Organizers have banned Manitoba Prime Minister Heather Stefanson from future Pride events after she retired from an annual parade in Winnipeg.
“She is no longer welcome to walk in Pride because she has outright lied to our community,” Pride Winnipeg President Barry Karlenzig said Thursday.
Mrs. Stefanson spoke Sunday morning at a Pride demonstration, an event outside the legislature that celebrates the LGBTQ community. He did not take part in a parade which began immediately afterwards. Organizers said his staff told him he would.
Mrs Stefanson, saying she had to leave because she had other commitments, apologized on Thursday.
“I would like to apologize sincerely to Pride Winnipeg and the 2SLGBTQ + community for not being able to join in the running of Sunday’s events,” Stefanson said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, due to a schedule conflict and poor communication between my staff and the organizers of Pride Winnipeg, I was only able to attend the event. I was incredibly proud and honored to be able to attend the event and show my solidarity and support for the people and community of 2SLGBTQ + in Manitoba. “
Mr. Karlenzig said Pride Winnipeg requires that any political leader speaking at the rally also take part in the march. The goal is to ensure that politicians are at the event for more than a photo opportunity, he said.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed three times that Ms. Stefanson would speak at the rally and leave as well, Karlenzig said, but then said he might have to leave early for another event.
“They said,‘ Can you do three-quarters of the way through the parade? ’He said.
“She didn’t walk anything. She literally finished her speech and then went back inside (the legislature) and disappeared.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said Ms Stefanson had been summoned to two other events on Sunday: a fundraiser held behind the legislature for the early morning mental health of women and an event for the elderly. indocanadenc in northwestern Winnipeg that began at noon.
Ms. Stefanson was seen in photos taken at the last event and posted on social media.
The Pride rally began at about 10 a.m. and the parade was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
The Prime Minister could have traveled the entire route of the parade and would have finished around 11:30 a.m., Mr. Karlenzig. He could also have delayed his arrival at the noon event, he suggested.
“I’m sorry, but you couldn’t move your thing in 20 minutes, half an hour?”
Some members of the conservative progressive group of Mrs. Stefanson marched in the parade, along with opposition leader Wab Kinew and members of his NDP caucus.
Mrs. Stefanson is Manitoba’s third prime minister to attend the Pride events. His predecessor, Brian Pallister, spoke at the rally when he was prime minister. Former NPD Prime Minister Greg Selinger spoke at the rally and marched on the parade.
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