The Smither Pride Society held its ninth annual pride day in Smithers on 6th June 2026.
The Pride day featured many performances by singers, drag queens and many queer artists. Many vendors also came to the event and they also held an after party.
Upon asking what pride means to them, Batty Banks, a drag queen who performed at the event said “Pride is the opportunity for us to come together in community, feel seen, feel represented and feel heard.”
Another performer who danced at the event was was Bebe.
Bebe said “For me representation for sure, Yeah, getting community together. I think, you know, we’re all not that different and especially love”
The event also featured a cake cutting event and the cake was shared with folks who attended the event.
Additionally, the president of Smither Pride Society, Ryan Armstrong, said the best part of the day was everyone coming together and being able to feel like themselves and, and not worry that they’re going to be getting judged while they’re here.
Perry Rath, The vice president, who was a part of setting up the event spoke about putting this event together. “Like project management to be able to see what needs to be done by what time. It’s also community networking to figure out what kind of partnerships you can build. And there’s also the part of having to advocate for people who don’t really understand or believe, or have just completely different point of view about queer people. And so it’s a matter of trying to break down those barriers and tackle misinformation and, and show the validity and why this is necessary”.
0 of 19
