Gearing up for Pride Season!

Pride season in Canada is right around the corner, and I'm getting excited to start going to events (professionally and personally)! There is such a beautiful energy that takes over for the summer. Not only is everyone ECSTATIC that the warm weather has come to stay, but there is a buzz that is so contagious.

Pride is a time of celebration that is such a vibrant blend of joy, activism, and love. For many, it is a time for embracing authenticity, celebrating both differences and similarities, choosing self love over all, and is one of the most joyful forms of self expression.

While it can be a liberating and exhilarating time for some, it can confusing and painful for others. Not everyone is in a situation where it is safe to be openly part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. For some, Pride season is a time to tip their toes in, so to speak. I've known many people who have curiousities about their identities and Pride has been a way to experience and ask questions in a safe and supportive environment. There are also allies (friends/family/etc) who are unsure of how to support their loved ones during the beginning stages! Going to pride events are an educational (and let's be honest - super fun!) way to get involved and show your support!

So why am I bringing all this up? I've been prepping something special (I hope!!) on social media for a big chunk of the season (June-Sept), and I thought it would be good to do some smaller blog posts to lead up to it. As always, I'm hoping to offer resources and support to this corner of the internet, whether you are my client or not. So here's some of what I'm thinking:

• Ways to be an ally

• Ways to support loved ones who are exploring their gender and/or sexual identity

• Ideas for participating in Pride celebrations if you're new

• Self care during Pride season

• Probably other things I can't think of now :p

So there we are! My plan is to get a few of these written up to post over the next month and into the beginning of Pride season. I'm sure other ones will pop up as the celebrations continue, but that's the soft deadline!

Do you have any amazing stories to share about your experiences with Pride? Or traditions? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

I'm signed up to be at a few Pride events in my area (Coquitlam, Ladner, Port Coquitlam, and hopefully a few more!) and I have a few memories from various ones I've attended in the past, but I think my fave was from a few years ago when Vancouver Pride society and Music Heals teamed up for an event and asked me to tag a long and lead a musical experience on stage with festival guests! It was such a fun timesinging and playing ukes and boomwhackers in the park :)

Remember - you're worth the time it takes to be comfy in your own skin <3

~Alexina :)

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