NDP statement on Pride Month

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the following statement:

“On behalf of all New Democrats, I want to wish you a happy Pride Month. No matter how you identify, or who you love, New Democrats will always stand with you and work to make our country a more inclusive place.

Thanks to the tireless work of organizers and advocates from the 2SLGBTQI+ community, crucial outreach work is happening to improve the lives of Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast. And in the coming month, millions of Canadians will take part in Pride Month celebrations across the country.

But achieving full equality for the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Canada is an ongoing process, and hard work must still be done to ensure all 2SLGBTQI+ people are safe and respected here in Canada and around the world. We all have a role to play in helping to make our country a fairer and better place to live. This starts with coming together to support everyone's self-worth and dignity by calling out discrimination, homophobia or transphobia wherever we see it.

We must also acknowledge that the colonial history of our country has actively had a harmful impact on 2SLGBTQI+ people. Two Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ identities were actively attacked and purposefully destroyed. People who were once honored in their communities and held important traditional roles were left shamed, rejected and vulnerable. While the government has apologized for their role in this legacy, words must be followed by concrete, meaningful action. That is why New Democrats have called for sustained federal funding to be made available to Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQI+ lead organizations to promote the resurgence and resiliency of Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQI+ identities as a result of the devastating impacts of colonization.

Canadians also expect this government to be a leader in standing up to countries around the world where people are still persecuted for their identity and sexual orientation. New Democrats will continue to advocate for a clear path to safety for 2SLGBTQI+ refugees who are at imminent risk of violence in their home countries.

This Pride Month, New Democrats are celebrating the victories of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and recommitting to always fighting by your side for full equality and a future where people can live free of discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia.

Happy Pride!”