HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt and Area Pride Network is creating a new program for parents and caregivers of LGBT+ individuals of any age.
“We have a lot of parents who message our group for information,” said Andrew Matheson, chair and founder of the network. “Also [it’s] just a simple way to help us promote families being able to come to Humboldt to bring youth to Rainbow Coffee as well.”
Rainbow Coffee is their youth program offered monthly in Humboldt for anyone under the age of 18 for a safe space and workshops.
Matheson said one barrier preventing youth from being able to come out has being able to get a ride to the city.
“A lot of youth who do come to Humboldt live up to an hour away from Humboldt, so we found some youth weren’t getting access to youth programming because there wasn’t a ride or a way for the parents to travel to Humboldt as well.”
He hopes this programming will give incentives for parents to travel.
Additionally, Matheson said they hope to be able to provide resources and information to the parents.
“A big thing that speaking to some parents in the Humboldt area that has been brought up already is when youth or anyone comes out to a parent or a guardian or a friend, they’ve had X amount of years to come to terms or start that process of coming to terms with their identity before they’re actually sharing that information with someone,” he said.
“We just want to give them [parents] the information and help them catch up. There are just so many questions they have when they call or they message our page.”
The group will be peer led with one of the organizers being a parent, and another being a counselor with the Saskatchewan Health Authority Mental Health and Addiction Services.
“The beginning of it is going to be more like question and answer topics – so having a resource of just peer information. Eventually we would like to be able to bring in some speakers or host a workshop or some sort that’s geared towards what the attendance would like to see.”
One workshop Matheson would be interested in having is a Queer 101 workshop on respecting pronouns or helping parents understand some terminology.
“It’s something we’re already in the works of doing; we’re just seeing what our first turnout is going to be like on Dec. 10.”
The program takes place on Dec. 10, Jan. 7, Feb. 25, March 3, April 21, May 19 and June 16. Each meeting takes place at the Humboldt District Health Complex and runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The dates and times align with Rainbow Coffee.
The Humboldt and Area Pride Network was formerly known as Humboldt Pride.
Other initiatives being planned for the future include an adult coffee group for LGBT+ adults and allies.
“That’s our next initiative, getting started an adult coffee group as well,” Matheson said.
