Tories reject NDP demand all MLAs march in Pride parades
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2023 (303 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Manitoba’s minister for gender equity says it would be wrong to compel MLAs to participate in Pride parades because it would be contrary to the spirit of the movement.
“(I) believe that people should march if they feel that they wish to march, and that compelling people to march is probably contrary to the spirit of pride,” Rochelle Squires said in response to the NDP promising that its entire caucus would march in at least one event this season.
On Wednesday, the NDP pledged its 18 MLAs and roster of candidates will march in a Pride parade this year. It called on the Progressive Conservatives to require the same commitment from its MLAs.
“Will the premier do the right thing and will she commit that 100 per cent of the PC caucus will walk in a Pride parade in Manitoba this year?” NDP MLA Lisa Naylor asked in question period.
Last year, Premier Heather Stefanson was forced to apologize for not walking in the Pride Winnipeg march despite delivering remarks at the annual rally.
In 2019, the organization adopted a policy requiring all political leaders who are invited to speak at the annual Pride rally to also march in the parade immediately afterward.
Stefanson blamed a scheduling conflict and miscommunication from her office for the controversy that resulted in organizers banning her from speaking at this year’s event owing to the “blatant disrespect” shown to the community. At least seven MLAs from the 35-member PC caucus attended last year’s rally in Winnipeg.
However, Stefanson will march in Sunday’s parade and Squires is expected to deliver remarks on behalf of the Manitoba government.
Last week, the Tories announced an annual $250,000 operating grant for Pride Winnipeg which will also support LGBTTQ+ initiatives. It is the first funding agreement of its kind between the province and Pride Winnipeg.
The Stefanson government also created a new gender equity secretariat, with Squires at the helm. Its mandate is to ensure cross-departmental co-ordination of services to support the needs of the gender, sexual and relationship diverse community.
Squires said government members look forward to attending Sunday’s Pride march, but did not go as far as committing her colleagues to attending an event.
“Our government and everyone in Manitoba should come together and support the community and to pronounce that love is love in the province of Manitoba,” Squires said to heckling from the NDP benches.
“We stand united against hate and we stand in love. Unlike members opposite, on this side of the house, love is love.”
Speaking to reporters after question period, Squires said Pride is about inclusivity, “not forced marches.” All Tory caucus members are invited to participate in the Pride Winnipeg march, she said.
“I don’t, certainly, think that that is a way to go about things, to be forcing people to march,” Squires said.
“It’s always been a choice that people have made, and I believe that that is the respectful approach to take, in that if someone wants to march in a parade, they should come out of love,” she said.
“That is the spirit of Pride: love is love.”
Squires said she could not comment on why an elected official might choose not to participate in a Pride march.
“My commitment is to ensuring that everyone in the province feels that they are welcome and that they’ve got a government that has their back, and that we are making steps to show that,” she said.
On occasion, the NDP requires caucus members to attend events that reflect the party’s values, Naylor said, but marching in a Pride parade should not be an issue for MLAs who are in favour of queer rights.
It’s not enough for the premier to march on behalf of her colleagues and the government, she said.
“There’s not an MLA in this legislature who doesn’t have members of the queer community as part of their constituency,” Naylor said. “They shouldn’t feel forced to show up and offer support to those community members.”
Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont said his three-person caucus will march on Sunday. However, he doesn’t believe participation in a parade is a litmus test for support.
“It’s a very important time for everybody to step up and show unity with this community that really is under the kind of threat I haven’t seen in a very long time,” Lamont said.
danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca