Queen City Pride pushes back on evangelical concert event at Mosaic Stadium

Queen City Pride is pushing back on an event being hosted at Mosaic Stadium this week that has been arranged by an evangelical ministry they say has "appalling" views on the 2SLGBTQ+community.

Gospel Fire For All Nations Ministries, founded by Tyrelle Smith of Tisdale, Sask.,is behind Come Together, a two-day music and prayer eventthat features country musicacts like George Canyon.

On Friday morning, as the Pride flag was raised at Regina city hall, members of Queen City Pride expressed frustration atthe other event being held just a few blocks away.

"We're upset because it is an evangelist event that talks specifically about anti-LGBTQ events in a publicly funded space on the first day of Pride week, right?" said Queen City Pride co-chair Riviera Bonneau.

"It's an important time for us and to know that this is happening in a publicly funded space on our Pride weekit just seems a little uncomfortable for us."

Bonneau saidGospel Fire For All Nations Ministries has "deeply troubling" views.

That includes a statement of faith on the organization's website that highlights itsbelief that marriage "has only one meaning" as a union between one man and one woman andthat God intends sexual intimacy "to occuronly between a man and a woman who are married to each other."

The statementof faith also says "sexual immorality" which it says includesadultery, fornication, homosexual behaviour, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incestand use of pornography is"sinful and offensive to God."

Queen City Pride has called for the event to be cancelled but have so far been unsuccessful.

Speakers from various organizations at Friday's flag raising highlighted that despite broader acceptance for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in society, there remain obstacles, such as the Parental Bill of Rights passed by the provincial legislature last year.

Following the government's decision to pass the legislation, whichrequiresparental consentbefore a child under 16 can use a different gender-related name or pronoun at school, all Saskatchewan Party MLAs were banned from attending Pride events in Regina.

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Riviera Bonneau says the board of Queen City Pride discussed a ban in October after the province introduced the legislation and invoked the notwithstanding clause, a rare measure that allows provincial governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years.

Cory Oxelgren, president of the Gay and Lesbian Community of Regina, recalled how securing gay marriage in Canada felt like a big step forward.

"Lately, thelast couple of years, I think we went a couple steps back. We're going to have to work all together a lot harder to carryus forward so we take those steps forward, not backwards," Oxelgren said.

Rev. Carla Blakley of the Lakeview United Church said that Pride is meant to be a celebration, but that everyone should be mindful that Pride began as a protest.

"We must not be quiet. We must not be silent. We have to be very loud and protest and make sure every single person in this province is protected, their rights are upheld. They can love who they can love and they can be who they can be," Blakley said.

Other speakerscondemned the Come Together event directly.

Guard Dash O'Salt, a member of the Bread Basket Sisters, which is a branch of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, directly condemned the Come Together event.

"A concert is being held within a publicly funded facility produced by an organization that openly condemns homosexuality and the trans community. Sandra Masters, you are not acting as an ally," they said.

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When asked about the event a few weeks ago, Mayor Sandra Masters directed all questions to Regina Exhibition Association Limited or REAL, which operates facilities that include Mosaic Stadium.

"I haven't seen any advertisements for the Come Together event, other than that it's a free event and they're having musical guests performing, so I can't comment," said Masters.

In a statement, REAL confirmed thatGospel Fire For All Nations Ministries rented Mosaic Stadium and is paying all expenses associated with the event.

"All facilities on the REAL District are public facilities available for rent by registered organizations," the organization wrote.

REAL declined to share how much it would cost to rent Mosaic Stadium and it did not respond when asked toclarify what it meant by "registered organizations."

Gospel Fire For All Nations Ministries has yet to respond to a request for comment.