Honourable senators, I rise today to celebrate Pride Month and the Canadian values of respect for diversity, inclusion, acceptance and understanding.

I salute the Canadian Pride Caucus and our seven senator colleagues who are members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. Thanks to Senators Cormier, Wilson, McBean and Wells for your interventions and for welcoming drag kings Cyril Cinder and HercuSleaze to our chamber.

Last year at this time, I made a Pride Month statement which I referred to as a love letter to my mom, Betty Patterson — now almost 98 — and my brother Patrick Patterson. Patrick is my Irish twin.

I mentioned that Mom was born 60 years after Confederation, into a Canada where homosexuality was hidden and forbidden by state and church. She was 42 in 1969, when homosexuality was decriminalized, and she was 77 in 2004, when the Supreme Court of Canada issued an opinion affirming the federal government had the authority to define marriage to include same-sex couples.

My brother Patrick was born in 1955 into a Canada where what he was, was illegal and to be out — to be himself — was frankly dangerous.

My Pride Month love letter to Mom and Patrick celebrated both of them for the courage, love and unequivocal acceptance that emerged as Patrick’s truth about his homosexual identity was brought out from the darkness into the light.

Honourable colleagues, I’m sure that none of us would want our children, grandchildren, the kids next door or anyone to have to hide who they are. Just imagine the suffering that would cause.

As we celebrate Pride Month 2025, I’d like to draw our attention to transgender kids in Canada and to the 2SLGBTQI+ communities internationally.

In October 2023, in response to the so-called parental rights movement, the 1 Million March 4 Children, and the threats to the rights, safety and health of transgender kids at that time in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta, a number of us spoke in the chamber on the importance of Canada developing its national Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

Colleagues, we can see the danger of what is happening south of our border, where the culture wars seep into politics and have resulted in the rolling back and trampling of rights.

Today, more than 70 countries worldwide criminalize consensual same-sex conduct. Six countries impose death penalties, and in a further six countries, death is a possible punishment.

Honourable colleagues, as we celebrate Pride Month with pride, let’s maintain our efforts to ensure the rights of all 2SLGBTQI+ people are protected, no matter their age or where they live.

Wela’lioq, thank you.