By Matthew Abrey
With the municipal elections drawing closer, Mayor Colin Basran can be sure that he’ll receive at least a few votes from the local LGBTQ2+ community.
Kelowna Pride members Dustyn Baulkham and Davina Kula are in the midst of organizing Kelowna Pride celebration which runs through Saturday, Aug. 18, and seem to be quite pleased with the mayor’s support of the organization’s many events.
“With Colin, it has been amazing,” said Baulkham, general manager and former president of Kelowna Pride. “Because it has been during his tenure that we have seen these rainbow crosswalks get done, we have the Sugarplum Ball which Colin participates in, and last year he was part of the trans march, which he came out to with his wife, and they’re always at the pride march every year with the kids, so he’s very involved and he’s not just saying ‘I support equality and inclusion,’ but he actually comes out and shows it.”
Kula echoes Baulkham’s sentiments.
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“He brings a lot of authenticity to it as well,” Kula said. “It’s not just words, because he does activate and that really helps him to shine as a mayor, and I think he has done a lot of great work here in the last few years.”
Basran is expected to make at least one appearance at this week’s pride festivities, and if the past is any indication, he will likely be fully decked out in rainbow attire.
“It’s different when they’re actually an ally and they come out and march, which is the true definition of an ally,” said Baulkham. “They’re side by side when you’re down, and they’re not just sitting behind their desk saying ‘ya I support equal rights’ and all that, so he really puts his boots on the ground in that sense.”
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However, while the pair are fans of the progressive mayor, they will be the first to admit that there is plenty of work to be done.
“We definitely can do better,” said Kula. “We got a long way to go, but I think the youth are the people who are spearheading right now, and they’re making sure it’s being talked about in schools, they’re talking to their parents, and those conversations are starting to happen, but we certainly have a long way to go.”
Kelowna Pride celebration runs through Saturday, Aug. 18. For more information, visit www.kelownapride.com/events-and-pride/.
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