The City of Ottawa, the city’s school board, and the Ontario Liberal Party were the latest to rescind their involvement in the Capital Pride Parade after organizers refused to retract a Palestinian solidarity statement that accused Israel of genocide and using LGBTQ rights to conceal human rights abuses.
City administration and staff followed the position of Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who pulled out last Friday, with a memorandum from City Manager Wendy Stephanson on Wednesday. Stephanson said that the city had a long tradition of supporting pride events, but Capital Pride’s Aug. 6 statement on the Israel-Hamas War ostracized some city staff and community members.
The spirit of inclusion
The Ontario Liberal Party said in a statement on Tuesday that it would celebrate Pride with local communities, but not with Capital Pride’s Sunday march because the statement did not “live up to the spirit of inclusion.” The Canadian Liberal Party told CTV it would also not join.
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, in a Monday statement, said that it would not be participating because the Gaza statement made some feel unwelcome.
The major institutions joined The Jewish Federation of Ottawa, and according to CTV, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, The Ottawa Hospital, Montfort Hospital, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, Ottawa Tourism, University of Ottawa, US Embassy in Ottawa, and Bank of Canada who all told the outlet they would not participate. Loblaw did not clarify its status as sponsor, but also said that it would not participate.
Capital Pride issued a statement on Monday assuring that all were welcome at the event, “including Jewish and Muslim folks,” and that it had listened to the concerns of community members.