On May 15, community members gathered under a canopy of promising clouds at Dutch Lake in Clearwater for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the recently painted dock on the sands of the popular beach.
The colourful rainbow holds a different meaning for many, according to Kalen Jones, Executive Director for the Valley Pride Society.
“The rainbow symbol has so many meanings today,” he noted. “I feel we all have a bit of a different interpretation on what it means to us individually. For me personally I would like to share that the rainbow is not just about the LGBTQIA++ community. For me it is about diversity and it’s a symbol of embracing and celebrating diversity. It’s a visual representation that someone cares.”
Jones said the definition of diversity is “the state of being diverse; meaning variety, like the colours of the rainbow.”
He spoke to the large group gathered on the sandy beach, standing on the freshly cut grass, and seated in the large log pagoda picnic area. “The rainbow, to me, means so much more than gender identity and sexual orientation.
“We are human, we are diverse in so many ways. It’s how we look, it’s how we function, it’s what colour our skin is, it’s our heritage and culture, the language we speak and our accent, it’s even what my favourite colour is compared to yours. Please be kind. Appreciate your neighbour even if their favourite colour is not the same as yours.”
Jones emphasized the need to be forgiving and accepting, and spoke to the fact that every person deals with issues surrounding inclusion and discrimination in life in “one form or another” for a number of reasons.
Each person was then presented with a small pair of children’s scissors and a section of rainbow ribbon, with Jones encouraging all gathered to be part of cutting the ribbon together because “the rainbow dock is for everyone.” He asked everyone to look around at the people standing there: “We are different from each other and that’s okay.”
As he placed the larger ceremonial scissors across the wide red ribbon at the head of the dock, Jones counted down from three to one as everyone held their piece of ribbon outward to cut at the same time, followed by cheers and applause. The wide red ribbon fell to the ground to reveal the wooden-planked rainbow under billowing clouds, with the backdrop of glistening Dutch Lake and Raft Peak.
The moment was marked with the sight of a mother Canada Goose followed by a trail of goslings and the dignified appearance of a well-known local loon gliding peacefully across the lake as though undisturbed by the humans on shore; a moment that seemed to punctuate the peaceful unity of the occasion.
