LGBT

Strut Vancouver kicks up its heels to fundraise for LGBT refugees

by Craig Takeuchi on April 25th, 2016 at 1:55 PM
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      Strut Vancouver put its best feet forward to kick off—in heels, no less—its 2016 campaign.

      The launch, held at Celebrities Nightclub on April 23, is for the Strut walkathon, a walk held by the Foundation of Hope to raise funds for LGBT refugees and newcomers.

      As the Strut website points out, homosexuality is still a criminal offense in 79 countries, and numerous other countries lack any rights or protection for LGBT people.

      Over the past few years, several LGBT immigrants and refugees, such as Danny Ramadan from Syria and Zdravko Cimbaljevic from Montenegro, have become prominent and active figures in Vancouver.

      Zdravko Cimbaljevic, shown here at Strut 2015, has become a prominent LGBT figure in the local community since he arrived here from Montenegro.
      Craig Takeuchi

      This year, the walk is on June 11 so you have plenty of time to register and collect pledges if you're interested. The launch already raised a whopping $3,000 so they're off to a strong start.

      And don't worry—high heels are optional. Many participants do wear them, in addition to colourful, entertaining, and flamboyant costumes.

      Last year's event worked it along the seawall and raised over $43,000.

      If you're interested in finding out more information or want to register, visit the Strut Vancouver website.

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