SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - An event was in the city on Friday with the aim to revitalize gay pride events in the territory that have dwindled over the past few years.

"It's very important that we rekindle the flame and have people come out and think about the issues," said Jean Francois Des Lauriers, regional executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada North and the Northern Territories Federation of Labour co-hosted Friday's event, which was held on the corner of 50 Street and Franklin Avenue in the downtown core.

Passersby at last week's event were encouraged to sign a petition urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take action against funding cuts to various programs that would help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Canadians realize equality on all grounds.

In May, the federal government announced it would not fund Toronto's 2010 Pride Festival, though in 2009, it donated $400,000.

OutNorth, an organization representing the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Yellowknife dissolved in 2007 after 10 years of existence.

The organization pushed for a gay pride day in Yellowknife but it was rejected by city council three times before it was finally approved in 1998.

At that time, June 10 was named Gay Pride Day in the city, though there were no official celebrations held this year.

The idea for last Friday's event was borne out of a union education workshop in Yellowknife a few months ago, according to Mary Lou Cherwaty, president of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour.

She said in the past the federation has put on smaller events in the territory to raise awareness about gay pride.

"It sort of lapsed over the last couple of years so we really wanted to have something to do a resurgence to try to make this an annual event," she said.

Though Des Lauriers said he didn't think Yellowknife ranked any better or worse than other communities of its size, he said it's easy to forget about the issues no one talks about.

He praised the NWT's Human Rights Act as one of the most progressive in the country, as it recognizes not only sexual orientation, but gender identity.

Literature provided by the Canadian Labour Congress defines gender identity as how an individual thinks of themselves, rather than their physical sex.

Des Lauriers maintained educating the community about the issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as the best way to avoid discrimination.

Pride events were also held on Friday in Hay River, Inuvik and Fort Smith.

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