For Immediate Release

On June 9, 2018, the Edmonton Pride Parade was halted in protest by members of the
community. The Edmonton Pride Festival Society followed our action plan for such instances
and our Parade volunteers responded to the incident. When it became clear that the parade
had been halted as a protest, two available board members responded to meet with the
protestors.
When the Board representatives arrived on site, they were met by a representative of the
group who presented them with the following demands:
1. That the Pride Society uninvite the Edmonton Police Service, RCMP and Military from
marching in future parades.
2. That the society restructure its board and staff hiring practices to have more
representation from people of colour and trans folks.
3. That more well-funded spaces specifically designed for people of colour and trans
folks be included in the festival.
4. That all mainstream pride spaces clearly acknowledge and honor pride’s history as a
demonstration against police oppression.
The board representatives present at the protest site forwarded these demands onto the rest
of the Edmonton Pride Festival Society Board of Directors. After discussion, a motion was
put forward to accept the demands presented by the community’s representative. This
motion was passed, and the Board representatives on site proceeded with discussion with
some of the community members present.
The Edmonton Pride Festival Society is in agreement with each of the demands presented.
EPS, RCMP, and Military will not march in the parade until the community feels that they
have taken the necessary steps for all community members to feel safe with their
presence. In an effort to support this process, the Board of Directors commits to holding
community consultations to determine steps forward for all of these demands, and to
determine how the Edmonton Pride Festival Society can best support all communities
suffering from systemic racism and oppression.
The Edmonton Pride Festival Society commits to meeting with all interested community
members to discuss these demands, how to move forward, and what steps the three
mentioned groups must take before they can participate as parade entrants in a way that is
safe for all members of the community.

www.edmontonpride.ca

16745 111 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 2S4

We have provided contact information to the community’s representative to provide to the
interested community members that were present today, and will hold a session with those
members privately to respect any potential need for confidentiality. We also have a
community stakeholders meeting on June 25, 2018. The details of this meeting will be
released on our Facebook page for all those interested in attending and we will release our
next community consultation date, open to all those interested in attending, by June 30,
2018. In the interim should any community members have questions, concerns, or
statements for the Edmonton Pride Festival Society please reach out to us by e-mailing us at
engagement@edmontonpride.ca.
We understand that there will be many differing opinions on the Edmonton Pride Festival
Society’s decision today and we are available to answer questions at our community
consultations. We ask that those who come to the consultations respect all who attend and
also advise that media is not permitted at these events to respect attendees’ privacy. Media
inquiries should be sent to our communications team at
communications@edmontonpride.ca.
We thank each of our community members today who had the courage to stand up and
make sure their voices were heard, we thank them for the emotional labour they put into
these efforts, and we thank them for remaining peaceful and respectful during the protest,
despite the effort that was required.
We truly hope for resolutions moving forward that can create a safer Pride Parade and
Festival for every person who attends.

Board of Directors
Edmonton Pride Festival Society

www.edmontonpride.ca

16745 111 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 2S4