One World Arts Celebrates LGBTTQ+ Pride

Join One World Arts and One World Film Festival in celebrating LGBTTQ+ pride during Ottawa Capital Pride‘s week of festivities and events with community partners, running from August 21st – 27th. This year’s festival begins with the raising of the rainbow flag at Ottawa City Hall (Marion Dewar Plaza, 110 Laurier Ave W) on Monday, August 21st. Mayor Jim Watson will be in attendance for the official proclamation of Pride Week in the capital and the ceremony will be followed a free BBQ hosted by Emergency and Protective Services.

On Thursday, August 24th from 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM Ottawa Capital Pride is hosting a Human Rights Vigil at The Human Rights Monument (220 Elgin Street). This annual event marks a time when we can gather in solidarity to reflect on the ongoing struggle for equality in the LGBTTQ+ community.

Also on Thursday, Ottawa Capital Pride will also be hosting a Pride Youth Movie Night at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue). One World Film Festival will be there to announce and screen the trailer for the LGBTTQ+ themed documentary scheduled for the 28th annual One World Film Festival in September. Also screening will be a series of shorts followed by THE MARGARITA WITH A STRAW a film about a rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy who leaves her home in India to study in New York and unexpectedly falls in love, embarking on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery. Tickets for the Pride Youth Movie Night are free and concessions will be provided. Click here to register.

On Friday, August 25th from 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Clover Food and Drink (155 Bank Street Ottawa, ON K1P 5N7) in association with Dominion City Brewing Co. will host a wonderful a five-course, 1970s-themed dinner. The evening marks the release of Ottawa Capital Pride’s ‘1971 Pale Ale’. In collaboration with Dominion City Brewing Co this beer was brewed, “in honour of the ‘We Demand Protest’, the first public demonstration for LGBTQ+ rights in Canada.”

A march for Trans, Two-Spirit, and Gender Non-Conforming People will also be held on Friday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Join the Facebook event to show your support and get more information about this event.

The annual “Ottawa Dyke March” takes place Saturday August 26th from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM, starting at the Human Rights Monument at Elgin and Lisgar. The rally and march will be followed by a picnic at Minto Park on Elgin. Details about this event can be found on Facebook here.

Etc. Youth will be hosting the 9th annual Pride Prom at Jean Pigott Place, Ottawa City Hall (110 Laurier Ave W) from 7:30 PM-11:00 PM on Saturday. Make sure you stop by for an evening of great music and endless entertainment!  This event is free and open to youth ages 13-19. Make sure to RSVP at etcyouth.prideprom@gmail.com and visit Ottawa Capital Pride’s Facebook for more details!

The festivities wrap up on August 27th with Ottawa’s annual Pride Parade, which sets out from Gladstone and Bank and marches through the village from 1:30 PM-4:00 PM (Bank Street, Downtown Ottawa). The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity and other community partners have extended open invitations to march with them. Click here for more information about marching the CCGSD and other Pride Week events they are organizing and co-hosting.

After attending this year’s most colourful event be sure to join us at the Community Fair from 1:00 PM-7:00 PM. One World Arts and the One World Film Festival will be there to give you the latest news about the 28th Annual Festival and unveil our 2017 lineup, including our LGBTTQ+ selection which has been lauded by film critic Matthew Hays as “One of the best documentaries of the year.” More information coming soon! In the meantime, join our Facebook event and drop us a line at volunteer[at]oneworldarts.ca if you’re able to take a shift, for any amount of time between 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM, at our info table at the Community Fair.

Click here for more information about Pride Week and to view the full schedule of daily events and have a HAPPY PRIDE WEEK!