Come Home Queer returns for a 2nd year, inspiring pride in small rural community

Three days of Pride-related events are taking place this weekend in the tiny community of Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove for the second annual Come Home Queer festival.

"What better thing to be known for as a town than to be open and inclusive?" asked Gerry Rogers, an organizer of the festival.

"The smallest town with the largest name and the biggest heart."

She said the festival takes place in the Conception Bay North community due to the area's historical acceptance of lesbians.

"Alittle over 30 years ago, a number of older lesbians came into this small communitywhen it was difficult," Rogers said.

"Eventually, as we got to know one another, the town and the lesbians grew to love one another, to respect one another, to welcome one another."

Come Home Queer brings pride to rural N.L. for 2nd year

1 year ago

Duration 2:11

The Come Home Queer festival is back in Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove, encouraging people to be proud of both the LGBTQ community and the town.

The Come Home Queer festival started last year as an extension of the provincial government'sCome Home Yearcampaign.

"There was all kinds of announcements and funding available to do celebrations and I thought, 'Who's not going to feel comfortable coming home?' And as a lesbian I thought, there are a lot of queer folks who left Newfoundland and Labrador years ago when it was really difficult to be out," Rogers explained.

"I thought, 'Let's do Come Home Queer and invite all the folks who've left.'"

Rogers said last year's event was a huge success. She said the festival's Pride paradeencouraged people to be proud of both the LGBTQ community and theSmall Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove community.

"The folks who are originally from here and who grew up here and have been here for generations are proud. So our Pride parade is really pride in the largest sense, in the most inclusive sense," Rogers said.

"It's all of us being so proud about how far we've come as a community, how far we've come as a town."

"This is a safe place," Rogers said. "This is a place where love can win out."

Rogers said the festival is more important than ever due to the growing intolerance of the LGBTQ community across the world.

"We have worked so hard for our rights," she said. "And we have to be vigilant, because we can see all kinds of backlash happening."

"For young folks who are queer to know that there is a loving, supportive, accepting environment or community, I think that's so important. We need to say 'It's OK.'"

Rogers said the festival is a celebration.

"We will be dancing together and we will be telling stories together."

Susan Rose, another organizer of the event, shared a similar sentiment.

"It's about celebrating everyone in our community," she said. "Everyone wants to belong, and in this community, for over 30 years, we've been welcomed."

While the struggle for equal rights continues, said Rose,she's hopeful for the future.

"The youth are going to make the change and they're not going to sit in their classrooms or sit in their jobs and not be included and have their seat at the table," Rose said. "And that's why I'm so happy."

Bryanna Hogan, a student from Broad Cove, thinks the festival is great.

"To know that everyone here is welcome and feels safe here is really comforting to know about my own community," she said.

Carolyn Emerson and Gloria Montano bought a house in the area last fall after attending the first Come Home Queer. For Emerson, there's a family connection, as her father grew up in Small Point.

"It's just such a solid and supportive community," Emerson said. "The local folk referred to the women who had first settled here as 'the girls' and then very quickly transitioned into 'our girls.'"

"You have people from so many different backgrounds that come here and they actually celebrate and enjoy each other and have a great time," Montano said.

Reginald King, who has lived in Blackhead since 1955, said last year's festival was enjoyable.

"I enjoyed it, I enjoyed talking to people," he said. "I knew a lot of people in the festival, a lot of the girls, and I even sold my house to one of them."

"A parade is something we're not used to here very often, but I think it's wonderful. I think it's wonderful to bring people around."

King said it's great that people find the community to be a safe place to live.

"Just what we want, more people in the community," he said.

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