Controversy arose this year prior to the Vancouver Pride parade when the Vancouver chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement asked if the Vancouver Police Department could withdraw from the parade.

Although the Vancouver Pride Society confirmed that the police would remain in the parade, they did ask the police not to include an armoured vehicle. 

The request, and the reaction to it, did start up a broader discussion and debate within LGBT communities about race, representation, and inclusion or exclusion.

What's more, the VPS also remains committed to making their events more accessible and inclusive to all members of queer communities.

Consequently, they're hoping to identify groups or individuals who feel marginalized or do not feel represented at Pride events by collecting feedback through a variety of ways.

Anyone who is interested can fill out an anonymous survey to help identify what areas are effective and what are some things that need improvement at Pride events.

The VPS is also holding its first community consultation on October 27, facilitated by Romi Chandra Herbert and Lydia Luk from PeerNetBC.

Anyone who is interested in attending can contact the VPS office at 604-687-0955 or email the society's community partnerships coordinator. Space is limited.

The society will take a look at how the first consultation goes and then determine what would be best course of action, such as further consultations or community town-hall meetings.