Happy Pride Month, Calgary.
Pride began as a protest. It was a demand for equal rights, equal treatment, and equal dignity. Every gain was earned by people who refused to stay silent in the face of discrimination and hate.
To gender and sexually diverse Calgarians: you belong here. You always have. You helped build this city from the beginning, as workers, business owners, artists, volunteers, community leaders, friends, and family. Those who seek to erase you, target you, or strip away your rights are wrong. We will oppose them. We will confront hate wherever it appears.
We will defend your right to live openly, safely, and proudly. And we will win. The future of Calgary will not be shaped by fear, resentment, or exclusion. It will be built by people who believe every person has value and every person belongs. The forces of intolerance have lost before, and they will lose again.
We are moving forward. We are not going back.