Canadian PM Justin Trudeau raises LGBT rainbow flag on Parliament grounds, offending conservative MPs
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the rainbow flag of the LGBT movement on Parliament grounds on Wednesday for the first time in the country's history to mark the celebration of Pride Month.
"This is a great day for Canada and it's part of a long series of milestones this country has hit over the years. It hasn't been easy, it hasn't been automatic, a lot of people fought for a long time for this day to happen," said Trudeau, whose government is pushing for LGBT rights.
Among the Liberal members of Parliament who joined Trudeau at the event were openly gay MPs Randy Boissonnault, Seamus O'Regan, Rob Oliphant and Treasury Board President Scott Brison, according to CBC News.
Trudeau said Canada is united in fighting for LGBT rights but added that "we still have more work to do."
According to Boissonnault, the event marked the next step in inclusion that started in 1969 with Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
A measure has been introduced in Parliament that aims to prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression and include gender identity in hate speech laws, LifeSite News reports.
Conservatives in Canada criticised Trudeau for raising the flag to promote the homosexual ideology.
"Justin Trudeau in his boyish enthusiasm for the homosexual agenda fails to understand that he is the Prime Minister of Canada and not the Prime Minister of the homosexuals," said Gwen Landolt of REAL Women of Canada.
She said raising the rainbow flag on Parliament grounds symbolises the narrow and extremist viewpoint of Trudeau's Liberal government. Landolt said the act is offensive to Canadians.
Jeff Gunnarson of Campaign Life Coalition said, "It comes as no surprise that Trudeau and the Liberal government will do anything to grant special rights to appease the gay lobby."
He predicted that with the raising of the flag, Trudeau will get zero votes in the next election from Canadians who are concerned about the direction he is taking the country.
