the fourth annual Lakefield Pride picnic, which is slated for Sunday, September 22. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Isabel Morris Park, which is located at 20 Concession St. in Lakefield.
“Even though Lakefield is only a short car ride from Peterborough, it is its own community and often those who live there are isolated to it,” Rose said. “If we can reach one person every year who learns something, or feels safer, or more included, then this project is worth everything we put into it.”
There are kids in Lakefield who face bullying from other young people and the adults around them, Rose noted.
“Our event arose out of criticism a mother received while her young son was innocently playing dress-up in his sister’s princess dresses in the front yard one day, and news articles about a Pride flag being burned at a school in a neighbouring town,” Rose explained.
According to Rose, the Lakefield Pride picnic was primarily an initiative of young people who grew up and live in the village and want to make a difference.
“By supporting them to create this event, they are empowered to be the change they want to see in the world,” Rose said.
As for the woman with a non-binary child, attending the Lakefield Pride picnic was an important local support for her in understanding and learning to accept her child’s identity.
“This mother would never have had the ability or occasion to attend any of the other Peterborough Pride events, as she is exclusively a pedestrian, and had not told anyone she knew about her concerns,” Rose pointed out.
This year the Lakefield Pride Committee is hoping for, as always, great weather and a large community turn out.
“We really just want to create a great experience for our community to share love and kindness for all,” Rose said.
For more information about Lakefield Pride, visit lakefieldpride.com.
