Prince Albert Pride to Ban Saskatchewan MLAs from Pride Month Activities
Prince Albert Pride has announced that it will ban members of the Sask. Party and Saskatchewan United Party from participating in Pride Month activities. The decision follows a similar move by Queen City Pride in Regina, which declined to proclaim Pride Month at the legislature this year due to the actions of the Saskatchewan government.
PA Pride chair Chelsea Bleau said that the organization believes Bill 137, the province’s transphobic pronoun legislation, is an attack on the rights of two-spirit and trans young people. She said that having MLAs who support the legislation attend Pride events would be disrespectful and harmful to the LGBTQ2S+ community.
The Saskatchewan government has defended Bill 137, saying that it is intended to protect the rights of parents to be involved in their children’s education. However, critics of the legislation say that it will have a negative impact on the mental health of transgender and non-binary youth.
The decision by Prince Albert Pride to ban Saskatchewan MLAs from Pride Month activities has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised the organization for taking a stand against discrimination, while others have criticized the decision as being divisive and counterproductive.
It remains to be seen whether other Pride organizations in Saskatchewan will follow the lead of Prince Albert and Queen City Pride. However, the decision by these two organizations is a clear indication that the LGBTQ2S+ community in Saskatchewan is growing increasingly frustrated with the government’s actions on issues of gender identity and sexual orientation.
