LGBTory

{{Short description|Conservative LGBT organization in Canada}} {{for|the UK organization formerly known as LGBTory|LGBT+ Conservatives}} {{Infobox LGBT party wing | name = LGBTory | logo = LGBTory (Canada) logo.jpg | caption = | colorcode = {{party colour|Conservative Party of Canada}} | founded = February 2015 | founder = Isaiah von Lichtenberg<br>BJ Dichter | ideology = {{ubl|LGBTQ conservatism|Economic liberalism}} | position = Centre-right to right-wing | mother party = Conservative Party of Canada | president = Doc von Litchenberg | chairman = BJ Dichter | website = {{url|http://www.lgbtory.ca/}} }}

'''LGBTory''' is a Canadian LGBTQ conservative organization. The group was established in 2015, as an advocacy group for LGBTQ supporters of the Conservative Party of Canada and provincial conservative parties.<ref>[http://www.dailyxtra.com/ottawa/news-and-ideas/news/petition-ban-conservative-lgbt-group-from-ottawa-pride-parade-126125 "Petition to ban conservative LGBT group from Ottawa Pride parade"]. ''Daily Xtra'', August 21, 2015.</ref> While officially open to all LGBTQ supporters of conservative parties across Canada, the group was founded in Toronto, Ontario by people associated with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario who wanted to be represented in the Toronto Pride Parade.<ref name="T in LGBTory" /> The name was inspired by the similar British conservative group LGBTory, now called LGBT+ Conservatives, which gave permission to use the name.<ref name="T in LGBTory">{{cite web|title=The 'T' in LGBTory represents Trans AND Tory|url=http://www.lgbtory.ca/2016/05/15/the-t-in-lgbtory-represents-trans-and-tory/|website=Policies|publisher=LGBTory|accessdate=November 15, 2017|date=May 15, 2016|quote=LGBTory was founded in 2015 by a group of Toronto Conservatives who wanted to be a presence at the Toronto Pride parade... When casting about for a name for our new group, we found a similar organization in the UK called LGBTory.|archive-date=November 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083819/http://www.lgbtory.ca/2016/05/15/the-t-in-lgbtory-represents-trans-and-tory/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Activities== At Toronto's Pride parade in June 2015, in addition to LGBTory members the marching contingent included federal MPs Kellie Leitch and Bernard Trottier,<ref name="levy">Sue Ann Levy, [http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/28/important-for-pc-leader-patrick-brown-to-join-pride-parade "Important for PC Leader Patrick Brown to join Pride parade"]. ''Toronto Sun'', June 28, 2015.</ref> Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Patrick Brown, MPPs Lisa MacLeod and Jack MacLaren<ref>[https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/new-ontario-pc-leader-patrick-brown-to-march-in-torontos-pride-parade-a-party-first "New Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown to march in Toronto’s Pride parade"]. ''National Post'', June 27, 2015.</ref> and party president Richard Ciano.<ref name="levy" /> Ottawa talk radio host Nick Vandergragt subsequently criticized MacLeod on his CFRA talk show for her participation, although both MacLeod and MacLaren repudiated Vandergragt's comments.<ref name="cfra">[https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/06/29/tory-mpp-lisa-macleod-rejects-anti-pride-comments-from-ottawa-radio-host.html "Tory MPP Lisa MacLeod rejects anti-Pride comments from Ottawa radio host"]. ''Toronto Star'', June 29, 2015.</ref>

At Ottawa's Capital Pride in August, the group was faced with an online petition, signed by approximately 200 members of the city's LGBT community, demanding that the pride committee bar the group from marching.<ref name=petition>[https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/conservative-lgbt-group-defends-against-call-for-ban-from-pride-parade "Conservative LGBT group defends against call for ban from Pride parade"]. ''Ottawa Citizen'', August 21, 2015.</ref> The petition asserted that "by not distancing themselves from politicians who are actively dismantling our rights," the group was participating in "bad faith";<ref name=petition /> it also claimed that by using the T in the LGBT initialism to stand for "Tory", the group was erasing transgender identities and issues.<ref name=petition /> The group was not banned from the parade, and marched without further incident.<ref>"A Pride parade for all – including Tories". ''Ottawa Citizen'', August 24, 2015.</ref> MacLeod was again among the marchers, although no other elected MPs or MPPs joined her.<ref>"MPs, federal candidates take part in Ottawa's Capital Pride Parade, Aug. 23". ''The Hill Times'', August 24, 2015.</ref>

LGBTory did not directly organize a contingent at Vancouver Pride, although the Conservative Party's federal electoral district association in Vancouver Centre applied to participate but then withdrew.<ref>[http://www.dailyxtra.com/vancouver/news-and-ideas/news/conservatives-sign-vancouver-pride-trans-pledge-113626 "Did Conservatives sign Vancouver Pride trans pledge?"]. ''Daily Xtra'', July 13, 2015.</ref> The withdrawal was tied to conflicting claims about whether the group had sought an exemption from having to sign a pledge committing participating groups to respect and defend transgender equality rights.<ref>[http://www.dailyxtra.com/vancouver/news-and-ideas/news/conservative-party-sought-pride-exemption-letter-reveals-122198 "Conservative Party sought Pride exemption, letter reveals"]. ''Daily Xtra'', August 10, 2015.</ref>

On August 27, 2015, the cross-partisan advocacy group ProudPolitics published an open letter on its website endorsing the group's right to participate in LGBT pride events, stating that "we look forward to working with candidates, groups, and parties of all stripes" and that "achieving ‘lived equality’ – our vision at ProudPolitics – means that LGBTIQ+ citizens should be accepted in all parties and in every walk of life."<ref>[http://www.proudpolitics.org/why_banning_conservative_lgbt_groups_is_the_wrong_way_to_go "Why banning Conservative LGBT groups is the wrong way to go"]. ProudPolitics, August 27, 2015.</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|LGBTQ|Politics|Canada}}

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.lgbtory.ca/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:LGBTory}} Category:2015 establishments in Ontario Category:Conservatism in Canada Category:Conservative Party of Canada Category:LGBTQ affiliate organizations of political parties Category:LGBTQ conservatism in Canada Category:LGBTQ political advocacy groups in Canada Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Category:Organizations based in Toronto Category:Organizations established in 2015