Our #PrideGuide has been updated with the new official time of the Annual Pride Bonfire; our #PrideGuide is thus finalized for the year!
Allow the St. John's Pride Board to present to you the complete schedule of St. John's Pride Inc Events and Affiliate Events for the week of July 13th to July 22nd.
While our Pride Guide is no longer accepting applications, comment on this post if your event for the week will need a boost and some love.
Let's all come #Together for a peaceful world. <3 ~
Friday, July 13th
MusicNL & YUNG DUMB: SAFER - Inclusivity in nightlife [19+] SAFER: A Q&A discussion about striving for safer spaces, inclusivity, and DIY authenticity in club culture. Topics include gender disparity, intersectionality and queer culture in dance music, and how we can take action to create safer environments for our party-goers. The Luxus is neither Wheelchair accessible, nor has Gender Inclusive Washrooms available. The Luxus Boutique Hotel and Lounge, 8:30-9:30pm
YUNG DUMB Pride [19+] An official pride week kick-off by YUNG DUMB, featuring SHYBOI, and striving for a grand, inclusive, and safe space. Tickets available: https://etixnow.com/…/yung-d…/jul-13-2018/johnson-geo-centre Geo-Centre 10.30PM
RUFs Third Annual Drag Bingo: In support of LGBTQ2S+ community Raise Up Fundraising's Third Annual DRAG BINGO in support of local LGBTQAI2S+ community serving organizations of Newfoundland and Labrador. Come in drag if you wish or come as you are, we just want to have a time with you. Tickets available: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rufs-3rd-annual-drag-bingo-fund… Royal Canadian Legion Blackmarsh Road, 8PM-1 AM
Sunday, July 15
Pre-Pride Parade Brunch! Come kick off Pride at Bier Markt with an all you can eat brunch buffet & drink specials that will make you scream for mi-MORE-sa. Cost of $30. Call 383-7070 or email [email protected] to book. The Bier Markt is wheelchair accessible and has gender inclusive washrooms available. Bier Markt, 134 Harbour Dr- 11:30AM- 2:00PM
City Hall Flag Raising Join us at St. John's City Hall for the annual flag raising and speeches. We will have unisex portapotties and will make the route as wheelchair accessible as possible. St. John's City Hall, 10 New Gower St- 1:00PM
St. John's PRIDE 2018 Join the annual Pride Parade as it marches from St. John's City Hall to Bannerman Park. We will have unisex portapotties and will make the route as wheelchair accessible as possible. Starting at St. John's City Hall- 3:00PM
Pride at the Park Come enjoy live music from YUNG DUMB along with a Doctor Androbox book reading, coupled with info booths, refreshments and more in a family friendly environment after the Parade. We will have unisex portapotties and will make the route as wheelchair accessible as possible. Bannerman Park - 4:00PM.
Monday, July 16
Confederation Building Flag Raising Join us at the Confederation Building for the provincial flag raising and speeches. The Confederation Building is proud to be Wheelchair Accessible and has a Gender Inclusive Washroom available. Confederation Building, 100 Prince Phillip Dr. 12:00PM
Raise Up Fundraising's Drag Storytime Chapter Six Come listen to books read in a fabulous manner, featuring Doctor Androbox! Raise Up Fundraising will get a portion of funds from books sold during the event, but Echo Pond Summer Camp will get the majority. Chapters St. John's is Wheelchair Accessible, but lacks Gender inclusive Washrooms. Chapters, 70 Kenmount Rd- 7:00PM- 9:00PM
Tuesday, July 17
Pride Self-Defence Workshop Offered by Jeff Butt of Terra Nova Taekwon-Do, 4th degree Black Belt. An introduction to self-defence for community members aged 15+. Call 330-9260 or email [email protected] MUN is proud to be Wheelchair Accessible and features Gender Inclusive Washrooms. Certain Aspects of the Training may be adapted for Wheelchair Accessibility. The Landing, Memorial University, Arctic Ave. 7:00PM- 9:00PM
Wednesday, July 18
Drag Race Trivia Night at Mochanopoly Raise Up Fundraising and Mochanopoly are working together to host a fun and exciting night of drag trivia. Message Mochanopoly on Facebook to sign up. $5.00. Mochanopoly Board Game Café, 204 Water St - 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Join us for a screening of Just Be Gemma, a local documentary that follows the gender transition of Gemma Hickey. Afterwards, meet Gemma and ask your questions. Free. The Rooms is Wheelchair Accessible and has a Gender Inclusive Washroom available. The Rooms, 9 Bonaventure Ave- 7:00PM
Pride Self-Defence Training Offered by Nathan Barrett of Rogue Self Defence, 3rd degree Dan Black Belt. Introduction to self-defence. Free. Drop-In. Vertical Xpression, 154 Water St. Not wheelchair accessible, but with Gender Inclusive Washroom. 6:00PM -7:00PM & 7:00PM -8:00 PM
Thursday, July 19
Celebrate PRIDE at the Garden Come learn about plants & wildlife in the MUN Botanical Garden. Plant rainbow flowers and take part in a rainbow costume contest. Free. Wheelchair Accessible with Gender Inclusive Washroom. MUN Botanical Garden 306 Mount Scio Rd 6:00 PM - 8:00PM
Multifaith Service - Out In Faith NL An opportunity for LGBTQI2S+ people to celebrate both faith and identity. People of different backgrounds will share their own traditions. Spectrum Choir will preform. Free. Wheelchair Accessible, but no Gender Inclusive Washroom. The Gathering Place, 172 Military Rd- 7:00PM
Pflag St John's Chapter Monthly Support Meeting This peer support group is for those wanting to be seen, heard and respected. The focus is on what the needs are at that time. Free. This will have gender inclusive washrooms. Wheelchair accessibility unknown 12-16 Carter's Hill Pl.- 7:30PM - 9:30PM
Friday, July 20
Sqwish - Queer Friendly Basketball - 2018 Join in on some non-judgmental drop-in basketball. Sqwish is slam-dunking love into each other’s hearts. Free. Non-perishable food donations are encouraged. The Works is Wheelchair Accessible and has Gender Inclusive Washrooms Within range, The Works, 17 Westerland Rd- 5:00PM -8:00PM
All Together Art Drop In Geared towards youth, drop by the Art Gallery Classroom at The Rooms for an evening of art activities, using every colour in the rainbow. Free The Rooms is Wheelchair Accessible and has a Gender Inclusive Washroom available. The Rooms, 9 Bonaventure Ave-7:00PM-9:00PM
Pride Pole Jam Join in on drop-in pole dancing lessons! Free Vertical Xpression. 154 Water St.-6:00PM-8:00PM (Another drop-in session, same time, July 21.)
Together A Pride Drag Show [19+] Come celebrate as Fashionista Jones and a cast of legendary talent bring to you a show like no other. 19+ event, $10.00 cover charge. Velvet Club & Lounge, 208 Water St.- 10:30PM
Saturday, July 21
Party with Pride [19+] Come party with us at this pride dance hosted by the Womyn's Station. Featuring DJ Leona. $10.00 cover charge. The station is not Wheelchair accessible and has no Gender Inclusive Washrooms available. The Station, 7 Hutchings Street- 10:00PM
FRISK Fantasy Fetish Night - A Velvet Pride Main Event [19+] Leather, Lace, Rubber, Uniform Drag. Anything goes on this unique night. 19+. $15.00 cover charge. Velvet Nightclub And Lounge is not Wheelchair Accessible and has no gender inclusive Washroom Available. Velvet Club & Lounge, 208 Water St.- 10:00PM
Sunday, July 22
Annual Pride Bonfire Come celebrate and end Pride week by the fire! Free bus pick up from the Avalon Mall and MUN. The Beach will have wheelchair accessible transportation available for those who need it, and gender inclusive washrooms. Tospsail Beach - 5:00PM- 10:00PM. Bus schedule is to be announced.
]]>
A few months ago, a member of the St. John’s Pride Board of Directors made comments to the media that did not reflect nor represent the overall opinion of the Board. In short, that individual stated that the current Liberal Party and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary should be banned from the Pride Parade unless a formal apology was issued relating to arrests made at the Village Mall Shopping Centre in 1993. As a result, the entire Board of Directors resigned.
During March of 2018, an emergency task force was put in place to deal with the situation. This group conducted a community dialogue, a discussion panel, a community survey, and oversaw the elections of a new Board of Directors on March 25th.
The new board is led by three co-chairs; Derek Semarad (Co-Chair Internal), Paul Combdon (Co-Chair External) & Bill Squires (Co-Chair Finance), along with 6 Directors at large; Thomas O'Brien, Ryan Steeves, Ashley Ruby, Nic Kuzmochka, Hanna Mekawy and Victoria Pumphrey.
The results of the community survey, which will be released in a few weeks, show that the majority of the LBGTQIAP2S+ Community are in favour of uniformed police officers participating in the Pride Parade.
As a Board, we realize that there are still issues that need to be addressed regarding relations with local police enforcement and the LBGTQIAP2S+ Community, but we have chosen to address these issues by working “Together” with the RNC and RCMP. We have already started this conversation and will be meeting with Chief of Police, Joe Boland, and representatives from the RNC in the upcoming weeks.
There is a positive eagerness from both parties to work together to create a Pride week that our LBGTQIAP2S+ Community can be proud of and feel safe participating in, and more overall a city we can be proud of and feel safe living in.
The theme of this years Pride Week is “TOGETHER”. Any individual, group, or organization who wishes to support or foster positive relations with the LBGTQIAP2S+ Community is welcome to participate in the parade or any event.
This years Pride week will run from July 15-21st. Unlike previous years, we will hold the parade on the first day of Pride Week. The parade will commence at 3:00 pm from City Hall on July 15th, 2018. The full Pride Week schedule of events will be released in the upcoming weeks.
Media Contacts
Paul Combden 709.699.6039 [email protected]
Derek Semerad 709.699.0417 [email protected]
]]>
Results from preferential election are as follows:
Co-Chair External Paul Combden
Co-Chair Internal Derek Semerad
Co-Chair Finance Bill Squires.
Directors-At-Large Hanna MeKawy Victoria Catherine Pumphrey Ryan A. Steeves Thomas O’Brien Ashley Ruby Nicholas Peter Kuzmochka
All nominees should have been sent an e-mail for connecting with each other via the email they provided to the nomination survey. We look forward to a fresh and productive term.
of: 270 registered voters 15 registered post online deadline (March 24 th , 2018 7pm) 8 registrations were deemed undeliverable to the email provided. 0 spoiled ballots 93 ballots submitted
The election was executed via the online platform, Election Buddy, ensuring a secure and anonymous election process. The election method chosen by the crisis management team was a preferential ballot system, which is consistent in previous elections held by St John’s Pride Inc.
OBSERVATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS The St John’s Pride Crisis Management team were prudent and effective in the stewardship of the March-November 2018 elections. The election was executed without any outside influence.
It is recommended that a longer voter time be permitted to increase voter turnout. In addition, as ballots were sent out via email, eligible voters should be notified to check all spam & junk folders during the registration process to increase voter turnout.
Another recommendation would including developing a concise infographic that can be posted online to clearly outline voting process, times & location.
Chris Forward CRO St John's Pride Inc. March-November 2018 by-Elections
]]>
The Nomination Period for the St. John's Pride Inc. Board of Directors has been extended until Saturday, March 24th, at 6pm, as only 6 people have stepped forward for the 9 positions. The current election is to establish a board to operate between now and November, at which time there will be another full election.
With our current Nominations, should any fail the non-confidence vote and be rendered non-viable, St. John's Pride will not have the authority to make decisions granted by it's By-Laws.
We invite the 60+ people who filled out the survey and said they would volunteer for the board to put their names forward.
To formally submit yourself as a candidate for the Board of St. John's Pride for the 2018 Festival, please fill out the form, /forms/qTve00oIFxYn6PBY2 , in its entirety. This form assures consistency and equity among all candidates.
Candidates who do not use this form cannot be placed on the ballot. Please contact [email protected] with questions or for special accommodations.
Yours in Pride, rocking STRFKR as we approach a new age,
Derek Semerad
Co-Chair Internal
]]>
St. John's Pride Elections for the Summer of 2018 will be taking place this Sunday, the 25th of March. Online voting will be available from 12am to 4pm, but in person voting will be available at UC 3018, the Loft, on MUN's St. John's Campus, from 10 AM to 2 PM. The new board will be announced by 6pm. St. John's Pride's Crisis Management Team will be hosting further dialogue opportunities alongside the Pride board election proper. From 10:30-11:30, a learning session on the activities and tasks of the board will be held with past board members. We invite all those interested in the Pride organization to attend; we specifically invite those putting themselves forward for the board to attend the session and confirm their candidacy following the discussion.
We are inviting anyone who volunteered for the board in the past five years to contact us if you are interested in sharing what activities and tasks are necessary for the organization no later than Thursday, March 22. Contact us through our St. John's Pride Facebook page, St. John's Pride, or through our e-mail at internalstjpride@gmail.com From 12-1, there will thereafter be a Candidates' Roundtable, where those interested in running for the board can speak to the community. Both sessions will be facilitated by Nathalie Brunet and will focus on the revitalization and development of the Pride organization. Throughout, our physical polling booth will be open.
Online voting will be available from 12am to 4pm on March 25th, 2018. Only those who fill out the following form will be available to vote online in this election.
DEADLINE TO APPLY TO VOTE ONLINE: March 24th, 7pm.
To formally apply yourself for the voting process for the Board of St. John's Pride for the 2018 Festival, please fill out this form, /forms/fpwUabMXOBWCN6zJ3, in its entirety. This form assures consistency and equity among all voters and the constituency they will effect.
People who are approved to vote online will be provided a key the day of elections, through Election Buddy. The link to the online ballot will be made available on the 24th, with Elections opening at midnight.
Please contact internalstjpride@gmail.com with questions or for special accommodations.
As we lead in to the Elections on the 25th, the St. John's Pride Crisis Management team would like to invite you to complete the following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TH2Z2RY
Whereas the board has in the past faced critique for being out of touch with its membership, we aim to provide the board coming in with an accurate representation of the wants, hopes, desires, and willing commitment of its active membership.
A report will be done and made publicly available, courtesy of Dr. Sulaimon Giwa (Social Work, Memorial University), based on both this survey and the dialogue, before elections.
An audio version of the report will be available come the end of March, as well.
Yours in Pride, Strongly recommending Owen Pallett
this week, Derek Semerad Co-Chair Internal
As we lead in to the Elections on the 25th, the St. John's Pride Crisis Management team would like to invite you to complete the following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TH2Z2RY
Whereas the board has in the past faced critique for being out of touch with its membership, we aim to provide the board coming in with an accurate representation of the wants, hopes, desires, and willing commitment of its active membership.
A report will be done and made publicly available, courtesy of Dr. Sulaimon Giwa (Social Work, Memorial University), based on both this survey and the March 11th Community Dialogue, before elections.
]]>
Nominations for the St. John's Pride Board are now open for 2018!
DEADLINE: 12pm on Friday, March 23rd, with the election to be held on Sunday, March 25th.
Available positions are:
Co-Chair Internal Co-Chair External Co-Chair Finance And 6 Directors at large!
To formally submit yourself as a candidate for the Board of St. John's Pride for the 2018 Festival, please fill out the form, /forms/qTve00oIFxYn6PBY2 , in its entirety. This form assures consistency and equity among all candidates.
Candidate blurbs and submissions will be posted to facebook before elections to allow people to get to know their candidates; depending on availability, a forum may be made available on the 25th of March.
Candidates who do not use this form will not be placed on the ballot. Please contact internalstjpride@gmail.com with questions or for special accommodations.
St. Johns' Pride values diversity within its Board and encourages persons with disabilities, persons of different socio-economic backgrounds, persons of colour, persons of different gender identities and expressions, persons of different sexualities, and all the persons who identify under our umbrella to run in this by election.
As well, if you have any questions/concerns with the election process, you can contact our Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Chris Forward, at chrisforward@aharvey.nf.ca
Chris is a proud member of the LGBTQ2+ communuty, born and raised in St John's. His family operated a small business, which they sold to A. Harvey & Co. Ltd a short time after he completed his undergraduate business degree at Memorial University. Currently he is the General Manager of Harvey's Oil Ltd., a Suncor partnership that sells and distributes petroleum products throughout Newfoundland.
Chris is a champion of health & safety in the workplace, and recently received an award presented by the NL Occupational Health and Safety Organization to honour his commitment to his co-workers and their health & safety. Chris volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club of St John’s, and currently serves as the President. Under Chris’ leadership the two clubs have grown to offer an open and inclusive environment, engaging nearly 800 youth.
On behalf of the current Board of St. John's Pride, and on behalf of the constituency, please conduct yourself in good taste and all the best to the candidates!
]]>
Our board of directors has been hard at work! We have confirmed we are in good financial standing with provincial government and with the City of St. John's. We would like to stress that all appropriate documentation had been submitted by prior Boards. We are currently in the process of hiring a professional accountant to ensure appropriate documentation and financial reporting processes are adhered to on a go-forward basis.
Even without a co-chair of finance and with two vacant director seats, our current team has managed to submit event, sponsorship and grant applications already for this year's Pride. We have partnered with a group of School of Social Work students and will be assisting them hold a fully accessible and inclusive International Women's Day event next month. Prior to that we will be holding another by-election to fill the vacant seat of Co-Chair Finance and two Director at Large positions. We will be opening candidate nominations in the coming days and have already picked February 26 as Election Day!
We have also finalized the dates for this year's Pride – July 10-16!
With Pride, St. John's Pride 2017 Board of Directors
]]>
November 28, 2016 – St. John's, NL – The board of St. John's Pride Inc. today announced the resignation of four board members. Former members-at-large Pamela Sheaves and Karin Power have resigned due to personal reasons. Christopher Flis resigned from the Co-Chair Finance position and Roz Morgan resigned as member-at-large due to the large amount of time and work necessary to sort the board's administrative and financial documentation.
While the board makes this announcement with heavy hearts, it looks to the future and hopes the by-election will bring forward hard-working, passionate and positive candidates.
St. John's Pride will hold a by-election to fill all four positions in the New Year on January 8.
-30-
Media Contact: Cara Brown Co-Chair External 709-697-4675 Externalstjpride@gmaill.com
BACKGROUND
St. John's Pride is a registered non-profit organization comprising of members of the local LGBTQ+ community in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. We celebrate and support the local LGBTQ+ community through our annual Pride festival and hold educational events and fundraisers through the year.
]]>
]]>
Now that it is almost six months away, it is time to announce this year's St. John's Pride dates! We are very excited to be spending JULY 11, 2016 to JULY 17, 2016 celebrating with you! Do you have a good idea for this year's theme? If so, we need you! Email externalstjpride@gmail.com with your idea by February 20, 2016 for a chance to win a St. John's Pride swag bag!
]]>
St. John's Pride schedule of events is here! Stay tuned for community and other events!
]]>
St. John's Pride will be heading the inagural St. John's SlutWalk!
What are we asking for? An end to victim blaming and slut shaming! Come walk, stomp, holler and roll with us for the inaugural St. John's SlutWalk - lets put an end to victim blaming!
https://www.facebook.com/events/437797223063229/
]]>
Eagle's Out at Night is a national fundraising and awareness campaign to engage Canadians on the crisis of LGBTQ2S youth homelessness and to support Eagle's work towards a related national strategy. The campaign invites participants across the country to sleep outside on the night of May 30th, briefly experiencing the struggles that over 6000 LGBTQ2S youth experience every year. This year the "College of the North Atlantic Students" Team will show their support for this at (Location TBA), on Saturday May 30. If you would like more information, or to sign up to participate, please email Natasha.Gaulton@ed.cna.nl or erin.everard@me.com !
http://outatnight.ca/
]]>
Doors open at 1pm, with a focus on providing a family-friendly atmosphere so that parents can attend and help support Pride without having to arrange childcare. Let us entertain your little ones with engaging activities like face painting, pass-the-parcel and colouring while you browse and make some bids. We will attempt to stagger these activities for as long as possible as volunteers support allows; regardless, a family-friendly atmosphere will be maintained throughout the event. Here is what you can expect: -GIFT-CARD RAFFLES* from exceptional local businesses and a 50/50 draw to end the event; tickets are $2 each of 3 for $5. Multiple raffles mean multiple chances to enter and win! *Winners must be present at time of draw or another name will be drawn. -LOTS of items staggered between a silent and live item lot, so that you can focus on getting that particular prize you really want before moving to the next! -FREE ADMISSION to remove barriers to your attendance. -LIVE ENTERTAINMENT live entertainment will provide a soundtrack for our afternoon, making the silent portion less (awkwardly) silent and the live portion more lively! -NOW ACCEPTING CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS while cash is preferred for purchases under $10, we will happily accept all major credit cards for prize payments through our secure Visa SquareUp card reader. No more worrying about not having cash on hand! STILL NOT CONVINCED? The Auction helped raised over $3,500 for Pride last year; a huge chunk of our budget! Here's a taste of some of the stunning prizes we had last year you can be PROUD to take home (check out our main Page for some peeks at this year's stock): -HAND-MADE, LOCAL GOODS like jewellery, pottery, and clothing -GIFT CARDS raffles for restaurants, coffee houses, and more -LOCAL ART including original paintings, reproductions, framed photography, and more! And BI the way, DRAG a friend or two OUT with you for a GAY old time and make some TRANSactions to help Pride!
]]>
Ready for a true breakfast of champions?
International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia tickets are on sale now at Planned Parenthood. Tickets only $20 each. Drop by and pick one up to support a great cause. Proceeds are going to support the LBGTQ Youth Group of St. John's.
Sunday, May 24th at NL Housing and Homelessness Network, 77 Charter Avenue.
]]>
Only 67 more sleeps until the kickoff for St. John's Pride Week Festival! Join us Monday, July 20th at 7pm for our catered, fancy dress event with live entertainment!
Email info@stjohnspride.ca for more information on the event and ticket purchases!
]]>
Check out our community partners over at the St. John's SlutWalk and their snazzy new tees ready for your protesting pleasure! Join St. John's Pride as we march in solidarity on June 14th, 2015 @ 2pm to help stop body shaming in tracks! Check out their Page at https://www.facebook.com/SJSlutwalk and Like It to learn more!
]]>
St. John's Pride is pleased to announce the newest member of our board, Kimberly Drisdelle, after successfully winning a vote of confidence!
"Hello beautiful people! My name is Kimberly Drisdelle, and I am so incredibly excited to be announcing my candidacy for the at-large board position for St. John’s Pride. I’m a queer feminist who loves social activism, event-planning and smiling smile emoticon
I understand first-hand the amount of hard work, dedication and commitment it takes to plan such an event packed week, and I hope to be able to bring my past experience to the table. I was the Director of Student Life with the MUN Student’s Union for the past year, allowing me to:
- Take a lead part in planning MUN’s Pride on Campus - Coordinate a night with Ivan Coyote, renowned queer and trans activist and award winning author and storyteller - Work closely with the LBGT MUN resource centre, providing resources for funding, event planning and centre logistics - Become a member of the Memorial University planning committee for the Gender and Sexual Diversity at MUN night, educating faculty, staff and administration.
Throughout my role as Director of Student Life, the biggest portion of my position was event planning. Accessibility needs, on-site logistics, working within city by-laws and keeping within a specific budget were constantly in mind. Although most of my experience stems from the Memorial community, I also worked closely with the St. John’s Pride board last summer to ensure that it ran as smoothly as possible when using university spaces.
I have lived in St. John’s for 6 years now, and being involved in LBGTQ activism in this beautiful city has become a passion. I want to help in any way I can, especially since this position has opened very near to when Pride will be held. I hope to use the skills that I have gained for to a cause which I care so strongly for. I would appreciate it beyond words to be given that opportunity."
]]>
Pride St. John's is proud to announce our prescence at The Love and Sex Show, happening this Friday and Saturday at The Remax Centre!
The Love and Sex Show is an sexciting two-day consumer adult event Friday May 8th from 5pm until midnight, And Saturday May 9th from noon to midnight!
Pride will have a table to ensure diversity and fair representation, as well as to have a bit of fun! Tickets are still available for purchase at: http://theloveandsexshow.com/
In other news, Charlie Murphy of the Pride board has designed us a lovely new brand: Pride After Dark!
At St. John’s Pride we aim to cater to the widest range of LGBTQ folk, but sometimes we want to turn up the sizzle. Pride After Dark is our new brand for 19+ events that bring the spice. Whenever you see Pride After Dark logo, you can be sure to have a raunchy good time, like at our queer dance parties, including the Fetish and Fantasy dance on May 8 after the Love and Sex Show.
Pride will see you…after dark.
]]>
it is time again for this years QUEER PROM! LBGT MUN is proud to announce the 5th annual Queer Prom will be March 20, 2015! We are rocking the theme of Under the Sea for this year, so we welcome you to wear anything nautical themed, your formal prom wear, your sneakers, yourselves! As always, if you can wear it in public, you can wear it to prom. We are extending a huge welcome to Doctor Androbox as our host again this year, and can't wait to see what they're going to come up with! The talented Nathan Eddy Photography will be our photographer this year and raising money for his top surgery fund, so be nice with your tips! This event is 19+ as it is being held at the Breezeway Bar & Events, but there will be Queer-a-Palooza on April 4th for anyone who likes sober/youth events!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1411877052451560/ Cover $5
]]>
SAVE THE DATE: location and inventory TBA. Spring is upon us, and so is the St. John’s Pride All-OUT 2015 Auction! Doors open at 1pm, with a focus on providing a family-friendly atmosphere so that parents can attend and help support Pride without having to arrange childcare. Let us entertain your little ones with engaging activities like face painting, pass-the-parcel and colouring while you browse and make some bids. We will attempt to stagger these activities for as long as possible as volunteers support allows; regardless, a family-friendly atmosphere will be maintained throughout the event. Here is what you can expect: -GIFT-CARD RAFFLES* from exceptional local businesses and a 50/50 draw to end the event; tickets are $2 each of 3 for $5. Multiple raffles mean multiple chances to enter and win! *Winners must be present at time of draw or another name will be drawn. -LOTS of items staggered between a silent and live item lot, so that you can focus on getting that particular prize you really want before moving to the next! -FREE ADMISSION to remove barriers to your attendance. -LIVE ENTERTAINMENT live entertainment will provide a soundtrack for our afternoon, making the silent portion less (awkwardly) silent and the live portion more lively! -NOW ACCEPTING CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS while cash is preferred for purchases under $10, we will happily accept all major credit cards for prize payments through our secure Visa SquareUp card reader. No more worrying about not having cash on hand! STILL NOT CONVINCED? The Auction helped raised over $3,500 for Pride last year; a huge chunk of our budget! Here's a taste of some of the stunning prizes we had last year you can be PROUD to take home (exact lots TBA April 11th): -HAND-MADE, LOCAL GOODS like jewellery, pottery, and clothing -GIFT CARDS raffles for restaurants, coffee houses, and more -LOCAL ART including original paintings, reproductions, framed photography, and more! And BI the way, DRAG a friend or two OUT with you for a GAY old time and make some TRANSactions to help Pride!
]]>
This past month, St. John’s Pride has been to a number of different middle and high schools, spreading the word about LGBTQ inclusion and helping to reduce bullying. As an organization, we understand that younger students are often left to the wayside as Pride events can be focused on 19+ events. So, this year, we have strengthened our dedication to reaching out to youth and other typically marginalized groups.
On February 24th and 26th, three of our board members spoke with the inclusion committee at Bishop’s College, lending our voice and expertise when it comes to running a g
roup and events. We also met with a couple of folks from Gonzaga to help them craft a future for their GSA. On February 25th, two board members attended Holy Cross Junior High’s Sea of Pink assembly and spoke about bullying and the necessity to build kind organizations. Finally, Pride teamed up with LGBT MUN to travel to Tricentia Academy on March 4th, giving a full day of discussion about gender and sexuality.
We are very pleased to grow our connections with high schools. If you would like bring Pride out to your school, contact us at inclusion@stjohnspride.ca
]]>
Our 2015 St. John's Pride Sponsorship Package is now available!
Want to partner with St. John's Pride?
St. John's Pride welcomes the oppurtunity to partner with businesses, organizations & individuals in whatever capacity works best!
Please contact us to find out how you can partner with St. John's Pride, or head on over to the 'Sponsor Us' Page for more info!
Yours in Pride,
The 2015 St. John's Pride Board of Directors
sponsorship@stjohnspride.ca
]]>
Co Chair Taylor Stocks and Director at Large Charles Murphy visit Holy Cross Jr. High on February 25th to speak at the Anti-bullying #SeaOfPink assembly.
]]>
SLOGAN CONTEST!!!
Ever thought "gee, I really have a great theme for Pride", well now's your chance! Submit your idea for the 2015 Pride Festival Slogan and WIN all the swag we print it on! You'll get bragging rights AND free swag. This deal can't get any sweeter! Contest closes on January 1st, 2015 at 12:00pm and the winning slogan will be revealed at our Launch in the new year! What will follow the years of "You're Not Alone", "Comm(unity)", and "I Am"? ENTER by emailing
info@stjohnspride.ca
]]>
ELECTION RESULTS: Firstly, thank you to all candidates for stepping up. However, we have our successors! The 2015 Board of Directors is as follows: Taylor Stocks (Internal) Matt Caravan (Finance) Kyra Rees (External) Tj Jones (At-Large) Charlie Murphy (At-Large) Christina Mallay (At-Large) Perin Squires (At-Large) (not pictured) Alice Hietala (At-Large) (not Pictured) Melanie Stewart (At-Large) Congratulations to all!
NOTICE OF INTENT TO DESTROY BALLOTS: This post, in tandem with a post made later today on our official website, serves as the notice to our members of our intent to destroy the General Election ballots on November 5th, 2014 at 12am. Any member wishing to scrutinize the ballots or otherwise contest the results may do so by emailing krees@stjohnspride.ca before November 4th at 12am (so arrangements can be made). If no contest arises by the dates above, these ballots will be destroyed.
]]>
NOMINATIONS AND ADVANCED REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED: We are pleased to announce the complete and final list of all candidates in the 2014 General Election. From these candidates, nine will be elected to form the 2014-2015 Board of St. John's Pride. Co-Chair Finance [1 position]Matt Caravan (incumbent) (uncontested, subject to a vote of confidence)Co-Chair External [1 position]Noah Davis-PowerKyra "Ky" Rees (incumbent)Perin SquiresCo-Chair Internal [1 position]Taylor Stocks (incumbent)Jordan Willis Lester Ken Byrne Director(s)-at-Large [6 positions]Tj JonesMelanie Stewart Chris ChipmanCharlie Murphy (incumbent)Christina MallayRyan Steeves Sarah DowneyDEBATES AND ASK-THE-CANDIDATE: Best of luck to all candidates, and remember to drop over to http://stjohnspride.boards.net/ to talk to your candidates and debate in advance of the election on October 5th. More posts to come regarding next steps and explaining the electoral process in greater detail. In the meantime if you have any questions about the electoral process, voting system used, or other electoral questions contact krees@stjohnspride.ca. If you would like to submit a complaint or report suspicious activity contact Pamela Sheaves, CRO at psheaves@stjohnspride.ca.PLEASE BE ADVISED: All Co-Chair candidates have chosen to, as offered to them in their application, simultaneously run for At-Large positions so should they be unsuccessful in their bid for Co-Chair they may still hold a seat with our Board. This option was offered to assure that we have all the awesome possibilities and combinations available from this excellent pool of people, and believe it's a far better process than discarding dedicated volunteers. Voters will see Co-Chair candidates' names appear on both the Co-Chair **AND** Director-At-Large ballot. This is NOT an error. This is simply a candidate's "second chance" if unsuccessful in their primary bid. Vote as you normally would based on your preferences and the electoral system and electoral officials will handle the rest!
]]>
DIRECTOR(S)-AT-LARGE ROLE DESCRIPTION: The Directors-at-Large constitute the majority of the Board of Directors, double that of the Co-Chairs. Directors-at-Large (DAL) work on a system of "project portfolios" which are chosen by the Director upon their election based on their strengths and interests (granted some portfolios may have to be assigned if not voluntary taken). Ideally, these portfolios would be distributed equally, but this is dependent on the individual Directors and their availability and presence of other commitments. However, general duties and responsibilities include:
serve a one (1) year term (notwithstanding removal or voluntary leave)in tandem with the other Board members, ensure the productivity of the Board as a wholepartner with, support, and when necessary assist and be assisted by one (1) Co-Chairgive regular verbal or written reports and be accountable to the Co-Chair most closely aligned with your project portfoliocomplete a comprehensive year-end report and annual return by August of each year
Here are some of the working titles of current project portfolios passed down by the 2014 Board (to be amended, amalgamated, and created as St. John's Pride needs shift and grow organically):
Administrative Officer (linked to Co-Chair Internal unless delegated)City Liaison (linked to Co-Chair Internal unless delegatedEvents Coordinator (linked to Co-Chair External unless delegated)Finance Officer (linked to Co-Chair Finance unless delegated)Sponsorship Coordinator (typically performed by Co-Chair Finance unless delegated)Inclusivity AdvocateGrant WriterBranding and Corporate Image CoordinatorCommunity LiaisonWebsite CoordinatorFestival ProgrammingFestival Site Coordinator(s) (2)Parade Coordinator(s) (2)Board Structure and BylawsCommunity Connections and Outreach
The best method of campaigning for a Director-at-Large is perhaps to emphasize your strengths, skills, and work experience rather than campaign on certain portfolios as this system is inherently flexible and fluid and many Directors may in fact share one portfolio (such as Festival Programming, which all 9 members must work on collectively) or otherwise overlap with another's duties. =====================================================================CO-CHAIR EXTERNAL ROLE DESCRIPTION: The Co-Chair (External) oversees the image of St. John's Pride as a corporate entity and directs public engagement. This includes but isn't limited to media relations, social media, events, branding*. Some of the expected duties, rights and responsibilities of this Co-Chair are:
serve a two (2) year term (notwithstanding removal or voluntary leave)in tandem with the other co-chairs, ensure the productivity of the Board as a wholepartner with, encourage, and when necessary assist and be assisted by two (2) Directors-at-Large with their portfoliosact as the primary contact for media requests and delegate them to the best qualified person to respond to said request depending on context **manage and update St. John's Pride's Facebook Page, Twitter, and other social media regularly (proofreading is an essential skill for this position)plan, make appropriate bookings, and execute all public engagement activities such as: public forums, fundraisers, social events, Pride Festival events ***take up or delegate the Inclusion portfolio to another Director and ensure that St. John's Pride's mandate of inclusivity is reflected in every aspect of board businessnetwork and establish partnerships with other non-profits, community groups, and organizations with shared mandates for LBGTQ+ communities with the goal of strengthening the resources of our corporation for the betterment of our member's quality of lifeotherwise oversee public and membership engagement not mentioned abovecomplete a comprehensive year-end report and annual return by August of each year
NOTES: * notwithstanding a Director besides this Co-Chair taking up the Branding and Corporate Image portfolio, in which case this Co-Chair is expected to assist and partner with said Director ** this Co-Chair is intended to manage requests, not necessarily be the "face of Pride" (such practice is strongly discouraged), especially if a sitting Board member has more experience or expertise with the topic of the request and can better respond to it than this Co-Chair *** for the Pride Festival this co-Chair will have the resources and input of the full Board available to them, taking the lead but working as a whole to help plan the Festival (aka "Pride Week") =======================================================================CO-CHAIR INTERNAL ROLE DESCRIPTION: The Co-Chair (Internal) oversees the administrative functioning of St. John's Pride as a corporate entity. This includes but isn't limited to filing, paperwork, grants, and legal requirements. Some of the expected duties, rights and responsibilities of this Co-Chair are:
serve a two (2) year term (notwithstanding removal or voluntary leave)in tandem with the other co-chairs, ensure the productivity of the Boardpartner with, encourage, and when necessary assist and be assisted by two (2) Directors-at-Large with their portfoliosact as the primary contact for the Registry of Companies and with other governing bodies (e.g.: the City of St. John's) to ensure the corporation is in good standingact as the primary enforcer of the By-Laws of the corporation and regularly review the By-Laws for potential amendments to improve Board functionalitytake minutes or delegate minute-taking and ensure that proper minutes (including all motions, votes and resolutions) are being taken during meetings publish them in accordance with the By-Lawsprepare action items for each Board member at the end of each meeting reflective of the tasks assigned to them that meeting (i.e.: "to-do lists")publish minutes in accordance with the By-Lawsact as a facilitator or delegate facilitation to a suitable candidate within the Board to assure productive, synergetic meetingsprepares general meeting agendas with input from other Board membersensures that all board business is documented in some fashion (preferably electronic and paper-trail copies) for posterity and sees to its filingresearches necessary permits, licenses etc. for board business and completes or delegates their completionrecruit and manage volunteer base and associated resourcescomplete a comprehensive year-end report and annual return by August of each year
======================================================================== CO-CHAIR FINANCE ROLE DESCRIPTION: The Co-Chair (Finance) oversees the financial wellbeing of St. John's Pride as a corporate entity. This includes but isn't limited to banking, finance, and sponsorship. Some of the expected duties, rights and responsibilities of this Co-Chair are:
serve a two (2) year term (notwithstanding removal or voluntary leave)in tandem with the other co-chairs, ensure the productivity of the Boardpartner with, encourage, and when necessary assist and be assisted by two (2) Directors-at-Large with their portfoliosact as the primary of two (2) Signing Officers on corporate accountsreviews and files bank statementsregularly reviews income and expenditures to assure adequate moniesdrafts/allots yearly and event-specific budgets for rest of the Boardminor accounting duties (knowledge of spreadsheets, budgeting, etc. a necessity)is responsible for all accounts payable and all accounts receivable for the corporationsolicit, expand and maintain strong partnerships with businesses and sponsors (strong negotiation and interpersonal skills an asset)work closely with the Director holding the Fundraising portfolio (if not the Co-Chair themselves)regularly publish a financial report for the membership on the state of the corporation's finances as defined in our By-lawscomplete a comprehensive year-end report and annual return by August of each year
]]>
2015 GENERAL ELECTION: St. John's Pride is pleased to announce that the General Election for the 2015 Board of Directors will take place on October 5th, 2014, at 3pm-7pm, location and agenda TBA.A reminder that this year's elections will be for nine (9) board members: three (3) Co-Chairs (External, Internal, Finance), six (6) Directors-At-Large and will operate on a system of project portfolios (e.g.: Media, Events, Fundraising, etc.). Details of this restructuring were put forth and made publicly available on January of this year. A motion to ratify this board restructuring will be presented at the General Election on October 5th at 3:00pm.It is suggested that objections to the restructuring proposal be voiced PRIOR to the election by emailing tstocks@stjohnspride.ca (CC: krees@stjohnspride.ca). This is so that the board may have time to properly address any concerns, make the necessary amendments to the proposal before the motion is put forth and to make for a timely and smooth election for our electorate. To date from publication in January, we have not received any objections or suggested amendments to our proposal. In absence of objections the motion will pass with a simple-majority vote with proper quorum. CANDIDATES may announce their candidacy by filling out this form (for consistency and fairness) and your platform and intention to run will be announced via this Facebook page.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aMl_SL3Cq_xkGsoyq_SZpAsVH6sOXAl8WR0QYLAhGaw/
Candidates will also be provided with an online campaigning forum on Friday, September 19th through October 4th to speak directly to the electorate all in one place for viewing ease. Thus, candidates are encouraged to use these official avenues over private social media (though not forbidden) as both a show of good faith and for public engagement
Register for online voting here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1oNBEq8NhETHbec7NtfMWzuuNczyZMzR73HNg4jDh8R8/viewform
. SECURE ONLINE VOTING will be an option for those this year throughwww.electionbuddy.com. REGISTER here (advance registration required):https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1oNBEq8NhETHbec7NtfMWzuuNczyZMzR73HNg4jDh8R8/
]]>
Goodness- it’s almost here. Pride is just around the corner, and after working through most of the year to put this together, the board couldn’t be happier with the strong support with have received both within the LGBTQ community and within greater St. John’s and Newfoundland. Our celebration would not be possible without the dedication of many people working diligently to get all the details sorted out.
From the City of St. John’s, we would like to extend our eternal gratitude to Tanya Haywood, Dawn Corner, the Communications Department, the Special Events Subcomittee, and Mayor O’Keefe and City Council, especially Councillors Jonathan Galgay and Bernard Davis of the Special Events Subcommittee, and Councillor Dave Lane, all whom have been incredibly generous with their time an resources.
We would also like to thank Sgt. Paul Murphy of the RNC for determining our parade route with us, Metrobus for working their schedule around our parade route, John Clarke of the NL Folk Festival for helping us with the details of the festival site, Memorial Arena Dominion for being good sports about us taking over the public half of their parking lot, and all of the businesses along New Gower, Duckworth, and Kingsbridge for passively (and some actively!) being involved in our march.
This is just the first wave of thankyous that we will be sharing over the next week- stay tuned to hear who else has been contributing to the great success of Pride Week!
]]>
Proposed to St. John's Pride Public:
9 Person Board to be implemented upon the election of St. John's Pride Board 2015.
"Presidential" power to be held among 3 Co-Chair positions:
Finance:
Oversees all banking, finance, sponsorship related affairs.
Internal:
Responsible for smooth functioning of board, including administrative duties.
External:
In charge of public engagement and communication.
*All major decisions must have 2/3 co-chair agreement.
6 Directors with portfolio allocation decided after election:
Example portfolios:
Finance
Administration
Volunteers
Sponsorship
Website
Internal Structure
Community Engagement
Parade
We recommend these changes for three reasons:
1. We want to increase lateral decision-making and decentralize final power from one person to a group of three.
2. We believe a nine person board will avoid the potential gridlock of our current eight person board.
3. We acknowledge that directors work together best once they can come together and recognize strengths and weaknesses and decide from that point who is best suited to a task. We believe this flexibility is helpful for the board in the long term and thus should be institutionalized.
We are also investigating changes regarding the by-laws to clarify voting procedures, formalizing institutional continuity from year to year, and increasing the efficiency of the organization as a whole.
Please let us know if you have any questions or comments about the proposed changes.
]]>