02/08/2026
We want to acknowledge the recent hate speech coming from some residents of Winkler, regarding Pembina Valley Pride and their upcoming Pride event.
We also want to acknowledge concerns raised by some folks who feel that hosting Pride in Winkler does not adequately consider the safety of 2SLGBTQIA+ people because of how openly q***r-unfriendly this community can be.
We hear those concerns. We understand them. And we know Pembina Valley Pride takes safety seriously. At the same time, we need to be very clear: we are not backing down our support.
Q***r and trans people exist in Winkler. They live there. They work there. They raise families there. They deserve joy there. They deserve visibility there. They deserve Pride there.
Coming out and being proud has never come with a promise of safety, but it has always come with courage, resistance, and community care. We did not gain our rights by waiting to be welcomed. We did not gain our rights by staying quiet or staying hidden. We gained them because people stood up, took risks, and demanded to be seen, even when it was considered unsafe to do so. They made educated decisions on what was right for them.
That legacy matters. And rural prides, like Pembina Valley Pride, carry it forward.
Our goal is not to pretend the world is safe. Our goal is to make our spaces safer. That means planning, preparation, community support, and accountability. It means refusing to let hate dictate where we are allowed to exist. We will not allow hate speech to bully us out of our own communities.
Let us be absolutely clear: any threats of violence, harm, or hate speech to any Manitoba Pride events will be taken seriously, reported to the appropriate authorities, and pursued to the fullest extent of the law.
Pride is not always about comfort. It is about liberation. It is about visibility. It is about showing every q***r and trans person in the Pembina Valley, and Manitoba as a whole, that they are not alone.
We belong here.
We are not going anywhere.
And we will continue to show up: together. MPA stands with Pembina Valley Pride.
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
