Vancouver Pride Society pulls public library from parade

The Vancouver Pride Society has denied the Vancouver Public Library from entering the parade next month over allowing controversial speaker Meghan Murphy to speak to a crowd inside the library.

Murphy, who is the founder of Feminist Current, gave a speech in January at the VPL on gender identity. However, her argument that men aren’t women has drawn criticism from the LGBTQ2+ community over concerns about hate speech and the rights of trans people.

This latest decision follows a refusal to allow the University of B.C. a parade presence over a similar issue. The pride society banned UBC’s entry for hosting an event with Jenn Smith, who has been speaking out against gender-inclusive and anti-bullying education resources in B.C. schools called SOGI 123.

UBC defended the talk, citing the institution’s commitment to freedom of expression. The society says if UBC amends its booking policy, it will be welcome back to the parade in 2020.

The Pride Society says the decision was made to pull the VPL’s parade entry because of their decision to provide Murphy a platform for “transphobic hate speech.” The society says concerns were raised by community members and allies before and after the event, and the VPL was informed that it wouldn’t be allowed to participate in the parade unless it changed its policies.

In a statement, library staff said they were “disappointed about this decision,” and added that staff were welcome to participate in the parade as members and allies of the LGBTQ2+ community. The VPL also cited free speech as a reason for its decision.

“As a public institution, VPL is committed to providing a venue where diverse ideas and opinions can be shared and discussed. We feel that it is through exposure to different ideas and opinions that society can make informed choices about their core beliefs.”

The library acknowledged that allowing Murphy to speak has resulted in losing the trust of LGBTQ2+ people.