Last Saturday, for the very first time, I participated in the Pride Parade. I’ve always been on vacation in the past. Along with about 80 other United Church people from Halifax/Dartmouth and surrounding areas, we marched/strolled through the streets with our banners, rainbow flags, and clergy collars for some of us.

The weather was perfect; sunny, warm, with a nice breeze blowing. The people lining the streets were in high spirits, all ages, genders, many different ethnic backgrounds and many sporting rainbow clothing of some sort, some great signs, and many shouts of Happy Pride! There were also quite a number of people in costumes of various kinds. Obviously I am out of the loop on gay culture!

I got booed twice! The first time really took me by surprise, as you can see from the picture below, I’m wearing a rainbow collar and obviously, since I’m participating in a Pride Parade, I’m supportive of the queer community. The second time it happened, I got curious. I knew instinctively that it was not personal and I began to wonder what the church had done or represented to those two individuals that had harmed them so much and remembered the many churches and other religious organizations where the queer community wouldn’t be welcome.

I also remembered how the first Pride Parade in Halifax in 1988 wasn’t a parade, but a protest against the lack of legal protection under the Human Rights Act against homophobic violence. Some of those participants wore brown paper bags over their heads to protect their jobs and personal safety. It’s also a sad commentary on our society that even in 2026, violence against the queer community increases during Pride Month.

What I believe: visibility matters. Rainbow/transgender decals declaring your store, your workplace, your daycare, your Airbnb, your church, your community centre as welcoming spaces are important. Perhaps more important is ensuring that the people working/participating within all of those organizations are in tune with the signage. I wear my rainbow collar in public anytime I’m representing the church. It opens up a conversation with a stranger every time.