The Halifax Pride Society has announced that after six years as Executive Director, Adam Reid is stepping down to pursue other projects.
Starting as Halifax Pride’s first Executive Director in 2016, Reid was tasked with stabilizing the organization and ensuring the festival reflected the needs of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Following years of criticism for failing to support racialized and trans and nonbinary communities, Reid focused on rebuilding trust, implementing a new strategic plan, and charting a new course for Halifax Pride.
Since becoming Executive Director, Halifax Pride has created new support efforts including: a community event grant program, adding a variety of new large and small scale events, hiring more local performers and speakers, creating the annual Nova Scotian Pride Organizers Symposium, adding staff, expanding the size and duration of the Festival Site, and drafting new policies and procedures to create safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces.
Following successful events from 2017 to 2019, Halifax Pride presented smaller scale socially distant festivals in 2020 and 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These smaller scale festivals allowed Pride an opportunity to review and improve operations to support the exceptional growth they had experienced prior to the pandemic.
The in person full scale 2022 Halifax Pride Festival was just named Best Festival by readers of The Coast, as it has every year the category has been open since Reid began with Halifax Pride.
Says Reid, “I’m deeply grateful for the incredible community who have helped make Halifax Pride possible. The festival succeeds thanks to the countless volunteers and community members who contribute their time, energy, and passion. It’s been an honour to be one of the caretakers of this festival, and I wish my successors nothing but success. I know what an important role this festival plays in the community and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to continue the work of so many others before me.”
Reid continues, “While I’ve had the chance to work with many extraordinary people, I particularly want to recognize my colleague Fiona Kerr, past board member Paul Forrest, and past Board Chair Morgan Manzer for their tireless efforts. The growth Halifax Pride has seen in recent years was possible due in large part to their drive and dedication.”
Morgan Manzer, past Chair of Halifax Pride says, “Adam has been an unparalleled changemaker in the history of Halifax Pride. His visionary leadership successfully transformed Halifax Pride into the most enviable and community-focused major Pride festival in Canada. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside Adam for almost five years. I know his work has made a lasting positive impact on Halifax Pride and Halifax’s broader 2SLGBTQ+ community.”
The 2023 Halifax Pride Festival will take place from July 20-30, 2023. For more information visit halifaxpride.com.
2018 photo of Adam courtesy of thestar.com.
