Indigenous Belonging at the Vancouver Dyke March

Indigenous members of our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities deserve belonging, respect, and justice. The Vancouver Dyke March intends to provide space for marginalized voices, which includes celebrating Indigenous individuals who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. 

The Vancouver Dyke March and Festival Society organizes on the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of Coast Salish Peoples, including the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We recognize that Two Spirit and Indigiqueer people have been celebrated on this land long before colonization. Pride celebrations are often framed around the Stonewall Riots but we recognize the living history of Two Spirit and Indigiqueer ways of being and resisting as central to our movements for liberation. 

Indigenous queer and transgender people often endure compounding and intersecting effects of racism, colonialism, and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiment, which furthers the need for safe and inclusive environments. We strive to make space for individuals to freely express themselves and feel supported in doing so.

We are committed to anti-oppression practices and ensuring the rights of Indigenous folks are respected and protected within our organization and at our events.  

In practice, this includes:

• Artists and performers:

1. Inviting an Indigenous leader of the host nations to provide welcoming for our event

2. Prioritizing space for Indigenous artists and performers

3. Committing to working closely with artists to consider the contest of their performances at our stage to ensure they are safe, respectful, and not racist or appropriative.

4. Supporting proper pronunciation of all names 

• Vendors and Organizations:

1. Requiring vendors at our festival to commit to our code of conduct before they are permitted to set up on-site

2. Encouraging the participation of Indigenous vendors and organizations. This has included:

3. Highlighting these organizations as community leaders (e.g. as Grand Marshals)

4. Removing vendor fees for Indigiqueer/2-Spirit vendors or Indigiqueer/2-Spirit-serving organizations

• Volunteers:

1. Requiring volunteers at our festival to commit to our code of conduct 

2. Providing volunteers with anti-oppression training.

3. Providing volunteers with de-escalation training and support for situations that may include reactionary counter-protestor presence or if individuals break our code of conduct.

4. Ensuring our policies are followed

• Attendees:

1. Setting expectations for attendees’ conduct at our event. 

2. Responding to issues raised by attendees at our events and events they arise and doing our best to ensure all attendees’ safety.

• Organizational Decision-making:

1. Prioritize Indigenous representation for board, volunteer, and other positions

2. Encouraging the perspective of all Indigenous folks in their contributions to the Vancouver Dyke March.

3. Committing to improve, make safer spaces, and uplift Indigenous voices.

4. Refusing to work with and discouraging the presence of enforcers of colonial violence at our event such as Park Rangers or VPD