Saskatoon Pride bans Sask. Party from June parade

On the heels of a similar decision in Regina, Saskatoon Pride has announced that Saskatchewan Party MLAs are banned from the organization’s annual summer parade.

In a news release this week, the organization said the decision stemmed from Bill 137, which requires schools to inform parents if a child under 16 wishes to change the name or pronouns they use in schools.

Saskatoon Pride said any MLAs who voted in favour of the bill are unwelcome at the parade, and apologized for not making the move sooner.

“We believe we were finding a different way of reaching the same conclusion as other Pride organizations, but we understand that we should have listened better and acted sooner and we apologize for leaving people feeling unsupported as a result,” the group said in a statement.

According to Saskatoon Pride, the law has created “ongoing anxiety,” saying the party is facing “passionate opposition… as a result of the harm they have unleashed on the queer and trans youth of this province and their families, teachers, and counsellors.”

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The provincial government has defended the law, saying it’s intended to keep parents informed about their children’s lives.

“Parents and guardians have a right to know what is being taught in their children’s school,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in statement when the law was first passed in October.

“‘The Parents’ Bill of Rights’ is an inclusionary policy that ensures that parents are at the forefront of every important decision in their child’s life.”

Saskatoon Pride said the bill was an effort by government “to appease the extreme right of the province,” and said its ban on party members will not be reconsidered while the law remains on the books.

“How to move forward? Repeal Bill 137 and a wary conversation can begin,” the pride group stated.

The city’s pride parade is set for June 17.

The full statement from Saskatoon Pride can be read below.