Alberta premier walks in pride parade, says province has made big strides

CALGARY — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the province has made big strides in improving sexual minority rights.

Notley took part in Calgary’s annual pride parade on Sunday, noting that since she was elected to the legislature in 2008, the province’s human rights code included protection for people on the basis of sexual orientation.

She says the province also ensures students have access to gay-straight alliances in schools, and it’s no longer acceptable to say things in the legislature that were still OK when she first took a seat there.

Tens of thousands of people lined the route to watch the Calgary parade this year, which included 4,000 participants.

Former premier Alison Redford became the first Alberta premier to march in a pride parade when she acted as grand marshal for Calgary’s event in 2013.

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Along with the costumes and decorated vehicles, there was also remembrance of the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando earlier this year that killed 49 people and injured more than 50.

“I think it re-inserted the idea of why pride is important and why our community needs to band together,” Calgary Pride co-director Craig Sklenar said. “It was able to, if anything, bring our community closer together and band together even more.”

The athletics community was also represented in the parade, including Calgary Flames forward Matt Stajan and recently retired Calgary Stampeders running back Jon Cornish.

“As athletes we set the tone. High school students are going to look to us to see how their locker rooms should be. It’s up to us to create safe places that people can be themselves,” Cornish said.

(CFFR)

The Canadian Press