Rainbow flag flies in Truro ahead of town's 1st Pride parade

The Prideflag flew high in Truro, N.S., Monday, marking a move forward fora town that has been refusing toraise the rainbow flag fornearly a decade.

Truro resident Al McNutt, founder of the Northern Healthy Connection Society, says he's thrilled to have had the privilege to hoist the flag something he says he never thought he would see in his lifetime.

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"I'm thrilled, actually it brought tears to my eyes when I was raising that flag because it was long overdue," McNutt said.

'I'm very proud'

The flag will fly at the town hall all week, asTruroreadies for thefirst ever TruroPride Parade this Saturday.

"I think it's going to be an exciting day and I think it's going to be a new day forTruro,"McNuttsaid.

People think thatTrurois a very Bible belt community and homophobic, and it really isn't.- Al McNutt

About 30 groups have already confirmed plans to walk in the parade, andMcNuttsaidthey are working on finalizing another 30.

McNuttsaidhe had no trouble getting permission to hold a Pride parade he simply submitted a permit to the police department.

"I'm very proud to be a part of it and be a part ofTrurobecause a lot of people think thatTrurois a very Bible Belt community and homophobic, and it really isn't."

National headlines

The townmade national headlines in 2007 when it voted 6-1 against raising the rainbow flag to coincide with Pride activities inPictouCounty. The move sparked a local gay rights group to file a human rights complaint against the town.

At the time, Mayor Bill Mills said thatas a Christian, he simply could not support the request to raise the flag.

The Pride flag didn't fly in Truro until last month, when council decided to fly the flag at half-mast in honour of the victims of amass shootingat a gay nightclub in Orlando.Coun. GregoryMacArthurcalled the move "a historic day" for the town.

Embracing the future

Pam Osborne, a policy officer with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, saidMonday's flag raising is about "celebrating the present and embracing the future."

"The community has certainly come together and embraced the pride flag and what it represents," she said.

"It represents community, it represents love, it represents peace and most definitely represents respect for all."

Saturday's parade willstart at 2 p.m. at the tourist bureau.