Municipal proclamations of everything from Human Rights Day to Plug-a-Leak Week (my personal Kelowna favorite) are easy to come by in most municipalities. Ornate proclamations are issued to any group (or, in some places, any local group) who requests it. In the document, the Mayor 'proclaims' support for the day or week of activities, thus adding a patina of respectability to the event.
But some B.C. mayors have balked when queers have requested them to proclaim Pride Days. In Kelowna, Mayor Walter Gray told the Okanagan Rainbow Committee that he was willing to proclaim 'Lesbian and Gay Day', but not 'Lesbian and Gay Pride Day', because he did not want the citizens of Kelowna to think that he viewed homosexuality as something to be proud of.
The mayor of Terrace, too, refused to make the proclamation.
In both cases, local queers took the Mayor and City Council to court. Though the Mayors argued that they should have 'free speech' and should not be required to proclaim something they didn't agree with, the human right tribunal ruled that proclamations are a service customarily available to the public. That made them subject to human rights legislation, and to deny a Pride proclamation was discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
In Prince George, City Council and the Mayor initially refused the request to proclaim Pride Days. YouthQuest! Prince George filed a human rights complaint. The matter was settled in favour of YouthQuest after an election changed the composition of council.
Kelowna and Terrace have now cancelled all proclamations, so that they will not have to proclaim Pride again.
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