Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Happy Pride Season. Today is Inuvik Pride parade and barbeque, as well as an epic performance from the iconic Iceis Rain. This Sunday, Yellowknife has its very own Pride parade and barbeque, and I have extended the invitation to all MLAs to join me in sharing in the celebration.
Mr. Speaker, Pride started as a protest, and those roots run deep. Learning Queer history is also how we learn how much further we have to go. Here in Yellowknife, we have had celebrations on and off since the late 1990s through different Pride organizations.
Mr. Speaker, 2023 was the first full scale parade here in Yellowknife, and it's not lost on me how powerful that parade was for many, many folks. The Yellowknife of just 30 years ago was not nowhere as near as welcoming of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community as we are today. It's also important that the GNWT continues to make strides to ensure folks of all genders are included in all programs and services that we offer to our residents, and preliminary conversations with this Cabinet have me very excited, indeed, around how we continually do better as a government. I would like to encourage all Members to take as -- part in as many Pride events as they can throughout this summer in their own communities and here in the capital. I'd also encourage all allies throughout Yellowknife to sign up to volunteer with Pride events as we want all members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community to participate in celebrations instead of running them wherever possible. Please check out the Northern Mosaic Network's social media to see the full schedule of events for the 2024 Summer of Pride, culminating in the always popular Pride weekend at the Folk on the Rocks site this August 9th to 11th.
Mr. Speaker, Pride is important because somebody out there still believes they're better off dead than being gay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
