Justice and Public Safety
July 20, 2015

The following is being distributed at the request of the Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Pride Week 2015

This year’s Pride Week celebration, “Be Seen! Be Heard! Be Celebrated!”, takes place from July 20 to 26. The Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador enthusiastically joins residents of the province in celebrating the diversity and accomplishments of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGTBQ) communities in reaching equality throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Events are scheduled throughout the week to celebrate and promote the visibility of the LGBTQ community. An extensive schedule of family-friendly and age appropriate activities is planned throughout the week in St. John’s. Below is a glimpse of some highly-anticipated activities:

  • Flag Raising at Confederation Building will take place on Monday, July 20.
  • Bonfire at Middle Cove Beach on Tuesday evening, July 21.
  • Youth and Education Day scheduled for Thursday, July 23.
  • The Pride Parade will close the celebrations on Sunday, July 26.

For further information pertaining to scheduled events, please visit the St. John’s Pride webpage: //www.stjohnspride.ca/# opens new window

Pride Week celebrations have been extended throughout the province, and events and activities are scheduled for Corner Brook and western communities of the province. For further information, please visit the Western Pride NL Facebook page.

2015 has been a paramount year for LGBTQ rights and awareness. Public education is key to fostering a culture of understanding and mutual respect. The Human Rights Commission recognizes that every person in Newfoundland and Labrador deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. The Commission embraces diversity and inclusion, and is mandated to promote the Human Rights Act and human rights in the province. As part of this mandate, the Commission leads education to promote respect, dignity, and inclusion for all people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Human Rights Commission has published a guideline in relation to amendments made to the Human Rights Act, 2010, to include gender identity and gender expression as protected grounds of discrimination. Since this amendment, formal protections have been extended, enshrining the notion of inclusion for individuals who identify as transgender and contributes to public education and dialogue about challenges surrounding gender identity and expression. The guideline can be found on the Human Rights Commission’s webpage: //www.justice.gov.nl.ca/hrc/publications/index.html

Persons seeking accommodation, potential complainants, and employers seeking to ensure workplace policies are in compliance with the Human Rights Act, 2010, may contact the Human Rights Commission staff for questions and concerns. Commission staff members are also available for presentations and workshops on the human rights protections for LGBTQ communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more information on the Human Rights Commission, please visit www.thinkhumanrights.ca opens new window

- 30 -

Media contact:

Carey Majid
Executive Director, Human Rights Commission
709-729-2709
careymajid@gov.nl.ca

2015 07 20                              11:15 a.m.