Kiersten Mohr felt lost, alone and confused as a transgendered person growing up in Airdrie.
She was convinced that there was no one else like her in the city and when she became involved with the Airdrie Pride Society in 2017, it was her goal that no other person ever has to feel like she did.
“Gandhi said it best, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world,’ and I think that summarizes perfectly why Airdrie Pride is so important to me,” she says.
Mohr, now the president of Airdrie Pride, was instrumental in organizing the society’s inaugural Pride Festival and Solidarity Walk in June 2019.
“It truly was one of the most impactful, outstanding and amazing days of my life,” she says.
“I connected with numerous people in the LGBTQ2S+ community who had never been ‘out’ in Airdrie before. So many of the youth came over for a teary hug, saying that they never thought they would see this in Airdrie.”
Candice Kutyn, Mohr’s fellow Pride board member, describes her as ‘strength wrapped in compassion.’
“She has navigated her own journey and maintained a commitment that Airdrie’s LGBTQ2S+ community should not have to leave their community to find their community,” says Kutyn.
“She continues to speak in an advocacy role to challenge the status quo and isn’t afraid to have difficult conversations to break down stereotypes and assumptions.”