Folks,
Today our Candidate David Cavey made a principled decision to stand with UBC and the Vancouver Public Library and withdraw our participation in the 2019 Vancouver Pride Parade.
It was a difficult decision for David to make but quite simply the right one. It highlights the integrity David displays and shows the leadership Vancouver Centre needs into the future.
The news release, and David's communication with the Pride organizers, is below. I encourage all of you to review it.
Vancouver Centre CPC candidate withdraws from Pride Parade after event's organizers rescind invitations of UBC and Vancouver Public Library to march in it
July 29th, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VANCOUVER, BC - The Vancouver Centre Conservative Electoral District Association (EDA) and Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the riding, David Cavey, have cancelled their plan to march in this year's Pride Parade.
The move is in response to a decision by the Vancouver Pride Society to ban first, the University of British Columbia and more recently, the Vancouver Public Library from marching in the August 4 parade. Pride Vancouver banished them from the parade because they each hosted speakers - one a strong feminist, the other transgender, whose ideas it disagreed with.
Mr. Cavey, the Vancouver Centre EDA, UBC, and the VPL all have a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
He said he made the decision after sending a private request to Pride organizers to lift the ban on both respected public institutions. He received no reply.
In a private letter for organizers sent July 24th, he wrote: “You and I may disagree with these speakers, but that is not the point. There was a time when advocating for gay rights was a dissenting opinion. Thankfully that dissenting opinion was able to be heard. The community has come a long way - which makes me proud, both as a politician and as a Canadian who supports the community wholeheartedly.”
We support both learning institutions. As publicly funded institutions, both are obligated to “host” whomever wishes to rent their property - within the limits of the law. They don't necessarily agree with the speakers. But to punish them for following their obligation to respect free speech, the exchange of ideas and intellectual freedom, is plainly wrong.
Mr. Cavey noted the Vancouver Pride Society's website says, “We strive for inclusiveness in all that we do.” But this behaviour suggests otherwise. It’s shameful behaviour for an organization that receives $1 million in federal taxpayer money. They should not be playing politics with the taxpayers money.
Cavey and the EDA ask that organizers review their policies on diversity of opinion, inclusivity, intellectual freedom, and the important role publicly funded neutral institutions have in our society.
Both Cavey, and the local CPC EDA support, and will continue to support, the goals of Pride and of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Vancouver Centre EDA has marched in the parade for many years and David has marched in past Vancouver and Toronto Pride Parades.
"We encourage other political leaders and campaigns to join us in taking a principled stand on behalf of UBC and the VPL on inclusiveness, free speech, intellectual freedom, and diversity of opinion and refuse to march in the parade unless its organizers reinstate these respected local institutions."
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Media Contact:
Neil McIver
604-340-4002
[email protected]
This decision will cost our organization money which we very much need for the upcoming election. But David decided that values of free speech and inclusion – things the Vancouver Pride Society doesn’t seem to share - are to be embraced and he chose this course of action.
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Always Forward,
Shannon Kewley
Campaign Manager
CPC - David Cavey
Vancouver Centre