SEE Magazine
Issue #393: June 14, 2001
Copyright © 2001. All Rights Reserved

News by Kevin Wilson The Edmonton Pride Festival, which begins June 16 this year, is a week-long celebration of community and freedom for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Edmontonians. Although Canadian society is slowly learning tolerance – allowing some to openly and comfortably express their homosexuality – many still live with the threat of bigotry and misunderstanding, the consequences of which range from frustrating to grave. But many gay men and lesbians may be neglecting a potent mode of expression, one they can access through their wallets. Lawyer Bill Faulkner is the president of the Edmonton Rainbow Business Association, a group comprising three dozen gay- and lesbian-friendly businesses that have united to network and promote their services. He says that most people don’t realize the impact of the "gay dollar." "I think that there’s a woeful ignorance out there. There’s a woeful ignorance even among our own gay and lesbian community about what the strength of that dollar is." Quantifying that strength is a bit difficult, however. "It’s a bit like putting a dollar value on a visitor to conventions in Edmonton," Faulkner suggests. "Much is made of all the wonderful things that come from visitors to our city, but what price tag do we put on that?" Still, he says, hints can be found. "We know, for example, that the Oliver district, which has been called ‘the gay ghetto,’ has a high concentration of gay and lesbian people. We also know that district has one of the highest average incomes in this city." He adds that the latest federal census, which includes a question about sexual orientation, may help to clarify the true state of affairs. Despite the local demographics, says Faulkner, "many businesses in the Oliver area are operating in blissful ignorance of the fact that a large percentage of their clientele is from the gay and lesbian community. By and large, members of the community don’t go around wearing pink triangles on their lapels when we go into the Second Cup at Twelfth and Jasper for coffee, but we’re there. We’re there a lot. We’re in Safeway a lot. We buy our cars from Edmonton Motors and Healy Ford. That’s just the way it is, but I don’t think those businesses are really aware of that." Worse are those businesses that mix ignorance with a certain unfriendliness. "I have heard anecdotal accounts of businesses that have declined to allow newspapers from the gay and lesbian community to be displayed because they don’t want them in their establishments, some of which are located in Oliver," Faulkner notes. "It’s that kind of very subtle discrimination that is unfortunate. Whether it’s out of ignorance or out of a deliberate effort to be hurtful, that’s speculation." It’s precisely because of this kind of situation that "One of our objectives is to encourage businesses to simply recognize that we’ve got a significant portion of the community that is gay or lesbian. Be sensitive to the fact that we want to see our publications in your establishments. Smarten up. You’re missing out on a market by conducting yourself that way." Some have already got the message. ERBA’s membership comprises a wide variety of retail and service businesses, but not all of them are gay- or lesbian-owned, Faulkner points out. "We have travel agencies, for example, that are owned by straight people that do a lot of business with the gay and lesbian community, recognize the value of the gay and lesbian dollar and have joined the organization to network and create some marketing opportunities." Faulkner wishes that more people would let their money do the talking. "That’s one of the reasons why ERBA exists, to try and get people in the gay and lesbian community to support businesses within the community. It seems to be a struggle. It suggests, maybe, that gay and lesbian consumers are no different from straight consumers. They’re looking for the best value. But as an organization we’re doing our best to carve out a niche." He suggests that people ought to check the Pride Pages directory, which is distributed free. "They give a very thorough listing of businesses that are, shall we say, aware of the value of the gay and lesbian dollar. They’ve chosen to allow their name to be included in a publication that’s distributed primarily to benefit the gay and lesbian community." ERBA also issues a door sticker to member firms. He acknowledges that some businesses are still afraid of the repercussions of a public declaration of principle. "That’s unfortunate, but that’s a fact of life." Nevertheless, Faulkner is optimistic that that situation isn’t terminal. "I think that it’s changing. I think the reaction we saw to Joe Clark’s presence in the Calgary Pride parade indicates that attitudes are changing significantly. Joe was treated warmly by everyone concerned. One would have to think that some members of the media would have been at that parade looking for that one protester, looking for that 30-second sound byte from the member of some fundamentalist church. "I didn’t hear anything like that. I didn’t hear those reports. Look at the overall situation in Calgary, which has its redneck image – right or wrong. The fact that there was no egg throwing, there were no placard-waving loonies, there were no fights between pro and con forces, That was really heartening to see. I just wish we had someone like Joe leading our parade on Saturday, but, alas, we weren’t able to arrange it." All the same, Faulkner is looking forward to this year’s Pride Festival. "It’s personally important to me. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate who I am and to be comfortable with who I am. It’s an opportunity to associate with a lot of other people who feel the same way. A lot of good things come out of those shared experiences. I’m really looking forward to the parade this year and to the Pride Street Fair. We’re in our own neighbourhood this year from start to finish with the parade. The business fair is in our neighbourhood. I think a good time is going to be had by all." So is Edmonton a good place to be gay? "I think it is. Although we hear in the community some anecdotal reports of gay bashing, it’s not something that’s on the front pages of the papers. I feel safe here. I can walk home from any of the bars in this community and feel safe. So, yeah, Edmonton is a great place to be gay. It’s a tolerant city. There’s great diversity – it celebrates diversity, so, frankly, I couldn’t think of a better place to be."

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