Interim Staff:
On March 24, Didsbury, Albera, a town of just over 5000 population north of Calgary, voted to ban pride flags at government buildings and painted pride crosswalks on city streets. The vote was 4-3 in favour, and it applies only to government buildings, properties, and roads.
Mayor Chris Little said the policy is designed to keep the municipality neutral in hot button political and cultural issues. “Our town government exists to represent everyone who lives here,” Little said. “Maintaining politically neutral municipal spaces helps ensure every resident – regardless of their political beliefs or personal views – feels represented by their local government.”
The flag policy also bans foreign flags by stating that on government property the only flags that would be allowed to be flown are the Canadian, provincial, and Didsbury flags.
During city council debate on the bylaw, Will Stevens, a critic of the new law, said it was “not neutrality” that led to the proposal but anti-LGBQT hate. One woman who called herself queer, told the meeting the new bylaw “makes me nervous to live here.”
Calgary Pride condemned the bylaw, calling it a “step towards the erasure of 2SLGBTQIA+ representation and greater diversity in the community,” and part a “concerning” trend in the province. In 2024, two other Alberta towns, Barrhead and Westlock also barred flags other than the Canadian national, Alberta provincial, and municipal flags from municipal buildings and required all crosswalks to be painted in standard white-striped patterns.
