Pride celebrated on stage in Yorkton

CTV Regina: Celebrating pride week in Yorkton Pride Week is being celebrated on stage in Yorkton. Nathaniel Dove explains.

Sarah Kirschman is rehearsing one last time before her performance of ‘The Pink Unicorn’.

The play is about a conservative woman, learning to accept her trans-gender daughter and how they are both accepted in a small conservative town.

During the one act play, Kirshman's character grapples with her daughter's identity for more than seventy minutes. She will be alone on stage with nearly fifty pages of dialogue committed to memory.

Kirshman, who is also a teacher at Sacred Heart High School, says the performance is dedicated to the message.

“What I care about a lot is my students. And I care about them having a voice and having a safe space for themselves,” she said.

The play is being performed as part of Pride Week, a celebration of sexual diversity.

Laura Budd is the Education Coordinator for the Saskatchewan Pride Network. She says events like this, and the rainbow flag being raised at Yorkton Regional High School earlier in the day, are critical for young LGBT people.

“To me, it fills my heart with joy to see our youth raising the flag and showing others that they belong and that they are here,” Budd said.

Budd noted that she did not have the same kind of events, the same kind of inclusion and acceptance when she was young.

During her performance Kirschman doesn’t miss a line. The audience has given her a standing ovation for what some of them say is a moving performance.

“I'm a mom and I get what it's like to want to have your kids fit in and to want to support them when they stand out," said Margo Allaire, who attended the play.

Lauren Poesch is a high school student and also holds back tears during her interview. She found it moving "because of how relatable it was. Everything about it was very emotional. And there are a lot of people who go through that,” she said.

Kirschman hopes that the themes of the play, acceptance and tolerance, stay with the audience members throughout Pride Week.