City of Ottawa joins dozens who will not participate in Capital Pride parade

Marchers blow bubbles towards the crowd during the Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa, on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

The City of Ottawa is the latest organization to back out of this weekend's Capital Pride parade.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

A memo from city manager Wendy Stephanson said city staff will not be participating as an official contingent in the parade, but will retain operational support for the event on Sunday.

"Following the Aug. 6 statement issued by the Capital Pride Board, which took a position on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, some city staff and members of the community have expressed that they now feel excluded, unwelcome or unsafe to participate in this year's parade," Stephanson said.

"The senior leadership team has taken this feedback seriously, and after careful consideration, I, as City Manager, have made the difficult decision to not have City staff participate as an official contingent in this year’s parade. As public servants we have a duty of impartiality, and it is our shared responsibility to prevent the perception that the City administration is taking a political position. Withdrawing from the parade ensures that we uphold our commitment to impartial public service, while maintaining our deep-rooted values of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging."

Stephanson says the float designated for elected officials will remain part of the parade.

It will be the first time in more than 25 years that City of Ottawa employees will not participate as an organization in the parade.

"The organization remains committed to celebrating and supporting our vibrant 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. The Pride Flag was raised at several City facilities on Monday, including City Hall, the Mary Pitt Centre, the Nepean Client Service Centre (Ben Franklin Place), Orleans Client Service Centre, Paramedic, Fire, By-law and regulatory services and OC Transpo headquarters, as well as Public Works yards," the memo said.

"City employees have also been invited to take part in our other upcoming activating organizaized by our 2024 Pride Working Group. As City staff, we have a duty to uphold our shared values and remain unified in our commitment to shaping positive environments where everyone feels a great sense of belonging."

OC Transpo's website no longer mentions its Pride bus taking part in the annual Pride parade. 

Dozens of organizations including Jewish groups, Ottawa's mayor, the Liberal Party of Canada, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, local hospitals and various private and federal entities have said they will not be participating in the parade after Capital Pride issued a statement on Aug. 6 expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

Other organizations such as the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Green Party and the German Embassy in Ottawa said they will be participating.

The wave of backlash began after Capital Pride issued with a statement expressing solidarity with Palestinians and accused the Israeli government of "pinkwashing" the ongoing Israel-Hamas war by citing its LGBTQ2S+ inclusivity in an effort to "draw attention away" from its actions in Gaza.

The statement condemned, "in the strongest possible terms," the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. It also pledged to "recognize the ongoing genocide against Palestinians" in opening remarks at 2024 Capital Pride Festival signature events, among other commitments.

Amid the ongoing pullouts and a heated debate online, Capital Pride issued a new statement Monday to "reiterate our commitment to fostering safe and inclusive spaces where everyone is welcomed."

In an interview on CTV Morning Live Ottawa Capital Pride executive director Callie Metler said those planning this year's celebrations did anticipate "all angles" of response to their position on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"One of our pillars at Capital Pride is to advocate for community, and you know, we have queer and trans community members all over the world, and it is our job to advocate for them, too," Metler said.

While parade organizers do expect "a little bit of a felt difference," Metler said they are still expecting more than 10,000 people to turn out, and they are preparing as they have in years past, for protests.

The annual Capital Pride Festival kicked off this weekend, and is set to conclude with the parade on Sunday.

With files from CTV Ottawa's Ted Raymond and CTV's Rachel Aiello