NDP caucus invited to march in Calgary Pride, skirting ban on political parties
2 NDP MLAs will also head parade as marshals with dismantled Conversion Therapy Working Group
The entire Alberta NDP caucus has been invited to march in the Calgary Pride parade by the Centre for Sexuality, and two New Democrat MLAs will help marshal the event, skirting a ban on political parties joining the march.
Pride first rejected Jason Kenney's governing United Conservative Party, calling on it to kill Bill 8 — which affects gay-straight alliances in Alberta schools and critics warn could out gay children to their parents without consent.
Pride also criticized the UCP government for dismantling an informal legislature body set up by the former NDP government to research ways to ban conversion therapy, a widely condemned practice meant to change a person's sexual orientation through counselling or religious teaching.
Pride then imposed a blanket ban on parties joining the march after a blind jury process left the NDP as the only party approved to take part. They said they wanted to avoid giving the impression that other parties were against LGBTQ rights or to marginalize those in the community who did not vote for the NDP.
Calgary Pride said politicians were free to join the festivities as long as they were invited by a participating organization.
Pam Krause, the president and CEO of the Centre for Sexuality, announced Wednesday that the group had invited the NDP caucus to join them in the parade.
Krause said the caucus had been invited because the former NDP government led by Rachel Notley "passed legislation that concretely demonstrated their commitment to the rights of LGBTQ2S+ Albertans, including important GSA legislation that ensured the safety of all students."
This year's parade, on Sept. 1, will be marshalled by members of that dismantled Conversion Therapy Working Group, including NDP MLA Janis Irwin and NDP MLA Nicole Goehring.
"The Centre for Sexuality has been a leader in fighting for equal rights for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community in Calgary for decades," Irwin said in an NDP release on Wednesday.
"We are honoured to join them in the Calgary Pride parade."
A spokesperson for the NDP said not everyone from the NDP caucus would be in the parade.
"Acting as symbols of our community's refusal to be silenced, and our unrelenting support of those subjected to this treatment, these individuals will lead the parade as a reminder that our voices carry weight, our community deserves to be heard, and that collectively we will not accept any practice that calls into question our inalienable right to exist," reads a statement from Calgary Pride.
Pride slams UCP government
Calgary Pride slammed the UCP government for removing funding for the Conversion Therapy Working Group and said it represented the "first time in Canadian history" that LGBTQ rights were rolled back.
"Conversion therapy is an abhorrent and outdated practice that must stop," said Goehring in a news release.
"The working group being named marshal of the parade helps us shine a spotlight on the devastating impacts of conversion therapy on the LGBT2QS+ community."
The new United Conservative government is not supporting the group, which is continuing its work backed by the NDP caucus.
The UCP has said it condemns conversion therapy and would listen to any recommendations, but has added that the practice is already banned by all the relevant licensing bodies in the province.
The UCP did not immediately respond to a question from CBC News regarding whether any of its caucus had been invited to march.
UCP spokesman Harrison Fleming told The Canadian Press said it will be up to individual MLAs if they want to attend the parade as guests.
Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan — who was the first openly gay leader of political party in the province — will march with YYC Voices.
An open letter
Calgary Liberal MP Kent Hehr penned an open letter to Calgary Pride — which he sent weeks ago and released publicly on Wednesday — asking Calgary Pride to allow him to participate on his own merits, as he has done since 2003.
In the letter, he says there are two types of politicians: those who show up for the publicity and then don't do anything to advance LGBTQ rights, and those who are "sincere allies."
Hehr said he falls into the second category.
"With this decision, it doesn't matter what I stand for, or the changes I have worked to bring over many years," he wrote.
"When it comes time to march, I am classified as equal to Premier Kenney, who just this year threatened GSAs with Bill 8."
With files from The Canadian Press