Achi news desk-
A church in Calgary celebrated Easter with a drag show during its Sunday service.
Calgary Unitarians held the ‘DRAG ME to Church’ to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, following the UCP governments controversial proposals regarding transgender youth.
“The goal is to let the transgender community in Calgary know that faith traditions love and support them and hold them as sacred beings at a time, especially when hate is on the rise,” said Reverend Samaya Oakley.
In January, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced proposals that include parental approval for sex education, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The province would also crack down on transgender female athletes competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
The announcement was met with pushback from hundreds of thousands of students across the state, who staged school walkouts to protest these policies.
Smith also faced backlash from Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault on her early February visit to Ottawa to open a new provincial office.
Boissonnault had said that he was ready to fight against what he called “the most harsh and harmful policies for the young people of the country.”
This year, Easter Sunday overlaps with International Transgender Day of Visibility.
The Calgary Unitarian church hopes to celebrate the day but also recognize the contributions of local transgender people and the wider LGBTQ2S+ community, and the challenges they continue to face.
“We thought it was a great opportunity to talk about coming and going from your different identities. I mean, nobody was stuck in one identity. So it’s a great example, I think, of how the we can be all aspects of ourselves and be accepted. for that,” said Pam Rickey, president of Calgary Unitarians.
The all-ages event featured drag performances, a drag queen story time and multiple speakers.
Proceeds from the service will go to Skipping Stone, a local non-profit that supports trans and gender diverse Calgarians.
