New West pride: celebrating our chosen families

While Vancouver’s Pride celebrations might be the region’s largest, that isn’t stopping some of the other Lower Mainland cities from celebrating in their own backyards.  Back in June the LGBTQ community celebrated in Surrey; now, just a day after Vancouver’s own Pride hangover begins, the Royal City Pride Society is set to host its own Pride celebrations with a week-long event starting Tuesday, August 3rd.

With its first foray into an organized Pride presence in New Westminster, the Royal City Pride Society has chosen “Diversity: Celebrating our Chosen Families” as this year’s theme.

The celebration opens with a Pride Kick-off and Opening Reception on Tuesday, August 3rd sponsored by New West MLA Dawn Black and MPs Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) and Fin Donnelly (New Westminster - Coquitlam and Port Moody).

Lafflines Comedy Club gets a little queerification with the Laff Riot Girls headlining “Pretty, Witty and Gay” on Wednesday, the Bob Loblaw Queer Arts Society presents “The Gays of Our Lives” at the Westminster Club on Thursday, August 5th and Amanda Luv’s Diva Gurls host the 2010 Pride Stonewall Party at The Heritage Grill on Friday night.

Saturday, August 6th sees no less than four different Pride events including a Youth Centre fundraiser, the Pride proclamation and world’s largest flock dance in heels on the steps of New Westminster City Hall, "Fun in the Park with Friends of Dorothy" in Tipperary Park and ending with a Pride dance party back at the Heritage Grill that night.

Sunday is another full day with “The Burr Brunch” celebrating New West’s own gay son, Raymond Burr at the Coming Home Café, a paddlewheel boat cruise with Peter Breeze and the free "Royal Send-off" concert at New West Quay featuring Sibel Thrasher, Drop D Experience /Moon Gypsy, Tequila Mockingbird and a whole lot more.

New West Pride: Celebrating our Chosen Families
3 - 8 August 2010

Visit http://www.royalcitypridesociety.com for full details on all the Royal City Pride Society events.