The BC Liberal Party will not be participating in this summer’s Pride Parade in Vancouver after it did not sign a pledge calling for new legislation to protect transgender people.
This is something parade organizers require they do.
Chrissy Taylor, the vice-president of the Vancouver Pride Society, says the pledge was originally launched in May. “We launched the requirement that all parade entries, regardless of whether you were an individual or an organization, would have to sign the Trans Equality Now pledge.”
“It’s pledging to support new legislation to change the human rights code in B.C. and also federally to include gender identity and gender expression.”
Taylor says everyone was told about the pledge in May and then anyone who applied after, it was already part of their application.
Other political parties have signed the pledge.
“We would rather have them in the parade and have them sign the pledge to pledge that they support trans rights than not be in the parade,” says Taylor.
She adds it’s not about politics, but rather about human rights.
“We have been really left behind, not only within society, but also within the pride movement and a lot of folks, whether they’re gay or lesbian have had these rights for a number of years and unfortunately the trans community doesn’t.”
The BC Liberals say every individual is equal and B.C’s Human Rights Code is inclusive of transgender people, but Taylor says without the inclusion of gender identity and gender expression, trans people don’t have any way to launch complaints based on trans-phobia. “It essentially means they’re not equal.”
WATCH: Chrissy Taylor, vice-president of the Vancouver Pride Society, joins Sonia Sunger to talk about why the BC Liberal Party is not going to be participating in this year’s Pride Parade.
Critics say they BC Liberals were not given enough time to sign the pledge and by signing the pledge would mean they are agreeing to bring it into legislation.
When asked about if this goes against the idea of the Pride Parade, where everyone can take part, Taylor says pride initially started off as a protest for rights and they are “bringing it back to its roots.”
It is not known what other political parties will be marching in the parade at this time.
In a statement to Global News, Laura Miller, executive director of the BC Liberals says:
Every individual is equal and protected under BC’s Human Rights Code, including transgender and gender variant people.
Vancouver Pride Society wants these protections to be explicitly stated. The BC Liberal Party differs on this point.
As much as we might want to participate in the parade, we will not change our point of view to do so.
Pride should be a celebration of diversity and inclusiveness. It’s disappointing that 2015 will be remembered for its exclusionary approach.
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