The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation and the Saskatoon Teacher’s Association are urging its education partners to celebrate June as PRIDE month.

The STF says according to Statistics Canada data from 2018, almost 30 percent of those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ are youth aged 15 to 24.

STF President, Samantha Becotte, says, “Policies and directives in schools that are not inclusive, or are even discriminatory, directly impact a significant number of students and their families. This alienates them and removes their ability to feel safe and accepted for who they are.”

In a news release past president of the STF Wayne Clements says simply saying your organization is open and welcoming isn’t enough. He says actions like banning attendance at the Rainbow Tent reinforces, for marginalized students, that they are not accepted and who they are is wrong.

An internal email was sent to Principals with the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools about one of the Children’s Festival attractions stating that staff taking students to the event which starts Thursday should avoid the Rainbow Tent which is described as “From Drag Queen Storytime to inclusive dress-up performances filled with colour and fun, this tent is full of rainbows.”

The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools then went on to say that parents and caregivers are the primary educators of their children.

2SLGBTQIA+ means those who identify as two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, intersex and asexual people.