On the day before Pride Month, my message is simple: The Pride flag should fly in every school board in Ontario tomorrow. We’re hearing from queer organizers and communities that they are braced for the possibility of violent protests and demonstrations linked to the rising hate targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community across Canada. In Ontario, we don’t have to look far to find examples of this, as the York Catholic board decided this week to not fly the Pride flag this June.

And this backlash is not just about Pride and queer rights. School boards across the province, including in Waterloo, are facing pushback as they work to accomplish equity work—work, I might add, that is not only important in terms of student success, but is also mandated by the ministry. Every student in Ontario deserves to feel safe and welcome, and they deserve access to visibility and support.

Yesterday, the Premier offered a no comment on this issue. The minister himself—the Minister of Education—expressed his disappointment. I want to tell the minister; your disappointment does not help queer kids feel safer at school.

I’ll reiterate: The Pride flag should fly in every school board in Ontario tomorrow. In fact, with the rising tide of hate directed at the queer community by a vocal minority, displays of visibility like flying the Pride flag are particularly important this year. The Ontario NDP is proud to stand with the 2SLGBTQ+ community in solidarity.

Mr. Speaker, Pride is a special time for us to recognize and celebrate Ontario’s LGBTQ+ community. I’ve proved it by going into the York Pride parade. I’m going to be going again this year.

School boards have a responsibility to ensure each and every school in Ontario is a safe and inclusive space for all children.

I’ll always support Ontario’s LGBTQ+ community. I look forward again, for my third or fourth year, going down to the York Pride parade. We’re going to go down there. We’re going to celebrate. We’re going to have fun. That’s where I stand, and I think the Leader of the Opposition knows that.

Words are important, but only effective when followed by real action. During Pride Month, rainbow flags will be raised across Queen’s Park, city halls and many other public buildings, but not at the York Catholic District School Board, as six trustees voted against the rainbow flag.

Yesterday, the Minister of Education offered empty words when asked about how he would keep students safe. Hours later, he issued a memo to school boards without even mentioning the rainbow flag. What will this Conservative government actually do to protect students? I would offer him one suggestion: He can issue a ministerial directive to the school boards to ensure that the rainbow flags are flown at every single publicly funded school in Ontario.

Interjections.

Yet the government is cutting funding to Pride organizations. Pride Toronto received $250,000 in 2021, $170,000 less in 2022 and this year they were capped at $125,000, half the money that they received just two years ago. Ipsos has reported that Pride Toronto contributes $589 million to Ontario’s GDP, and $37 million in direct provincial tax revenues last year alone. These cuts couldn’t have come at a worse time.

If you want to show up to march in the Pride parade, I suggest you show up with a cheque. Will the Premier reinstate their funding this year?

Interjections.

We believe that all children in Ontario, irrespective of their faith or heritage, sexual orientation or gender, or the colour of their skin, deserve to feel safe in a publicly funded school. Yes, we’ve expressed disappointment with the school board’s decision and we have affirmed through a memo just yesterday, setting out a clear expectation that all publicly funded schools—English and French, Catholic and public—will find meaningful, positive ways to celebrate Pride. That is our expectation.

We will, as a government, be led by our Premier, visible, active, present at York’s Pride parade, as we have done now for three or four years, standing in solidarity with the community that, yes, has faced disproportionate levels of violence and bullying. We stand with these kids, we know they exist and we are going to ensure their safety in Ontario’s publicly funded schools.