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Walking, riding, dancing in show of support at annual Ride4Pride Six Nations

July 12, 2023 782 views
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND - Decked in a spectrum of bright colours, rainbow waves of cyclists, strollers, walkers and skateboarders swept through Six NationsSaturday, (July 8) marking the fourth annual Ride4Pride. The Ride4Pride took route starting at about 10 am in Veterans Park and headed west towards Seneca Road, “completing all 4 directions” of the community, Si Nations SN Outreach announced on their facebook site. The park was decorated with Pride flags, Haudenosaunee Confederacy flags, and flag designs fusing a celebrated Haudenosaunee sovereignty together with 2S & LGBTQ+ Pride. The rainbowed space of the park also featured a selfie station, and a colouring table. The ride celebrates 2S & LGBTQ+ resilience and inclusion in Six Nations. “This event is important to let community know that we (2S & LGBTQ+) have always been part of the community - despite the violence & ignorance we’ve experienced (and still continue to experience), we still continue to celebrate our community within the larger (the) community,” Micheal Hill told Turtle Island News. He said they promote healthy active lifestyles and raise awareness on those topics, along with providing space for those in the community who need it, who want to connect with others in their own community, said Hill. The ride is a way to mobilise change through awareness, said another organiser Myka. “I feel like more awareness needs to be around the Two-Spirit community and we need to foster an environment that is supportive in acknowledging.” The ride opens a space for hope and belonging through the love of community for Two-Spirit people, they said. “Just visibility, so all the other folks in the community that are maybe still struggling or maybe do not have families that are accepting of two-spiritedness, that they know there is a community out here for them, that there is people that accept them and love them, and acknowledge them,” said Myka. The ride is a time to acknowledge and honour the community. “I think it’s just important for us to have a day at least for Two-Spirit & LGBTQ+ people,” added Meryl Burning. The ride is a healing reclamation of 2S & LGBTQ+ and Haudenosaunee identity, explained Hill. “There is still a stigma that exists in this community and we want to show those people who might have negative opinions, that we’re just a group of community members who want the same betterment for their community and focus on inclusivity, acceptance, expression, love and strength.” She said they are battling misinformation.”We know this negative mentality is adopted from Western/Christian ideologies that the 2S & LGBTQ+ are somehow less than others. Because of that, our people have forgotten how to show care and love for each other and we want to help bring that back and emphasize that all people and all of creation is truly a gift and to be celebrated and that is our focus too as proud 2S & LGBTQ+ Haudenosaunee.” Hill is one of the original organisers of the event along with Felecia White. White and a group of 2S & LGBTQ+ community members decided to mobilise the event back in June 2020. Hill said a group came together and launched the celebration and it has grown each year. “There was a group that just decided that they were going to do it, and we did it, and then every year it has grown a bit more,” Hill said. The Six Nations 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies felt a Pride event was needed during the lockdowns in the territories here. “The Ride started as a very grassroots idea during lockdown,” said White back at 2021’s Ride4Pride. She said in the past he went to Toronto’s Pride event. “Being on lockdown, we couldn’t travel so I wanted to do a small bike ride around here,” White explained. Hill said it was a great success. So I figured I should just stick with it and here we are four years later.” Participants walked, biked, skateboarded, strolled and danced, even showing off their high kicks as they hit the centre of Ohsweken. After the ride, everyone gathered back in Veteran’s Park to take in the sun and summer breeze while classic 2SLGBTQ+ anthems like Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” filled the air. The Ride4Pride family then re-energized their mojos with a summer picnic barbeque in the park. Next up 6N Pride Outreach will host Paddle for Pride on August 26!

By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Decked in a spectrum of bright colours, rainbow waves of cyclists, strollers, walkers and skateboarders swept through Six NationsSaturday, (July 8) marking the fourth annual Ride4Pride. The Ride4Pride took route starting at about 10 am in Veterans Park and headed west towards Seneca Road, “completing all 4 directions” of the community, Si Nations SN Outreach announced on their Facebook site. The park was decorated with Pride flags, Haudenosaunee Confederacy flags, and flag designs fusing a celebrated Haudenosaunee sovereignty together with 2S & LGBTQ+ Pride. The rainbowed space of the park also featured a selfie station, and a colouring table. The ride celebrates 2S & LGBTQ+ resilience and inclusion in Six Nations. “This event is important to let community know that we…

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