Pride Week 2013 officially starts July 29 with the City of Vancouver proclamation, followed by a full week of official (and unofficial) events and parties. August is also host to several other Pride events, so there is a lot to do and see all month long. While this list contains several major Pride events, it is by no means complete. Practically every nightclub on Davie Street has theme parties planned, and many other groups are celebrating achievements of the LGBTQ community. Some additional events of note include the Clean & Sober Pride Ball, The Vancouver Gay Men’s Chorus Big Gay Sing, and the G(r)AY and Glamorous social and dance.
Pride Pavilion at the Vancouver Public Library
The Vancouver Pride Society has partnered with the Vancouver Public Library to hold a public fair August 1 to 3. The three-day event is free, family-friendly, and takes place at the Central Branch downtown. There will be film screenings by Out in Schools, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival’s youth program, entertainment by queer comedy troupe, The Bobbers, as well booths staffed by local LGBTQA groups. vancouverpride.ca
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Later this month, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival celebrates 25 years of queer filmmaking. The festival takes place over 11 days, August 15 to 25. Second only to VIFF in size, the Queer Film Festival has more than 70 films from 20 countries worldwide. The 25th Anniversary focus is “Who Are We, Cinema?” and includes a PechaKucha-powered event. There are several other themes this year including India and Fierce & Under 25.
www.queerfilmfestival.ca
Vancouver Dyke March
The Vancouver Dyke March is celebrating their 10-year anniversary on Saturday, August 3. The March and festival leave from McSpadden Park at noon and walk to Grandview Park for a family-friendly music festival.
www.vancouverdykemarch.com
Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival
The annual parade is the mainstay of the Pride festival, which takes place this year on August 4, celebrating its 35th year. In May 2013, City Council designated the Pride Parade as an official Civic Parade, organized by the Vancouver Pride Society. There were several events leading up to Pride Week, including the Legacy Awards, Gay Day at Playland, and Pride Walk & Run. However, the bulk of the activities take place during BC Day long-weekend. The festival is the place to be before and after the parade, featuring a marketplace with vendors, entertainment, and food and drink. The parade route begins at Robson, turns onto Denman, and then follows along Beach Ave.
vancouverpride.ca
GenderFest
GenderFest started as a response to Pride’s lack of programming for people of all genders. While Pride is inclusive of LGBTQ folk, Genderfest seeks to celebrate gender diversity and to be unoppressive. They accept any flavour or combination of sexual orientation as well as all other social, economic, and political backgrounds. From July 25 to Aug 4, GenderFest has organized workshops, fundraisers, and parties. Highly recommended is the All Bodies Swim event on Tuesday, July 30.
www.genderfest.ca
Queer Arts Festival
The 2013 Queer Arts Festival is already in full swing, running from July 24 to Aug 9. The festival features multi-disciplinary exhibits, performances, and workshops, and is an artist-run celebration of queer art and artists. This year’s theme is TransgressionNow, which is expressed through a visual art exhibit curated by Glenn Alteen and Paul Wong. The exhibit examines ideas of social, gender, and political boundaries and how they have changed over the years. Another highlight of this year’s QAF is Canada’s first lesbian opera, When the Sun Comes Out by Leslie Uyeda and Rachel Rose. It was commissioned and produced by the Queers Arts Festival and is receiving a lot of media buzz.
www.queerartsfestival.com
