Festival cancelled, but Pride 'a feeling, not a space' say organizers

Photo: Vancouver Pride

The Vancouver Pride Society announced over the weekend that Pride 2020 has been cancelled.

In their letter, organizers say "Pride can't be cancelled. It is a feeling, not a physical space..."

"Like many of you, we have been monitoring provincial and federal public health updates daily," organizers said.

"Like many of you, our hearts fell when we heard the announcement that all large scale public events, including the annual Vancouver Pride Parade and associated festivals, would no longer take place.

"We knew this was coming. We have been preparing for it for over a month. It still hurt deeply when we heard the official announcement. Pride holds a special place in the hearts of many - we march against the continued injustices of the world, we celebrate the gains we have made, we make a statement, we make a splash, we unabashedly take up space in a world that has tried to grind us down and exterminate us. Whether you view Pride as protest or party or some combination of these things - it can not be denied that there is something inherently magical about occupying the entire West End in unadulterated queer joy.

Pride can't be cancelled. It is a feeling, not a physical space. It is in the myriad fundraisers that have been set up to benefit marginalized communities, it is in mutual-aid projects and community care. It is in you. We have only ever provided a space in which to celebrate and acknowledge the resilience, love and bravery which is lived out every single day of the year by you - our communities.

"We will continue to create this space. Pride can't be cancelled- only re-imagined. Over the last several weeks our staff team has been hard at work looking for creative alternatives to physical events. We will continue to pay trans, two-spirit and queer artists, performers, musicians, suppliers and more as we move our events into digital spaces. We look forward to releasing our plans over the next couple of weeks."