June is Pride Month 🌈
Happy Pride Month!
I am proud of the work our union does to recognize and celebrate the contributions of members from Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and gender non-conforming communities.
For the past six years, I have helped organize Lethbridge labour's participation in the Lethbridge Pride celebrations. Every year, I am reminded that Pride is about so much more than parades, flags, and festivals.
Pride is protest.
Pride exists because generations of activists fought back against discrimination, exclusion, and violence. The rights and protections many people enjoy today were won through collective action, courage, and a refusal to accept inequality.
While we have made significant progress, the fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights is far from over.
Across Canada and around the world, we continue to see attacks on transgender and gender-diverse people, rising hate, and attempts to roll back hard-fought rights. Here in Alberta, the UCP government has introduced legislation restricting access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, requiring parental consent for students under 16 to use their chosen names and pronouns at school, and limiting participation in sport based on sex assigned at birth.
In Saskatchewan, the provincial government passed Bill 137, the Parents' Bill of Rights, requiring parental consent before many students under 16 can use their chosen names and pronouns at school. The legislation was passed using the notwithstanding clause and has been widely criticized by 2SLGBTQIA+ advocates, educators, and human rights organizations who argue it harms transgender and gender-diverse youth.
These policies target some of the most vulnerable members of our communities and send a message that their rights and identities are up for political debate.
Pride Month is a celebration, but it is also a call to action. It reminds us that solidarity requires more than words—it requires commitment. As an ally, I believe unions have an important role to play in advancing equality and creating workplaces where everyone can bring their full selves to work safely and with dignity. Human rights are workers' rights.
That is why I am committed to ensuring our Regional Human Rights Committees have the resources, support, and tools they need to continue educating, organizing, and fighting discrimination in all its forms.
Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that strengthens our union, reflect on the work still ahead, and recommit ourselves to building a more inclusive and equitable future.
In solidarity and pride,
Krysty Thomas
