'Love is love': Sask. Speaker, cabinet minister explain their motivation for taking part in Pride parade

The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly, Mark Docherty, will take part in his eighth consecutive Queen City Pride parade this Saturday.

"I support Pride because it is more than a historical acknowledgement. It is an issue of fundamental human rights," said the Saskatchewan Party MLA for Regina Coronation Park.

"There is still more work to do to eliminate the hate and discrimination that the LGBTQ community faces. As a straight, white male, I've never had to defend myself against discrimination. But I can use my privilege and my voice to support people and communities who do experience discrimination."

Queen City Pride is celebrating is 30th anniversary this year.

"I saw a great quote on Facebook that puts it perfectly: equal rights for others does not mean less rights for you — it's not pie. We all need to remember that. Love is love," Docherty said.

Docherty will be joined by fellow Regina Sask. Party MLA Tina Beaudry-Mellor. The minister of Advanced Education has participated in the last few Pride parades.

"It's just something that I believe in," Beaudry-Mellor said.

"We have kids that are born into all kinds of family relationships and to all kinds of parents. I think we just need to create space in all of our various types of community organizations and political organizations for people to feel welcome and included."

Beaudry-Mellor said her colleague and fellow cabinet minister Paul Merriman is not able to make it to Saskatoon's Pride parade on June 22, so he is coming to Regina for the parade on Saturday.

Premier missing parades

But the premier will not be at either event. A spokesperson said Scott Moe is travelling on June 15 and has scheduling conflicts and constituency business the following Saturday.

In two years as premier, Moe has yet to attend. A Saskatchewan premier has not walked in a Pride parade.

In 2018, Moe's press secretary told the CBC the premier would be out of town on the day of the parade.

I can use my privilege and my voice to support people and communities who do experience discrimination- Speaker Mark Docherty

"The lack of presence is noticed. It's really vital and important to have folks like the premier present at Pride," said Dan Shier, co-chair of Queen City Pride this week.

"People who know the premier well, know him to be a very thoughtful, sensitive person," Beaudry-Mellor said.

"I think you will see him at some point in the parade."

'This is the people's house'

Beaudry-Mellor said it's important for conservative parties to be inclusive.

"Kids are born into families that may have conservative views, and it troubles me that those children who also may have conservative views might not feel welcome. And those parents might feel trepidation about the political party that they support, might not feel welcome, and so I think it's really important for us to have that conversation."

Beaudry-Mellor said she is proud of the government's record on issues regarding transgender people.

"We included gender identity as something you can't discriminate against. In 2014, we said you didn't have to get gender reassignment surgery in order to change your government documents. We've done the gender markers piece this year."

In March, SGI allowed individuals to choose to put an X under the sex designation on photo ID. Previously M and F were the only options.

"This is the people's house. And so it does need to be the people's house," Beaudry-Mellor said.