THUNDER BAY— An important figure in the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ community marked a significant milestone at local high school during Pride Month.
On Monday, Brunswick Four member Adrienne Rosen participated in a flag raising ceremony, honouring and celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, with Students at Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
“It's time now to live an authentic life,” said Rosen. “If you're gay, if you're trans, if you're a lesbian, if you're Two-Spirited, be it, own it and do it happily.”
Rosen shared a story of her time during the historic Brunswick Four events, where herself and three other women were arrested, verbally abused and assaulted by police outside of The Brunswick House Tavern in Toronto during 1974 for singing a parody of a song based off of her sexuality.
“It's a time where we really have to perk up and listen,” she said. “We need to be allies with people that need us right now, and there are a lot of people that do.”
The Brunswick Four arrest is regarded as a landmark moment 2SLGBTQ+ history. The event raised awareness about homophobia and the harm it causes, fuelling Canada's growing Pride movement.
The public outcry led to Rosen and the three other women receiving an apology from Toronto Police chief Myron Demkiw in November of 2024.
“Each day, we strive to rebuild trust with every member of our 2SLGBTQ+ communities, one relationship at a time,” he said at the time.
“I admire how you have chosen to respond to the trauma you have experienced over 50 years ago. At that time, you did what the community needed. Today, 50 years later, you continue to do what is best for the community.”
Rosen said that now more than ever, it’s important for community members to come together and spend less time on their phones and more time together, especially as growing problems in Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities demand attention and action.
Charlie Bois, a member of the high school's gender sexuality alliance (GSA) said meeting different members of the community has opened her mind and given her a chance to learn more from older generations, adding that she was proud to take part in the annual event.
“It was really cool to actually get to pull the chain and pull the flag up myself, and to see all the people who were there supporting us, watching and listening,” said Bois.
“Everybody has different identities, everyone has different opinions, and it's always good to be kind and just to be who you are,”
Austin Burr a teacher at the high school, said students who don’t find support at home will find it at school. Adding that the flag raising helps create a supportive environment that 2SLGBTQIA+ community members like Rosen didn’t have.
“We thought it was important to show that they are really supported here,” he said.
Burr said the high school's GSA plans on hosting a potluck at the end of the school year, where staff and students will be invited to share a meal and bridge gaps between different social circles.
Members of the group will be at Thunder Bay’s Pride parade on their own, due to school being finished for the year.
