'We like to do it in a fun way': Prairie Pride teaches viewers about LGBTQ community in Sask.
Saskatchewan's first TV program organized and produced by LGBTQ people hails from the Queen City.
Prairie Pride, hosted on Access 7, takes a look at what's happening in the LGBTQ community in Regina and Saskatchewan as a whole.
"It's a variety of stuff, we have a lot of good interviews," Prairie Pride host Terry Van Mackelberg said. "Every interview we try to bring something to the table so that people can learn … but we like to do it in a fun way."
Van Mackelberg said he wanted to get involved in Prairie Pride because he lived 'in the closet' for 34 years because he didn't feel comfortable with who he was.
When he came out as gay, he said he saw the importance of letting other know it was OK to be a gay man in Saskatchewan.
It's also a way for him to show his three children that it's okay to be who you want to be — a message he said is tough to put out there.
"We've come a long way in Regina and in the Prairies, but we're still not there and there still is a stigma out there," Van Mackelberg said.
Spencer Burridge, the producer of Prairie Pride, said he thinks people are happy there's something like the show on the airwaves.
He said it's important to have a show like his to cater to the needs of the growing pride community in Saskatchewan.
"We have such a big community of gender diverse and LGBTQ people in Saskatchewan, and it's good to highlight all of the events that are happening throughout Saskatchewan," Burridge said.
