Carney, MPs raise Pride Flag on Parliament Hill

The rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world are backsliding and the community is underrepresented in Canada’s democracy, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday at a ceremony to raise the Pride Flag on Parliament Hill.

“While Pride season comes and goes, our commitment to ensuring safety and dignity does not,” Carney said.

Parliamentarians and staffers from both sides of the aisle attended the event. Canada marks Pride Month in June.

Carney said raising the Pride flag is a symbol of belonging and an act of vigilance.

“For those of us who are now living freely, may it also be a reminder of the responsibilities that come with that freedom,” he said.

“To defend them against those who would diminish them, and to keep building a better, more just, more inclusive Canada. Open to welcoming who we all are and open to all that we can be.”

In its fall budget, the government committed $7.5 million over five years, with $1.5 million ongoing, toward security for Pride festivals across the country.

Carney said he was looking forward to participating in Pride parades later this month.

Carney was interrupted twice by pro-Palestinian protesters during his remarks, with one shouting that Carney was “committing genocide.”

“That’s not true,” Carney replied in French, adding that the day was a day for celebration.

Demonstrations on Parliament Hill require a permit. It’s not clear if the protesters, who carried protest signs, had the necessary permit.