Roundup: A milestone Pride

Posted on by

Though he had committed to it long before the shootings in Orlando, there was a particularly importance to the visibility that Canadian political leaders brought to Toronto Pride this year, and for the first time, a sitting Prime Minister marched, alongside an openly lesbian Ontario premier. For the first time, the Conservative party leaders, both federally and provincially marched, along with leadership candidates Maxime Bernier, Kellie Leitch, and Michael Chong (and Lisa Raitt, should she decide to throw her hat into the ring). Absent however was outgoing federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, which is unusual considering how the NDP generally pride themselves on being at Pride. And yes, Elizabeth May was there for her tenth year in a row as well. This year, being in the shadow of Orlando, was a reminder that yes, Pride is political, and the actions of Black Lives Matter Toronto added to that politicisation (make of their tactics what you will). That you had the entire political spectrum in Canada represented for the first time was a milestone worth noting.

In a place where a Pride parade really matters, one happened in Steinbach, Manitoba, after much pushback from the local political leaders, in a place where openly gay and lesbian people have literally been run out of town by harassment and bullying. Visibility is important, particularly in these smaller towns where ignorance and fear go hand-in-hand, making the need to be visible all the more important, lest nothing change.

Good reads:

  • Here’s a look at the various perspectives that Indigenous parliamentarians brought to the C-14 debate, on both sides of the issue.
  • Privately sponsored Syrian refugees left in limbo by processing delays are feeling squeezed by not being able to come to Canada as soon as promised.
  • CRA is concerned that the Unitarian Church’s bylaws are too vague when it comes to giving them charitable tax status. Cries of “witch hunt!” continue.
  • Security and law enforcement agencies are concerned about growing use of encryption making their jobs more difficult.
  • The CRA has released preliminary data on the “tax gap” for GST and HST, when the figure everyone wants is the international tax gap.
  • Ontario is making drivers’ licences and health cards gender-neutral, and Trudeau says the federal government is now considering the same.
  • Kim Campbell talks about being a woman in politics.
  • Kady O’Malley compares the post-Brexit UK leadership shenanigans to how our party systems work currently.
  • James Bowden reminds us that Canada has existed continuously as a polity since 1791, making us much older than 149.
  • Adam Dodek bemoans that our constitution is not a simple, straight-forward document.
  • Scott Reid notes that if it’s between the “establishment” and those who rail against it for their own selfish reasons, then he’s pro-establishment.
  • Paul Wells notes the places where the US isn’t living up to the things that Obama pointed out his speech.
  • Susan Delacourt notes the lip service paid to income inequality in the Three Amigos summit, but with few solutions being offered.

Odds and ends:

Harjit Sajjan talks about being visibly Sikh and dealing with racism while in the military.

Here’s a look at the time that Lester B. Pearson and George Ignatieff outdrank the Russians when they were trying to intimidate Canada.