‘I can see all the eyes on me’: 2SLGBTQ+ in Steinbach

June is Pride Month and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ in Steinbach shared their experiences of what it’s like being part of the queer community in Steinbach.

“I know I’m in Steinbach when I can see all the eyes on me,” said Angelica Brunger, who uses she/they pronouns. “Acceptance is one thing that has a long way to come. And respect in general.”

Brunger graduated from the Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) in 2019, where they helped restart the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) in 2017, formerly known as the Gay-Straight Alliance.

“There were quite a few of us that felt like outcasts,” she said. “You had to be very strategic with who you trust and who you talk to. If you aren’t and if you talk to the wrong person, they will make your life uncomfortable, and again you wouldn’t feel safe.”

Brunger said they put up posters promoting the GSA club around the high school, but a former principal “was on a rampage” and he would rip up the posters on campus.

Now 24 years old, Brunger said the town still has a long way to go.

“Safety is the biggest thing we struggle with in Steinbach everywhere, especially in the schools,” she said. “Obviously the school’s not perfect yet, but it’s come a long way.”

Brunger is the executive director for Band of Colours+, a group that provides educational, social, and mental health resources for those in the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

“Sexual education is very important in the trans and queer community. Like STDs aren’t just for straight people you know,” said Brunger. “Steinbach is such a bubble where their experience as a queer individual is going to grow and their journey is going to be long. By living in Steinbach a lot of queer individuals don’t get to start their journey at the age that they should have.”

June is Pride month, where those from the 2SLGBTQIA+ are celebrated.

“Pride is super important for us to be heard and have a platform to speak up,” she said. “It marks where we are and where we’ve come, it’s a big moment of reflection and how far we still need to go.”

Chris Plett, president of Steinbach Pride, also graduated from SRSS in 1998.

“Usually after pride month is done, we don’t get talked about anymore. But for the people who live within the LGBTQIA2S+ community it’s everyday. It’s when you walk into a bus and you feel uncomfortable because the person sitting across from you, you don’t know if they might harass you. It’s not knowing if you’re going to get the job,” he said.

Plett said when he was applying for jobs he had two resumes, one for Winnipeg, and another for Steinbach. One also mentioned that he works for pride, and the other one that didn’t because he was worried, he wouldn’t get a job at certain places.

“You had to stay hidden,” he said. “When I was young it wasn’t unusual to get beaten up.”

The Steinbach Pride March is on Sept. 13 at K.R. Barkman Park.

“Pride doesn’t necessarily always have to happen on pride month… It’s sort of compartmentalizing when you can celebrate. You can celebrate pride any time of the year,” said Plett.

Pride parades take place throughout the year in Canada.

Montréal’s Pride Parade is on Aug. 10. Whistler’s Pride and Ski Festival is from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1, 2026.

Plett said there are over 30 pride celebrations that happen throughout Manitoba, and he thinks it would be nice to support and check out some of the other ones too.

Hanover School Division did not respond to specific questions but gave a statement affirming their commitment to inclusion and diversity.

“Our staff is committed to providing a safe, inviting, and inclusive learning environment that respects the human rights, diversity, and dignity of all students and their families,” said Joe Thiessen, Superintendent-CEO for Hanover School Division, in an email on Wednesday.

The GSA at SRSS declined an interview.