Sask. Party banned from Saskatoon Pride events

Article content

The first week of Pride Month began with parades, celebrations and community gatherings all across the province — but not for the Saskatchewan Party. 

On Wednesday, Saskatoon Pride announced “the Sask. Party and its members who stood up and answered ‘Yea’ to Bill 137 are banned from our 2024 Pride Parade and other Festival activities and events.”

Bill 137, introduced last summer, bans third-party sex educators from Saskatchewan classrooms and requires students under 16 years old to get permission from their parents or guardians to change which name or pronouns they use at school.

Article content

To pass the law, the provincial government chose to override portions of Saskatchewan’s Human Rights Code and the federal Charter of Rights and Freedoms with the notwithstanding clause.

“(Sask. Party MLAs) are not allies to two spirit, trans, or other queer people in this province,” Saskatoon Pride said in a statement. “Their voting record and rhetoric is disgraceful. How to move forward? Repeal Bill 137 and a wary conversation can begin.”

In May, Pride organizers in Regina, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw banned Sask. Party MLAs from attending their events this summer, citing the harmful impacts their legislation and rhetoric have had on 2SLGBTQ+ people and their loved ones in the province.

At the time, Saskatoon Pride said it was “unlikely” that the Sask. Party’s application to take part in its parade would be approved, pointing to its ongoing parade vetting process.

“Understandably, there is passionate opposition to the Sask. Party government as a result of the harm they have unleashed on the queer and trans youth of this province and their families, teachers and counselors,” Saskatoon Pride said in a statement.

Article content

Article content

“The ongoing anxiety the Sask. Party government created when they invoked the notwithstanding clause to avoid the scrutiny and power of the courts, thereby limiting the rights of queer and trans young people, is both telling and alarming. It shows how far sitting Sask. Party members of the day, and particularly the Premier, and the Justice and Education Ministers, will go to appease the extreme right of the province.”

In its statement, not only did Saskatoon Pride confirm that the Sask. Party is banned from its events this year, but the organization’s board says it should have shared that decision with the public much earlier.

“At this point, there is nothing in the way of us doing what we should have done when we activated our vetting process: Make it understood that even reviewing a parade application for the Sask. Party was futile,” the organization said.

“Given their attack on (the) rights of queer and trans youth, there was no way in which our board would approve their participation in our festival.”

This year’s Saskatoon Pride Parade will take place on June 22.

Article content

The Saskatoon StarPhoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.

With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark TheStarPhoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.

Article content