Pride society explains celebration season’s importance after MLA’s ‘woke indoctrination’ comment

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The pride society in Fort St. John has defended the national season and explained its importance after the Peace River North MLA called it “woke indoctrination.”

In an X (formerly known as Twitter) post, Jordan Kealy made the comment when he posted screenshots of the pride season page on the Government of Canada website.

“Be whoever you are and be proud, but expecting people to have it forced into your face for a month or a season or for the whole year, please don’t because this is absolutely ridiculous,” Kealy wrote. 

Jessica Beaumont, the vice president of the North Peace Pride Society, disagreed with Kealy’s “woke indoctrination” comment, explaining pride is about celebrating differences. 

“The best way I ever saw it was a quote from one of my favorite singer P!nk, and she said ‘we need to keep fighting for pride until the day that it’s not a gay marriage, it’s marriage, it’s not a gay relationship, it’s just a relationship,’” Beaumont said. 

“So until the day where people can stop the hate for no other reason than that’s not the way they love.” 

Beaumont explained she feels pride should be a conversation as long as prejudice exists in the country and around the world, and conversations are important for improved understanding in society.

“If we stop talking to one another, that’s when we’re truly lost, when we shut down the conversation and refuse to believe there’s a conversation, that’s when it’s too far,” she said. 

“It’s important for everyone to speak, and unfortunately a lot of our leaders, when put into debate rooms these days, will just yell at each other and not properly take turns.”

In an interview with Energeticcity.ca, Kealy stated he does not believe pride should not be celebrated, and was expressing frustration at the federal government.

“When it comes to a lot of these days where you feature, commemorate or designate as a special interest, I think that there’s a lot of those things that the groups themselves can do when it comes to dealing with those,” Kealy said. 

“[Those events do not] need to involve major governments, the government can keep their business out of it.”

Kealy also expressed concern about days of recognition being stretched to weeks, months and seasons.

“As soon as you start stretching them out longer and longer and longer, it becomes very disingenuous, and they overlap with each other,” Kealy said. 

“I think if you look at the overall calendar for the year, we are celebrating so many different events that stretch out for so long that you don’t even know what is what each day.”

Kealy suggested, both in his post and interview, the federal government could put more focus on supporting veterans.

“[The federal government’s] commitment is to serve their people and provide services, so if they’re going to do this and do it [for] a season, well then, make it for veterans as well.”

On May 26th, city council proclaimed June 1st to 7th to be Pride Week in Fort St. John, coinciding with the society’s 10th annual walk and festival. 

Beaumont added: “He [Kealy] is like, ‘don’t throw it in my face.’ But you also have your monthly car meeting.

“I’m having my monthly I-don’t-hate-you-for-loving-someone meeting.”