June 17th, 2019

NDP MPP releases statement following Queen’s Park Pride flag raising

QUEEN’S PARK — Jill Andrew, Ontario NDP Culture critic and MPP for Toronto-St. Paul’s, spoke this morning at the Queen’s Park Pride flag-raising ceremony. She released the following statement on the occasion:

“The history of Pride has shown that our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning and 2-Spirited communities are resilient.

But we should never have to endure emotional and mental trauma at the hands of people, including politicians, who seek to wash away our lived experiences by downplaying the severity of our struggles, stigmatizing our personal lives and how we love, or refusing to say the words transphobia or homophobia. And heartbreaking and sometimes violent acts of hate, like what happened over the weekend at Pride Hamilton, serve as a painful reminder of our continuing struggles.

Flag-raising ceremonies and days of significance are only impactful when they are accompanied by plans and policies that support actions. Our queer, trans and gender-non-conforming communities must be supported in government budgets. Our identities and histories must be reflected in school curriculum.

The NDP is excited to celebrate Pride 2019 throughout the province, spreading the joyful truth that love is love. Happy Pride.”