By Emily Stonehouse

I have to say it.

I feel like someone does.

And trust me, I hummed and hawed on this one. A few weeks ago, I wrote an editorial about how Dysart et al council has made a habit of putting up walls whenever a new idea is brought to the table.

And yes, I received some feedback. Some of it negative, but a surprising amount of it positive.

But I’m not one to burn bridges. So I turned my attention towards other topics of conversation.

And as I was scrolling through Facebook, I noticed that the local Snowmobile Association kicked off Snowmobile Safety Week on Feb. 10. A very worthy cause; where awareness, information and dialogue could save someone’s life.

Dysart thought so too. So much so, that they raised a flag in front of the local arena.

But I have to say it. I think someone does.

In July of this past year, Minden Pride approached Dysart council, with a simple ask to fly the Pride flag for one week. A very worthy cause; where awareness, information and dialogue could save someone’s life.

But they were met with a different response:

“I don’t want flags up at the landfills, arena, or anywhere else. You can have your day like anyone else, that’s just my opinion,” were Mayor Murray Fearrey’s words. 

So, I hummed and hawed on this one. As I watched the Snowmobile Association flag be proudly displayed outside our local arena, I thought about how I don’t want to burn bridges.

After all, I had just shared my thoughts on a recent closed-minded conversation that our local council had. Did I really want to open up that can of worms again?

But I have to say it.

I think someone does.

Because in a time where the LGBTQIA+ community is consistently being burned, being shoved out, being erased, we can’t stay silent.

As we watch America ban terms such as “transgender,” “LGBT,” “non-binary,” to name a few, we cannot sit back and hope that things will simply turn out for the better.

We can’t let these things fade into the background. This is a time where we must speak on behalf of those who have been silenced, fight on behalf of those who have been wounded, and stand our ground on behalf of those who have fallen.

I am going to give the benefit of the doubt to our current council, and assume that they did not remember saying ‘no’ to one group while they didn’t bat an eye at another. I am going to hope it was a mistake, an oversight, a blip in their radar. Perhaps they have changed their approach to flying flags in the community. With that in mind, I look forward to seeing a Pride flag outside the arena this coming summer. I’m sure many others do, as well.

Because it’s not just about a flag. It’s about the stories behind it, the conversations it creates, the representation it entails. Everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported in our community – and that comes in many colours, many shapes, many flags.

Awareness, information and dialogue could save someone’s life.

And maybe some bridges are meant to be burned in the process.

So, I had to say it.

And I’m glad I did.