The Salvation Army Park Street Citadel (via Facebook)
Grand Falls-Windor Pride members are grateful for the outpouring of generosity, kindness and support they have received after an unfortunate incident that they say only reinforces the need for Pride events.
The Grand Falls-Windsor Lions Club announced yesterday that it was cutting ties with a local church after the Salvation Army Citadel on Park Street opposed the service club, which invited the local Pride committee on a weekly hygienic walk.
Lion’s Club hosts walks every Thursday afternoon at the Park Street Salvation Army for a period of time.
The walks are meant to encourage an active life and to mark Pride Month, the Lions Club invited GF-W Pride members to take part in the event tonight.
The church did not like this, with the result that the club canceled the walk and terminated its cooperation with the Salvation Army Citadel.
Lion’s Club is now looking for another place.
Alyssa Frampton, co-president of Pride Grand Falls-Windsor, says they were not shocked to hear the news.
He says they have seen a history of anti-2SLGBTQ + messages from the Salvation Army, so they were not surprised but were still wounded. He says the Lions Club just did a nice thing by inviting them to close Pride Month.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army in Newfoundland and Labrador issued a statement on the situation. They say they are disappointed with the way the situation with Lion’s Club developed as they did not ask for the event to be canceled.
It is said that as a faith-based organization, The Salvation Army Park Street Citadel is guided by the organization’s core values and welcomes everyone to church property.
