Pride Winnipeg

14 | MAY 27 – JUNE 5 PRIDE It's been 53 years since being gay was decriminalized in Canada. 29 years since 2SLGBTQ+ service members could serve openly in the military. 27 years since the Supreme Court of Canada recognized sexual orientation as a protected ground under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 16 years since all Canadians have been allowed to marry whomever they like. Five years since transgender Canadians were recognized under human rights laws. Behind each of these victories are champions for human rights who sacrificed everything for their rights and ours. But do you think the fight is over? In 2019, hate crimes against 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians increased 41% from the previous year. Community members are twice as likely to experience homelessness or housing insecurity, far more likely to experience harassment, violence and mental health challenges. This is why I celebrate Pride: it's both an opportunity to lift up those who have changed our world for the better and those who continue the fight for equality. As you read this, a growing number of states in the USA are restricting safe access to washrooms for trans and non-binary people. In Florida, "don't say gay" laws make it illegal for some teachers to educate their students about sexual orientation and gender identity. In places like Russia and Zimbabwe, governments spread homophobia, transphobia and biphobia and persecute 2SLGBTQ+ people. And in dozens of countries around the world, 2SLGBTQ+ people face criminal prosecution. Human rights are universal and indivisible. We have a responsibility to challenge all forms of discrimination, everywhere it exists. And it's clear we have work to do. For me, that work starts close to home. In 2020, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was called to account for its own failures. From 2015 to 2017, school tours were allowed to exclude content about 2SLGBTQ+ rights. Some staff also shared their experiences of racism and discrimination. That this was allowed to happen goes against the core principles of human rights and our values as a museum. Moving forward, we will remain focused on our responsibility to acknowledge the harm that was caused, to challenge bias and systemic barriers and to do better. We're taking steps to spark change. We've made all our washrooms gender inclusive and held mandatory anti-racism and anti-oppression training for all staff and volunteers. We've launched a series of education sessions for staff about inherent bias and established a staff-led Rainbow Equity Council to advise us moving forward. Our executive and leadership teams include 2SLGBTQ+ members, and their guidance shapes how we do things in so many ways. We're also working to launch an exhibition that shares the story of the LGBT Purge, which took place from the 1950s to the 1990s. It's a story all Canadians need to know and one we're honoured to share in partnership with the LGBT Purge Fund, guided by an advisory council of survivors, experts and Elders. (You can find events about the Purge happening this year during Pride, and I hope to see you there.) This is change from within that impacts us all. It's a starting place, but not a destination. We know that doing better is a practice, not a checklist. The same is true for building a more inclusive Canada. We cannot be content with the world as it is, and the legal protections that are now in place. All Canadians – particularly those who do not identify as 2SLGBTQ+ – must be invested with every fibre of our beings in realizing the world as it should be. And we can't stop unless equality is more than an idea, but a reality that is lived out by people of all sexual orientations and gender identities around the world. Find out more at humanrights.ca REFLECTIONS ON PRIDE FROM CMHR CEO ISHA KHAN DOING BETTER IS A PRACTICE, NOT A CHECKLIST CMHR CEO, ISHA KHAN Supplied photo

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