FORT FRANCES — Borderland Pride’s celebration of Pride Month will be as joyous and eventful as in prior years, Pride 2025 committee chair Abbey Calder says.
But there will be no march across the bridge connecting Fort Frances to International Falls, Minn.
The local Pride group has held a march at the bridge in past years, Calder said, but this year is different.
“Right from the beginning, from our very first committee meeting (this year), all of the committee members wanted to make sure that we were really keeping everybody’s safety in mind, with everything going on legislatively in the United States.”
Those recent goings-on include a presidential order stating that the U.S. government will recognize only two genders, male and female, on identification – and that the gender on a person’s ID must accord with whatever sex that person was assigned at birth.
“We did not feel comfortable asking people who may or may not have male or female or whatever their gender was assigned at birth on their identification … to put themselves at risk in crossing into the United States,” Calder said.
“So we did decide to keep our march on this side (of the border), but we do still have some amazing sponsors from International Falls.”
Gathering for this year’s Borderland Pride march is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Sorting Gap Marina, with the walk to start there at 11 a.m. and end at the town’s Civic Centre on Portage Avenue.
Mayor Andrew Hallikas and area First Nations chiefs will greet participants and join them in a flag-raising followed by a barbecue sponsored by Safeway, Calder said.
Pride Music Bingo will start at 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion hall on Church Street.
Calder said the day is shaping up to be quite a celebration.
“We’re still getting sponsors coming up and offering to donate some prizes for the evening’s festivities, as well as lots of people coming out of the woodwork wanting to set up booths for the morning and help us decorate and hand out some free swag. It should be a great day.”
