Premier, NDP caucus celebrate Pride Week at noon-hour drag show inside ‘the people's building'

Winnipeg Free Press

5 days ago

The Manitoba government hosted what it hailed as the first drag show inside a legislative building in Canada Thursday.
The Legislative Building rotunda was draped with Pride flags and packed with allies, drag artists, politicians and staff for the noon-hour celebration of Pride Week.
'This is the people's building,' Premier Wab Kinew told the crowd flanked by the NDP caucus. 'I hope you always feel welcome here — today, especially — and especially during Pride Week.'
Winnipeg drag artists, including Ruby Chopsticks, Khymera and Anita Stallion performed just outside the chamber for cheering audience members, some of whom slipped the glamorous lip-synching performers $5 bills.
The premier said he had a simple message he wanted to share with all Manitobans — that acts of anti-trans hate won't be tolerated.
'There's a lot of anti-trans sentiment right now and I think it's really mean spirited,' Kinew told the attendees, including members of the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, which provides support and safety services.
'I want to say to every young trans person out there, whether you're in the room or you're out there across Manitoba, if anyone's giving you a hard time, just know that the premier, the deputy premier, the ministers, the MLAs and the entire government of Manitoba has your back.'
He also announced $2.5 million in funding to the Rainbow Resource Centre for supportive services and the continued development of Place of Pride, a first-of-its-kind affordable housing and community centre in downtown Winnipeg to create a safe and inclusive space for LGBTTQ+ Manitobans. The multi-year funding supports a 2,000-square-foot community space, adding resources for programming, supports and gatherings to the space which currently houses approximately 30 55-plus residents.
The $2.5 million brings the province's total contribution to Place of Pride to $5.5 million.
Meanwhile, Pride Week festivities, including the annual parade, will result in traffic disruptions in the downtown from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon, a Thursday release from the city advised.
Northbound Hargrave between Bannatyne Avenue and William Avenue will be closed from 6 a.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Saturday. The remainder of the closures will be in place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Closures include:
• Memorial Boulevard in both directions from Broadway to York Avenue.
• Northbound Memorial Boulevard from York Avenue to Portage Avenue.
• Eastbound Portage Avenue from Memorial Boulevard to Main Street.
• Southbound Main Street from Portage Avenue to William Stephenson Way.
• Eastbound William Stephenson Way from Main Street to Israel Asper Way.
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Carol SandersLegislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
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