Pride week in Chatham-Kent is officially underway after they raised the rainbow flag at the civic centre in Chatham and several other areas across the municipality including Wallaceburg. 
Marianne Wilson is the president of the CK Gay Pride Association, and says the municipality’s decision to go ahead with the rainbow crosswalk project shows how far the community has come.
“We were concerned about any kind of negative feedback, but in fact we were blessed and overwhelmed with the positivity that we got back from the community, from businesses, from association,” Wilson says. “We recognize this is the time, the tide has changed, this is the time diversity can be reached in Chatham-Kent, this is the time we can celebrate that.”
Wilson says even negative comments generate conversation, which helps to promote diversity and acceptance.
Chatham-Kent’s first ever Pride parade will be held on Saturday, starting at 9 o’clock heading from the Civic Centre to Tecumseh Park for the CK Pride Family Fest, which runs from 10am-4pm.