An Okotoks drag king will be honoured as a Grand Marshal in the Calgary Pride Parade.
The parade takes place on 9 Avenue in downtown Calgary on Sept. 3 at noon ahead of the Calgary Pride Festival at Prince’s Island Park.
At the forefront, drag king Shane Onyou will march alongside Suzette Mayr, Aalayna, Adora and Cece, figures representing trans voices.
“I don’t know if I have the words to express what an honour it is, but it’s been a blessing and I’m proud to be a part of it,” Onyou said.
Growing up in Fort McMurray before moving to Okotoks in 1997, the driver for Shane Onyou is to show young people the acceptance he never got to experience early in life.
“The main importance for me is I need to be the person I always needed to see as a kid, because I didn’t get to see that, (but) I get to do that now,” Onyou said.
“I get to do that now, for me that’s the major importance, the visibility part of it, knowing you’re not alone.”
A recurring figure in Reading with Royalty drag storytimes around the Calgary area, Shane Onyou spoke in a TEDx talk alongside King Neptune explaining the events and debunking misinformation.
They and others take part in the family-friendly events, trading out the scant clothing and adult-oriented humour more common in adult-only drag shows for more reserved – yet still extravagant – outfits and story books.
All this in an effort to be visible in hopes that other queer people of all ages feel like they aren’t alone.
“Visibility is a huge part, we need to be seen and kids need to know it’s okay,” Onyou said.
“For it to be recognized is quite an honour.”
While 2SLGBTQIA+ people are much more accepted now, Onyou feels there’s still work to do.
“There’s a lot that needs to be done; we’ve come a long way, but I will say the pandemic has set us back in the world in a lot of ways and made a lot of things come to the forefront, hate being one of them,” Onyou said.
As acceptance has grown over recent years, he explained the clock has been pushed back somewhat as misinformation and conspiracy theories have leaned into the mainstream, driving hate.
“Since we’ve resumed somewhat of a normal life, I think a lot of the misinformation that was given throughout that time is now at the forefront,” he said.
“People are now using that and going off that misinformation and I think it’s important we educate as many ways as possible.”
Increasing visibility isn’t about pushing trans, queer or drag lifestyles as a way of life for everyone, Onyou said, but to hold space for their right to life a life like anyone else.
“It’s never going to be average to a normal everyday Joe, but just acknowledging that there is a percentage of the population – you don’t even have to like people to accept that they exist,” he said.
To that end, Onyou is happy to see Calgary Pride putting trans figures at the forefront, leading the parade.
“The trans community has been a major part, if not the biggest part since the beginning, at the forefront of what Pride is – Pride being a riot and a protest,” Onyou said.
The 1969 Stonewall Riots are referred to as the first Pride event in an article by American University in Washington, DC, a response to police brutality and a raid of the Stonewall Inn taking advantage of old laws to arrest transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.
https://www.american.edu/cas/news/the-first-pride-was-a-riot.cfm
“We still celebrate, but it is still a riot and a protest, because we are still not equal,” Onyou said.
“I would just encourage people to be comfortable with being uncomfortable – there's nothing wrong with that. You can learn and grow every day, so I would encourage people to learn and educate themselves.”
For more information, visit https://calgarypride.ca.
