- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

When their leaders don't speak for them, people will take the lead.

After Southgate Township council decided not to fly the Pride flag on municipal buildings this June, a few local residents decided they would fly the rainbow flags on their homes. But first they took a walk through town – a Show Your Colours walk - to show that Southgate is an inclusive,  compassionate, and loving community.

On June 1, over forty people walked through Dundalk, led by Dana Seeley, daughter of Dan and Dianna Seeley of Dundalk.  “We now call her Dana Warrior Princess,” laughed Carole Henderson, one of the organizers along with Angela Post and Delbert Linton.

“We received cheers, honks and waves wherever we went,” Henderson said, “And after the walk we all went home and put our flags on our homes.”
 
Owen Sound city council banned flying anything but the municipal and national flags on City property in 2005; a policy created following a small but ugly demonstration against the first Pride flag- raising at city hall that year. In 2016, Councillor Richard Thomas could not find a seconder for his motion to re-consider the policy.

That same year Owen Sound Police Chief Bill Sornberger agreed to raise the Pride flag at the Police Services building, saying “We are here to serve and protect all members of our community.”

The action of the community and Chief persuaded council to re-open and change the flag policy. The past two years the Pride flag has flown at the Bayshore Community  Centre, and Friday, June 7 the flag will be raised on a new community flag pole at the renovated Owen Sound City Hall. June 8, starting at 11, the second annual Pride parade will take place on 2nd Avenue East.