Tina Hillier sees her volunteer work with the River of Pride committee as an important way to be involved with the community at large

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by Paul Merrigan
This Week Staff

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For Tina Hillier, Chairperson of the River of Pride committee, the months of preparation for Metro Moncton's Gay Pride Week will all prove worthwhile once the celebration kicks off on Sept. 6.

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Gay Pride Week in Moncton will be held Sept. 6 to 13.

The full week of events is the culmination of a lot of work for many people, but community involvement is nothing new to Tina.

"I've always been involved in community activities," explains Tina. "I've been involved in town politics where I used to live and I've had a lot of experience volunteering wherever I've lived, organizing activities for people of all ages."

Back in 2001, Tina was working in Champlain Place when she ran into Greg Daborn who was the Chairperson of The River of Pride Committee at the time.

Always willing to lend a hand, Tina offered to volunteer in any capacity that was needed. Since that time, Tina has served as Chairperson of the Committee a total of four times.

"Planning the week takes up most of the year and a great deal of time," says Tina. "The fundraising and inviting of dignitaries, all of these things have to be done months in advance.

"Next year is our 10th anniversary and we're already in the process of inviting people for then."

While there has been noticeable advancements with regards to gay rights in recent years, there is still a long way to go and an important part of that is the continuation of events such as Gay Pride Week.

"The week and the activities are as much a celebration as they are political statements," explains Tina. "As we gain more rights, some may feel that we don't need these sorts of events, but we really do.

"There are still people dying, people committing suicide, people losing their jobs all because of their sexuality. There are still things that our society needs to improve."

The City of Moncton has been very supportive from the beginning and this support is significant for The River of Pride Committee.

"The flag raising and the mayor's proclamation at City Hall is a big event and it kicks off the whole week," says Tina.

"Moncton is a fantastic city. I've never experienced any kind of harassment here and having the City raise the flag every year and remind people of that is very important."

"Education and visibility are two main goals of Pride Week," Tina continues. "There are still people that haven't come out and they need to know that they have a place in this world.

"There are adults who haven't come out and they don't know that there is a place for them and that they are not alone."

One of the highlights of the week will be the Gay Pride Parade which will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 13. The parade route has been slightly altered from previous years.

The parade will form up in the Highfield Square parking lot and finish at the Marche Moncton Market parking lot. The parade will be followed by an afternoon of entertainment at the Riverfront Park, with guest performances by local artist Shirley Albert, as well as female impersonators, dancers and guest speakers .

For more information or to volunteer for any of the Gay Pride Week activities, visit http://www.fiertemonctonpride.ca or contact Tina Hillier at 382-6652.