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It was a day of drag throughout Calgary Saturday as performers took to public venues, in addition to an area ice rink, to strut their stuff and present solidarity for the queer neighborhood.
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Chinook Blast’s beforehand postponed Drag on Ice present was held on the Henry Viney Area Saturday afternoon.
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The present had been slated for Olympic Plaza on Feb. 11, however considerations over threatening protests towards the queer and drag communities triggered organizers to carry off on internet hosting the occasion within the out of doors venue.
Patti Pon, chair of the Chinook Blast government committee, stated as quickly as they determined to postpone there was a way the neighborhood can be there to assist the occasion.
“It was by no means a query that this present would occur,” she stated. “And right here we’re. April 1, and it occurred with a full home.”
Pon stated there have been six drag performances on ice, and in between performances, attendees had been in a position to hit the ice themselves for some laps whereas listening to the music of DJ Gaysnakes.
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She stated the tickets had been offered out. All funds raised are going to native charities, however as a result of it was a pay-what-you-can occasion, they don’t have the grand complete simply but.
Pon stated there have been no interruptions from protesters.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek was in attendance for the present. She stated she was pleased with Calgarians for pushing forward with the present after a small setback earlier within the 12 months.
“This simply occurs to be the kind of occasion that folks like to come back to,” she stated. “It fills your coronary heart with pleasure, there’s dancing, there’s singing. There’s house for this in our neighborhood and we simply confirmed up at present to reveal that.”
Gondek stated everywhere in the world, protesters are taking their intolerance to a degree that’s unacceptable, however she additionally feels it’s doable to come back again from that hatred and nonetheless be a robust society.
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“All of the issues that we fought for, the rights that we fought for, the truth that we need to be inclusive and welcoming. We have to preserve preventing for it. We’re not accomplished that but. And I believe that is only a reminder.”
Other than Drag on Ice, there have been additionally pop-up drag reveals held at venues throughout the town. Kayla Bigras, who helped arrange these reveals, stated there have been no incidents on the pop-up reveals.
She stated native group Queer Residents United helped arrange the pop-ups in response to anti-drag payments which might be being handed in Tennessee.
“So we’re calling out to the neighborhood to rally and present assist in every single place to try to defend the rights and properly being — and existence — of queer individuals,” stated Bigras.
She stated there are extra occasions deliberate, and people who need to assist the neighborhood can discover extra data by following QCU.yyc on social media platforms resembling Instagram and Twitter.
brthomas@postmedia.com
Twitter: @brodie_thomas
