FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26th 2024, Calgary (Moh’kinsstis) – Calgary Pride Acknowledgements the Impact of Global Injustices
In the lead up to this year’s Calgary Pride Week, we reflect on how far we’ve come in celebrating pride over the last 34 years. In 1990, the first Pride protest in Calgary was held, where nearly 150 members of our community bravely gathered, some masked to hide their identity, to protest for justice and equality for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Calgary. Today, we proudly host the third largest Pride celebration in Canada.
Thanks to the rainbow elders and those who continue to carry their legacy, we’ve arrived at a place where we can proudly celebrate our incredible community and our role in enriching the culture, identity and fabric of our city. Earlier this year, we banded together to support trans rights, and were reminded that our current freedoms were hard-won, and must be protected and expanded globally. Calgary Pride recognizes the struggle for human rights across the world because we understand that the fight for equality, dignity, and respect transcends borders.
Calgary Pride acknowledges the impact of current global injustices, from the excessive loss of life in Palestine, to the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia across Canada, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities globally continue to face discrimination, violence, and oppression, often under repressive regimes that criminalize or deny their very existence. We are committed to advocating for the vast intersections of our Community and ensuring that Pride continues to emulate the belief that every person, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves to live free from fear and with full access to universal human rights, equality, justice, and dignity. We acknowledge that a government is not always a representation of its people and we stand with Palestinian and Muslim community members, while equally holding compassion for our Israeli and Jewish community members. For this reason, Calgary Pride stands with every Palestinian, Israeli, Muslim and Jewish person who is seeking peace.
By highlighting these global struggles, Calgary Pride reminds Calgarians and Albertans across Treaties 6, 7, and 8, that the fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights is inseparable from the broader fight for human rights everywhere. Calgary Pride is committed to ensuring that our annual celebration emulates the community’s vision of equality, love, and justice for all.
Media Contact:
Name: Anna Kinderwater (she/her/they)
Title: Manager of Communications
Organization: Calgary Pride
Email: anna@calgarypride.ca
Socials:
@calgarypride
#CalgaryPride #WeAreCalgaryPride
About Calgary Pride:
Calgary Pride is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization that hosts Canada’s third largest Parade & Festival. Our mandate is to celebrate and advocate for the inclusion of Calgary’s gender and sexually diverse communities; to do this, we work to elevate the voices of our Community through visibility and education, and by building relationships that support Calgary Pride, and our surrounding network of community serving organizations.
Calgary Pride proudly serves Treaty 7, on the traditional territory of the Niitsitapi Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), Îyarhe Nakoda (Chiniki, Bearspaw, Wesley) and the Tsuut’ina. This land is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. This place, where the Elbow river meets the Bow, is known by many names to many people, including Mohkínstsis (Niitsitapi), Wincheesh-pah (Nakoda), Kootsisáw (Tsuu T’ina), Otos-kwunee (Cree), and Calgary. We thank the Indigenous communities of Turtle Island for both the historic and ongoing stewardship and protection of the land we collectively inhabit today. Many nations and people, Indigenous and non, are fortunate to call Moh’kinsstis and Treaty 7 territory our home. Acknowledging the land is Indigenous protocol, which we honor as a step towards reconciliation and fulfilling our responsibilities as Treaty people. Working alongside all Nations, Indigenous and non, we strive to create safe spaces where everyone can live openly and authentically.
