Skateboarders Boycott Winnipeg Skatepark
For many, skating is a way of freedom, to forget about the daily problems we all face for a couple of hours whilst you hit the park with your friends. However, this isn’t the case for skaters in Winnipeg, Canada, who have decided to take a stand against local park The Edge after organizers denied a weekly event for the LGBTQ+ community.
Local LGBTQ+ skater Maddy Nowasad regularly visited The Edge and despite making a community of friends, she realized she didn’t quite fit the stereotypical skater image. This led to Maddy creating a zine, The Other Skaters, set up to represent and support 2SLGBTQ+, non-binary, and female skaters.
With Maddy’s zine in place soon came a pitched idea to the park, which gave LGBTQ+ skaters a weekly event specifically for the inclusive community. Despite the strong effort to make The Edge a much more diverse, safe space, organizers of The Youth for Christ Winnipeg rejected this idea and are yet to comment as to why?
This, however, isn’t the first time the park has been highlighted for its prejudiced views. A policy dating back to 2021 stated that YFC Winnipeg’s Park does not allow; “2SLGBTQ+ volunteers or staff, & non-Christian volunteers of staff.”
Maddy told CBC when she was told the event & zine weren’t welcome in their space; it was the “first time that I realized that it wasn’t actually a safe space.”
For more information on The Other Skaters, head on over to their Instagram: @theotherskaters.
