As part of Pride Month, the Progress Pride flag was raised Thursday morning at 15 Wing Moose Jaw.

LCol Kevin Tipper says, across the board, the Canadian Armed Forces is looking to be more inclusive.

"As one of the commanding officers on base, I also act as the champion to the Defense Team Pride Advisory Organization (DTPAO). We have a group of folks within the LGBTQ community, as well as other folks on base who are there to be part of the committee. Really, it's about the awareness, it's about things that we're not doing well that we could do better and looking for all of the areas to raise the awareness and ultimately make our organization more inclusive."

Progress pride flagProgress Pride flag

Derrick Enslow is the Health Promotion Manager for Personal Support Programs. He also serves as the civilian co-chair on the Defense Team Pride Advisory Organization.

"I think it's important because as an organization, the military want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, that everyone feels that they belong to this organization. While we may not all agree with each other, we can at least respect and show empathy for everyone's point of view and make sure everyone is included in what we do and I think that's the main reason why I get involved with the DTPAO and why the military has great involvement in all of these advisory organizations."

Enslow says events, such as the flag raising held Thursday, provide an opportunity for people to feel more comfortable talking about issues related to the LGBTQ community.

"The more we do these types of events, I think the more it opens up conversations to occur not just on days like this but all the time. A lot of the stuff that I do, and workshops that I provide, we talk about this all the time, about how we need to have these conversations. Whether it's conversations about the LGBTQ community, mental health, and so on. We just need to keep talking about it all the time."

The Progress Pride flag is expected to remain raised at 15 Wing Moose Jaw throughout the month of June.