Mennonite mom to march alongside gay son in Steinbach Pride parade

Religion will not get in the way of Mennonite momKatherina Schattschneiderand her support for her gay son, Erich,as they marchside by side at Steinbach's very first Pride paradethis weekend.

The parade is set for this Saturdayin a regionsometimes referred to as Manitoba's Bible Belt.

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"You have to support your kids," shesaid. "Your kids are your kids, and they're nobody else's."

KatherinaSchattschneider will turn 80 this year. She grew up on a farm in Alexander, Man.

"My mom's the strongest Christian I know," her son said.

"She [grew] up pretty traditional Mennonite, and because of her faithshe can be [at the parade] and love me, and it's because of God's love she's there."

ErichSchattschneider grew up inWinnipeg and both he and his mother live there today, but he said he wantsto march in Steinbachbecause of the city'sMennonite history. Doing sowill give him an opportunity, he said,to recognize both his Mennonite heritage and his gay pride at the same time.

"It's nice to celebrate who I am in a place that I feel comfortable and at home with that I can relate to," he said.

When he invited his mom to march with him and his partner, Jonathan Belhumeur, she responded by saying, "Yeah, I could probably walk that."

Schattschneidersaid that when he asked her why she willmarch with him, she told him, "Because you are my son, and you have to support your kid."

This will be her very first Pride parade.

Coming out

Describing what it was like to tellhis parentshe was gay, Schattschneidersaid,"It was like my mother and father came home from church from a funeral."

He said they were worried that he wouldn't have friends andwouldn't be able to keep a job,all due toold stereotypes they had in their minds of what it meant to be gay.

His motherhad actually suspected he was gay, Schattschneidersaid, adding that helearned that she had gone to Mennonite seminars on what to do if one'sson is gay.

Even though it was difficult for her at first, he recalls her saying to him, "You're our son, we love you, and that doesn't change."

Schattschneidersaidit took about a couple of years for his motherto fully come around,butnowshe's "come full circle."

Schattschneider andBelhumeur, hispartner of nearly 10 years,will be getting married this summer atKnox United Church.Schattschneider saidhis mom will be sitting at the front of the church,supporting him.

It made him emotional just thinking about it, he said, as "she's come a long way from what she was taught."

His mother's support, he added,has shown him "real Christian love."

Schattschneidersaid that because of that, even though he's no longer a member of achurch, he's been able to keep his Christian faith.

Parade controversy

SteinbachMayorChris Goertzen, local MLA Kelvin Goertzen and Conservative MP Ted Falk have faced public scrutiny for saying that they will not be attending the Steinbach Pride march.

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In a statement issued June 20, Falk said,"I've been clear on this issue many times, and have made my position public on my values of faith, family, and community."

ErichSchattschneideris disappointed by their lack of support.

He said, "It just speaks volumes of how far the people in that community still have to fight just to be treated as equal citizens."

Schattschneider said he believesit's a "cop-out" to cite faith or religious views as reasons to not attend.

He offers his mom as an example, saying,"She doesn't exclude herself because of God. She's there because of God's love."

The City of Steinbach is not endorsing the parade, but a group of local councillors did release a statement stating that the LGBT community is welcome in the city.