Calgary gay pride parade mandates LGBTQ support pledge from marchers

Organizers of Calgary's gay pride parade have instituted a new rule that requires participants to sign a declaration of support.

"Alot of people have been asking for it. It helps us weed out the groups who've been walking in the parade for the wrong reasons," Steve Wright, president of Pride Calgary, told the Calgary Eyeopener on Friday.

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He says the move is in response to the debate over gay-straight alliances in 2014 and concerns some politicians were marching in the parade who did not support them.

GSAs are school groups that provide safe spaces for students to support and socialize with one another as they discuss their feelings and experiences related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Last year, the Prentice government was forced to revamp abill to allowGSAsin any school where students wanted one. The original version of the legislationwould have forced students to take their school boards to court if they were prohibited from creating a GSA.

'PR' of the parade

Pride Calgary's declaration for participants inthis year's parade is an attempt to ensure groups who march in the parade support issues important to theLGBTcommunity.

Wright says it's something already required by organizers of the pride parades in Toronto andVancouver.

He says board members talked about the declaration with others.

Theyfelt a declarationwould help to ensure the community is protected from people trying to benefit from the "PR" of the parade.

It's not meant to exclude anyone, but"if people don't support our community, chances are they won't be in the parade," he said.

Pride festivities run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7 in Calgary, with the parade on Sept. 6.