City Councillors Don Iveson and Ben Henderson show off their tricycle-made-for-two.
Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman and Edmonton-Riverview MLA Kevin Taft.
Edmonton-Strathcona MP Linda Duncan and MLA Rachel Notley.
Edmonton-Calder MLA Doug Elniski, Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Fred Horne, and Edmonton-Glenora MLA Heather Klimchuk were the first PC MLAs to ever participate in Edmonton's Pride Parade. Klimchuk was given a unique initiation at the Pride festivities:Edmonton Pride Parade revellers waved rainbow flags Saturday afternoon as they booed and yelled "shame" at Edmonton-Glenora MLA Heather Klimchuk, the first government minister to participate in the annual celebration.
As the Service Alberta minister spoke to a crowd of thousands at Sir Winston Churchill Square, the shouts were louder than she was.
The boos were in response to the provincial government's passage of Bill 44 nearly two weeks ago. The bill made controversial changes to Alberta's Human Rights Act by giving parents the right to take their children out of classes dealing with sexual orientation, human sexuality and religion.
Critics argued the new law put teachers in danger of facing human rights complaints and created a second tier of rights.
Yet the tolerance they are all seeking was in fact included in Bill44.
ReplyDeleteTrevor, maybe you missed this!!!
ReplyDeleteBill 44 discriminates against gays, activists say
Gay rights activists made a final push Monday afternoon on the steps of the Alberta legislature to stop the passage of Bill 44.
The controversial legislation would give parents the right to pull their children from classes about sexuality, sexual orientation and religion. The final vote on the bill is scheduled for Monday night.
"I have to start by saying, 'Here we go again,' " gay rights activist Murray Billet said.
The parental rights clause is included in an amendment that finally enshrines gay rights in the province's human rights code, 11 years after the Supreme Court of Canada directed the government to do so.
"They have taken a very fundamental right and have added all kinds of what I would characterize as state-sanctioned discrimination, which is absolutely unacceptable," Billett said. "This is not about kids' rights or parents' rights. This is about discrimination."
Billet's statements were echoed by Lance Anderson, a gay man who is married and has two children in elementary school.
"I fought this government before to adopt my children. I won. I'll do it again," he said.
'This is not about kids' rights or parents' rights. This is about discrimination.'— Murray Billett, gay rights activist
Critics say the law would make it possible for parents to file human rights complaints against teachers and school districts, creating a chill with regard to what is taught in the classroom.
Anderson said the bill will affect what his children learn in school.
"If you have to take the curriculum and strip it or ignore every mention of every religion or sexuality contained in it, it really puts a damper on a lot of the basic education that my kids receive," he said.
"What happens at Father's Day art projects when my son makes two? How does the teacher explain that without talking about my family?"
The Alberta NDP were expected to table a petition against Bill 44 with more than 1,000 signatures on it in the Alberta legislature Monday afternoon.
Tory politicians say the bill does not discriminate against gay people and only gives parents a say in what their children are taught.
Lindsay Blackett, the cabinet minister responsible for human rights, said Monday he was frustrated by the amount of negative attention the bill has received.
"What's most misunderstood, I think, is that somehow that because we put in a parental rights bill that gave a parent the chance to opt out meant that that was somehow anti-gay and we didn't support the inclusion of sexual orientation and we had to come up with some side-door deal to make that happen, which is absolutely false," he said.
Opponents to the bill plan to fill the legislature gallery Monday evening while MLAs speak about Bill 44.
The governing Progressive Conservatives have 71 of the legislature's 83 seats, making it a near certainty that Bill 44 will pass a third and final reading in a vote expected to take place later in the evening.
Greg Weadick, CONServative MLA for Lethbridge West failed to even respond to an invitation to attend the first rainbow flag raising at City Hall in Lethbridge on June 12, 2009.
ReplyDeleteDisgraceful that an elected representative can not be bothered to even provide a response declining the invitation to attend and be a guest speaker.
All queers and their allies should rally at the PC convention this fall.
ReplyDeletehopefulloy everyone will leave the tomatoes and wrotten eggs at home