On Saturday, September 4th, Calgary will be celebrating its first annual Dyke March. For Event Director and Calgary Dyke March creator Brianne Langille, this event could not come at a better time.
“I started the Dyke March in Calgary because I see a lack of community when it comes to lesbians. I want to bring Calgary’s lesbians together so we can see how many of us there are out there. I also want to see the diversity of having queer women of every ethnicity and social standing in one location. I started the Calgary Dyke March to bring queer women together and give us an event that we can truly call our own, where we can call attention to issues of equality and discrimination. Because gay events don’t quite cover all of our issues and neither do women’s events.”
Langille’s sentiments are not far off from why Dyke Marches came to be in other cities. According to lesbian historical sources the first documented Dyke March was held in 1981 in Vancouver, a part of the Bi-National Lesbian Conference, an event meant to discuss the topics relevant to lesbians at the time. The event is chalk-full of activities to keep guests busy. Turnout was strong, with an estimated 200 attendees, and the United States followed suit in 1993 with the first march held in Washington, D.C.
The premise of Dyke Marches has historically remained the same, and covers a good portion of the organizations worldwide. According to Wikipedia, typically they are mostly lesbian-led and inclusive gathering and protest march, usually occurring the Friday or Saturday before the LGBT Pride parades, where larger cities areas have related events both before and after the event to further rally segments of the community. It is intended to increase lesbian visibility and activism, yet they have grown to be more inclusive of all women-loving-women, including bisexuals, intersex, and transgender persons.
“A Dyke March isn’t a parade, it’s a demonstration,” says Langille. “It gives dykes a visibility that is lacking in Calgary. We’re coming together to strengthen a community that requires public understanding to thrive.”
Questions have arisen as to why a separate event from the Pride Parade is needed. Langille is quick to respond.
“I think there is a need for a separate Dyke March for a couple of reasons. First, I think that Pride is geared more towards men. Whether that is because more men come out to celebrate or because women are put off by the flair of some of the boys, I don’t know. Second, I think Pride is no longer about fighting for equal rights and respect, and focused on celebrating the freedoms we have already won, which is very important. Also, the Dyke March is a fundamentally grassroots event which will never have corporate sponsorship, whereas Pride is fantastic at getting corporations in queer events.”
The day is will be packed with activities. The March will begin at Millennium Park at noon and travel towards Century Gardens on 8th Avenue and 8th Street SW. There will be performances by Toni Vere and Hashmagandy, as well as Amy Bishop, Fake Mustache, and a few spoken word artists. Space is still available if you are interested in performing, as are volunteers still needed - just contact the organizers via email. Check out the website for contact information.
Brianne is hopeful about this year’s event. “You can expect large groups of women with their friends, families, and supports. There will be sign and banner making before the march starts, so everyone can gather and really absorb how many of us are out there. Then there’s the march itself which will be loud and colourful, and really powerful if you get to take a moment and just look at everyone. Once we land in Century Gardens there’s lots of space to settle in for the entertainment or visiting, or checking out our Dyke March tent. Ultimately, people should expect to have a good time, see women they haven’t seen before or haven’t seen in a while, make new friends, and feel amazing!”