TORONTO — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says that when people say “all lives matter” in response to Black Lives Matter, it reminds her of people saying, “Why don’t straight people have a parade?”
Wynne, who is openly gay, responded to questions today about a Black Lives Matter protest at the Toronto Pride parade and controversy over a singer changing the national anthem’s lyrics at the Major League Baseball all-star game.
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Remigio Pereira, a member of The Tenors, sang “all lives matter” during the anthem this week and Wynne says he made a “big, big mistake in terms of his career.”
She says when people say that, what’s heard is: “You don’t understand what we’re saying.”
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Ahead of a public meeting of Ontario’s newly established anti-racism directorate that Wynne is attending tonight, she says that Pride and Black Lives Matter Toronto will have to work out issues between themselves separate from her input.
Wynne says it’s important to recognize that people have a right to peaceful protest and society has a responsibility to tackle systemic discrimination.