Politicians, but still not parties, welcome to march in Calgary Pride

Individual politicians, but not political parties, will be allowed to march in this year's Calgary Pride parade. If they're invited.

The announcement from Calgary Pride is in response to its earlier decision to reject all political parties from marching. It said there were a record number of applications this year and it had to initiate a jury process.

At the end of that process, only the NDP was left eligible. Calgary Pride said it didn't want to make it appear that all other parties were against LGBTQ rights, so it barred all political parties from the celebration.

'True and unequivocal allies'

Now, after receiving "monumental" engagement from the LGBTQ community, Pride said there's some room for compromise.

"Calgary Pride doesn't leave anyone behind. If community members wish to march in the parade, we do everything we can to accommodate that desire, which has become (in many ways) a rite of passage for those of us from the community," said the organization in a statement on Monday.

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"With this in mind, we encourage community partners whose mandates directly serve the LGBTQ2S+ community to invite those politicians that have shown themselves to be true and unequivocal allies, to march with you in solidarity."

Politicians will be allowed to wear clothing that promotes their partybut will not be allowed to carry banners or signs.

UCP rejected

Calgary Pride also made clear that the governing United Conservative Party was rejected prior to the jury process.

"The letter was sent to the UCP in June, and in July, for the first time in Canadian history, the UCP became the first governing political party to roll back LGBTQ2S+ rights," reads the statement.

The statement was in reference to Bill 8, which affects gay-straight alliances in Alberta schools and which critics say could out gay children to their parents without consent.

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Calgary Pride called for the repeal of that legislation, aban on conversion therapy in the province and said it would offer training to the UCP"in order to inform their creation of anti-discrimination policies, as well as those that promote diversity."

"Calgary Pride recommended the UCP attend the parade as spectators, and we also let them know that all individuals are welcome to walk at the back of the parade in solidarity to the gender and sexually diverse community, and the values of inclusion, diversity, equity and access," reads the Pride statement.

Liberal leader to march

Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan said he's been invited to march with YYC Voices, a coalition of two-spirit, trans, queer and straight people of colour.

"David Khan is Alberta's first openly-gay leader of a major political party and a leading advocate for LQBTQ2S+ rights. I am proud to invite him to march with Voices representing himself as a queer person of colour," said Michelle Robinson, co-founder of the group, in a release on Tuesday.