Tory MP Jivani Says Politicians Attending Pride Events Should Be Scrutinized, Not Those Who Skip Them

Prime Minister Mark Carney takes part in the Toronto Pride Parade on June 28, 2026. The Canadian Press/Sammy Kogan

Conservative MP Jamil Jivani says MPs should not have to justify their absence from Pride parades, rather, it is the responsibility of politicians to clarify their reasons for participating in such events.

“We should never accept a political culture in which politicians have to answer questions about NOT attending events like this,” he said in a June 29 X post. “Those who attend should be the ones answering questions.”

Jivani was reacting to a photo of Prime Minister Mark Carney marching in the Toronto Pride Parade on June 28, where he stopped to shake the hand of a man dressed in a “pup play” dog costume. Pup play is a form of role-play in which participants take on canine personas and is often associated with BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism).

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not attend any Pride events in 2025 or 2026. When a reporter asked him on June 25 if he planned to attend any events, he responded “I’m not planning to” and “it’s just not on my plan.”

Poilievre also reacted to the news on June 19 that Trillium Woods Elementary School in Barrie, Ont. had chosen to fly a Pride flag instead of the Canadian flag in June.

“When I’m prime minister, we will fly the Canadian flag everywhere and always. We should never take down the Canadian flag for any reason,” he said.

Poilievre added that all Canadians should be treated equally, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, “or any other irrelevant characteristic.”