Pembina Valley Pride

Pembina Valley Pride Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the Pembina Valley We love and support Southern Manitoba’s Rainbow community and want to help it flourish.

It is Pembina Valley Pride's purpose to create and provide education, support, resources, community, and pride centering around 2SLGBTQIANB+ experiences within the communities of the Pembina Valley. We are a proudly Rainbow-led volunteer initiative and are committed to doing our best to create accessible and diverse programming that meets the needs of all Rainbow community members.

Hey y’all, I’m sure many of you have seen by now that our billboard was vandalized this past weekend. There have been a ...
06/23/2026

Hey y’all,

I’m sure many of you have seen by now that our billboard was vandalized this past weekend.

There have been a lot of different reactions to this across our community. Please know that whatever you’re feeling is okay and you’re not alone. If you need support, please reach out to the resources we have listed on our website.

To be honest, I have been going through a lot of different emotions, too. Sad, angry, annoyed, determined… just to name a few. At the end of the day I think “determined” is what I’m settling on.

Because we aren’t going anywhere. Despite what some people think, Pride DOES belong in the Pembina Valley. YOU BELONG in the Pembina Valley. Over 2500 people showed up on June 13th to prove it. A little bit of spray paint doesn’t change that.

There is a time-honoured tradition in q***r communities of taking language, symbols, and stereotypes that were meant to shame or isolate us and transforming them into sources of solidarity, pride, humour, and resistance.

So, we’ve decided to make lemonade from these lemons, and launch a new line of merch with a clear, simple message: “You can’t spray the gay away.” We’re using an actual photo of the vandalized billboard to show that we aren’t going anywhere.

While the design uses 'gay' for its rhyme and recognizability, this design celebrates and supports all 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

These are going to be available in the online store tomorrow morning (June 23), and there will be a few different colour options to pick from.

We’re currently in contact with the billboard company (shoutout to Pattison for very quickly covering up the vandalized billboard today) and will update you all once we have a better idea what we’ll be doing with that. We’ve also been in touch with the RCMP.

What this proves to us is that we’re making a difference. If we weren’t, it would be a lot easier to ignore us. There are so many more people who support us. There is so much resilience in our community, and this is just another way we will continue to show it.

Pride belongs in the Pembina Valley. YOU belong in the Pembina Valley. You can’t spray away the gay, no matter how hard you try.

Never forget that you are important, valid, worthy, and so so loved, exactly as you are.

kat 💜

PS use code SPRAYPAINT for a 15% discount!

Store: https://www.pembinavalleypride.ca/shop

Support: https://www.pembinavalleypride.ca/find-support

Altona Game Night with Pembina Valley Pride is coming up! Join us on June 28th from 2-4pm at The Community Exchange, 116...
06/21/2026

Altona Game Night with Pembina Valley Pride is coming up! Join us on June 28th from 2-4pm at The Community Exchange, 116 Main Street, for a welcoming & inclusive atmosphere, along with games, snacks, & friendly competition!

Feel free to bring your favourite games or enjoy one of ours. All allies & members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community welcome!

When we announced we’d be hosting Pride in Winkler this year, a lot of the pushback was centred around the idea that the...
06/20/2026

When we announced we’d be hosting Pride in Winkler this year, a lot of the pushback was centred around the idea that the only reason we picked Winkler was to upset people and that we thought it would be “funny” to do so.

However, that is not why we march. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

We march to honour those who came before us, whose courage to be visible in a society that expected them to remain hidden helped advance the fight for rights, safety, and dignity.

We march to be in community with others who understand or at the very least try to understand our struggles.

We march for those who have been made to feel they have no place in communities like Winkler.

We march for those who are too afraid to march themselves because of the words and actions of their friends, family, coworkers, religious leaders, or neighbours.

We march for those who’ve been kicked out of their homes and isolated from their families.

We march to show anyone who is afraid to come out that there is a community of folks ready to welcome and love them.

To those who didn’t attend Pride in Winkler on Saturday because you were afraid or anxious, we hope seeing the photos and videos people have been sharing online brings you some joy and reassurance that you're not alone.

Know that we’ll keep showing up and we’ll be ready to welcome you whenever you’re ready and want to join us.

This is why Pride marches exist. They began as public demonstrations against discrimination, police harassment, and laws that criminalized 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Marchers often faced arrest, harassment, or other serious consequences simply for being themselves. For many, choosing to march openly was an act of incredible courage.

Because of that courage, we are able to march today, and we continue to carry it forward each time we do.

Thanks for having us Brandon Pride! 🌈We were so honoured to serve as the Grand Marshals of this year's Brandon Pride Mar...
06/18/2026

Thanks for having us Brandon Pride! 🌈

We were so honoured to serve as the Grand Marshals of this year's Brandon Pride March.

There's something special about Pride organizations supporting one another. We love seeing communities show up for each other across the province. 💖

The Pride celebrations aren't over yet! 🌈Join us for open mic night at Rendezvous Eatery and Taproom (368 Stephen St) in...
06/17/2026

The Pride celebrations aren't over yet! 🌈

Join us for open mic night at Rendezvous Eatery and Taproom (368 Stephen St) in Morden on June 24th from 7:30-9:30PM.

Songs written or performed by q***r artists are encouraged but all are welcome to perform.

All ages. No cover charge. Reservations encouraged.

letsrendezvous.ca/reservations

Thank you again to everyone who supported Pembina Valley Pride 2026! 🌈 We're still buzzing from what an incredible day i...
06/14/2026

Thank you again to everyone who supported Pembina Valley Pride 2026! 🌈

We're still buzzing from what an incredible day it was. Hosting Pride in Winkler for the first time was an important milestone, and we're grateful to everyone who helped make the day such a positive, welcoming, and joyful celebration.

As we look ahead, we'd love to hear from our community. Whether you attended Pride this year or weren't able to make it, your feedback is important to us.

If you joined us, we'd love to hear about your experience. If you didn't attend, we'd appreciate learning more about what prevented you from coming and what might make it easier to participate in the future.

Your feedback helps us create an even stronger Pride that is welcoming, accessible, and inclusive.

Fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/odbKXyLKv3V8nmK57

Heads up! Carman Game Night is a week later than usual this month. We'll be meeting on the third Sunday instead of the s...
06/14/2026

Heads up! Carman Game Night is a week later than usual this month. We'll be meeting on the third Sunday instead of the second because of Pride this weekend.

Join us on June 21st from 7-9pm at Paul's Place, 20 1 Avenue Southwest, for a welcoming & inclusive atmosphere, along with games, snacks, & friendly competition!

Feel free to bring your favourite games or enjoy one of ours. All allies & members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community welcome!

Hey y'all! As I reflect on today’s Pride events, I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude for just how many people sho...
06/14/2026

Hey y'all!

As I reflect on today’s Pride events, I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude for just how many people showed up in so many different ways for our communities. I’m not even going to try to name them all. Please know that whatever role you played today, big or small, whether you were helping out, performing, or simply showing your support, I appreciate you more than you could possibly know.

Today, over 2500 people showed that Pride absolutely belongs in the Pembina Valley. SO MANY PEOPLE!! I spoke with a few people today who told me they were surprised by some of the faces they saw. One person said they had said to the person, “I’m surprised to see you here!” to which the person responded, “I’m here to show people what a Christian community is supposed to look like. They’re going to be talking about it at coffee for the next week and I want to be able to say ‘no, I was there and that isn’t how it was.’”

This is how minds get changed. This is how we spread love.

For those who weren’t able to be there in person this year, or those who may have missed it, this is my last Pride month as Chair. With this being my last year, I’ve been able to do some reflecting on the incredible growth we’ve experienced as an organization since we started. I’ve been on the board since we first started up in 2019 and had our first pride in Morden. Our event has grown a lot since that one, and our organization has grown with it. This growth is thanks to you—the people who keep showing up in our communities.

Every supportive action goes a long way to making people feel safer to exist here, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

I reflected on this when I spoke today, but I want to share this story here, too. One of my favourite memories of Pride happened in Altona a couple years ago. There was somebody there who was trying to give pamphlets to children, which is obviously a super weird thing to do. In came an older couple, asking him a ton of questions, really engaging him in conversation about whatever it was he was wanting to say. By the time he realized what happened, pretty much everybody had started on the march. I’m not sure how many people were protected by this action, but I know it made a huge difference. Every time I think about it, it brings a smile to my face. That is love in action.

There have been countless moments like this, at our events and outside of them. It doesn’t have to be a big confrontation. It can be as simple as a look that communicates that certain jokes aren’t okay to make in front of you. It’s these little moments, added up over time, that make the Pembina Valley a safer place to be.

Running this organization for the past 5 years has been an honour and a privilege that I have never taken lightly. I have loved seeing people coming together through the fantastic times, like what we’re seeing here today, and the resilience and community during the less than fantastic times that we’ve seen in the past. I’ve been lucky to get to know so many wonderful people throughout my time, and have seen firsthand the impact we have had. I couldn’t be more proud of the work we have done as an organization, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

When we first started 8 years ago, Pride in Winkler felt like an impossible dream. Today, we accomplished something that is a really big deal. I know I’ve said it so many times in this post, but I really want to emphasize how grateful I am for the opportunity to do this.

I hope you had a wonderful time today and made some beautiful memories. I hope you were able to share in the love and joy that was palpable throughout the event. I hope you went home with the knowledge that you are an important part of our communities. If you weren’t able to attend our event, for whatever reason, I hope you know that you are also an important part of our communities.

Today, we took up space.

Today, we made it undoubtedly clear that Pride belongs in the Pembina Valley.

What a beautiful journey this has been.

Always remember: you are valid, important, worthy, and so so so loved, exactly as you are.

kat 💜

Thank you to our Pembina Valley Pride 2026 Platinum Sponsor: Dr. Shayne Reitmeier Pride wouldn't be possible without the...
06/13/2026

Thank you to our Pembina Valley Pride 2026 Platinum Sponsor: Dr. Shayne Reitmeier

Pride wouldn't be possible without the support of community partners like Dr. Shayne. His commitment to supporting our organization helps create spaces where everyone can feel they belong.

Thank you to our Pembina Valley Pride 2026 Platinum Sponsor: Manitoba Pride AllianceWe're thankful for the sponsors who ...
06/13/2026

Thank you to our Pembina Valley Pride 2026 Platinum Sponsor: Manitoba Pride Alliance

We're thankful for the sponsors who help make this celebration possible. Their support helps create a Pride event where everyone can feel welcome, valued, and connected.

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Morden, MB

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