When Connie Benwell began planning Fort SmithSA国际影视传媒檚 first LGBTQ+ awareness supper, her hope was that the event would help educate people in town about their lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and two-spirit neighbours.

In the end, the event was much more significant than she originally expected, as a couple got married inside the host Salt River Conference Centre on the night.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e so excited,SA国际影视传媒� said Mark Moberly, who tied the knot with his partner of eight years, Russell Selfie, at the event.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was so good and beautiful,SA国际影视传媒� added Selfie.

The LGBTQ+ awareness supper ran from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. Promotional material for supper promised good food, music, and guest speakers, as well as a SA国际影视传媒渟urprise eventSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� Moberly and SelfieSA国际影视传媒檚 wedding.

SA国际影视传媒淚 decided to do a supper, and I hired a caterer, and thought what else can I do besides get speakers?SA国际影视传媒� said Benwell, who works for Salt River First Nation. SA国际影视传媒淭hen I remembered that my friends Mark and Russell wanted to get married, but they didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know how to, or how to go about it. I thought it would be a good opportunity to put [it] in this event, so I approached them and asked them, SA国际影视传媒楢re you guys still thinking about getting married?SA国际影视传媒� And they said, SA国际影视传媒極h yeah, we just donSA国际影视传媒檛 have the money right now.SA国际影视传媒� I told them, SA国际影视传媒業 have a plan,SA国际影视传媒� and I told them what I was thinking of doing and they were so happy.SA国际影视传媒�

For Moberly and Selfie, it came together SA国际影视传媒減erfectly.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e wanted to get married for the last couple of years now,SA国际影视传媒� said Selfie. SA国际影视传媒淭hen the evacuation and all that happened so we kind of put it off to the side. Thank goodness for Salt River and Connie. SheSA国际影视传媒檚 the one that got us all together.SA国际影视传媒�

In addition to Moberly and SelfieSA国际影视传媒檚 wedding, the supper featured a speech from Fort Smith Mayor Fred Daniels, whose daughter is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

SA国际影视传媒淚 just wanted his input on how it was when she came out and how he felt as a parent,SA国际影视传媒� said Benwell. SA国际影视传媒淗e spoke for quite a while, and there was stuff that people didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know, and it was interesting to see the reactions.SA国际影视传媒�

Benwell admits she was initially SA国际影视传媒渘ervousSA国际影视传媒� that nobody would show up, but was ultimately very satisfied with the attendance, as roughly 40 people attended.

It was a reassuring sign, as there is not as much discourse about the LGBTQ+ community in the North as there is in other parts of the country, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome people didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know what it was. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 not many people talking about it.SA国际影视传媒�

Moberly and Selfie even admitted to having some reluctance about getting married because they werenSA国际影视传媒檛 sure how people would react SA国际影视传媒� though they have since been pleasantly surprised.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was always worried that people are going to judge me and say stuff about me, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 been so beautiful,SA国际影视传媒� said Selfie.

SA国际影视传媒淣obody judges us at all,SA国际影视传媒� added Moberly. SA国际影视传媒淣ot a thing.SA国际影视传媒�

Benwell said sheSA国际影视传媒檚 aware of several other LGBTQ+ couples around Fort Smith, and is pleased to see that those people are comfortable staying in town rather than moving south, as they might have done in the past.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen I was a younger girl, I saw that two-spirit people were afraid to come out of the closet, so they would go south,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淣ow more people are just staying in the North and living their lives.SA国际影视传媒�

That is something of a return to normal, according to Benwell, who noted that two-spirit people were respected members of many Indigenous communities long ago.

While Fort SmithSA国际影视传媒檚 first LGBTQ+ awareness supper only just passed, Benwell said she hopes to organize other events like it in the future, and encourages more people in town to attend, whether they identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community or not.

As for those who do identify with the community, Moberly and Selfie encourage them to be true to themselves.

SA国际影视传媒淐ontinue loving yourselves,SA国际影视传媒� said Moberly.

SA国际影视传媒淪tay strong and be yourselves,SA国际影视传媒� added Selfie. SA国际影视传媒淚t doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 matter what people think.SA国际影视传媒�