Danielle Smith faces heat for photo with man wearing "Straight Pride" shirt
Premier Danielle Smith is again in the hot seat after she posed for a photograph next to a man wearing a “Straight Pride” T-shirt.
The photos, posted to Twitter last night, appear to be from a Stampede event, as Smith and most other people in the photo background can be seen wearing Western gear. Meanwhile, “Eric,” as his nametag reads, chose an attention-grabbing neon green for the occasion.
Imagine being a young queer person in Alberta and seeing your Premier @ABDanielleSmith supporting shit like this pic.twitter.com/6LiUNGklN9
— Jonathan Cluett (@joncluett) July 10, 2023
“Thank a straight person today for your existence,” says the front of the shirt. The back reads, “Good people disobey bad laws.”
There have never been any laws in Canada that outlaw being straight, and most Canadians identify as heterosexual. At the same time, Canada’s LGBTQ2S+ community has faced a historically difficult fight to have its legal rights recognized.
Smith’s decision to be photographed next to “Eric” has struck a nerve with many online.
“Cringe level 9000,” one person said on Reddit.
“Desperate to be seen, except your rights aren’t the ones being crushed, that’s some weak energy,” another person remarked.
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It’s disappointing that a politician like Danielle Smith doesn’t know enough to stay away from people wearing a shirt like this…let alone posing for a picture.
Just walk away and avoid the controversy. https://t.co/l9dyQm9q6E— Dentist Bob….🥌 (@RetiredDent) July 10, 2023
I really want to know if Danielle Smith would unflinchingly pose for a photo beside a person with a trans flag on their t-shirt at a public event but that seems to never happen so I think I have my answer. #ableg #abpoli
— Holly Hoye (@hollyhoye) July 10, 2023
“A sensible person would glance at that shirt and say ‘no photographs,'” another person said on Reddit.
In a statement to journalists, the Premier claims to have not read the shirt and “obviously doesn’t agree with its message.
NEW: After a controversial photo lands Premier Danielle Smith in hot water, her office says she didn’t read the shirt — which says ‘Straight Pride’ and to thank a straight person for your existence —and she doesn’t agree with it.#abpoli #ableg #Alberta #cdnpoli
FULL STATEMENT: pic.twitter.com/X0QD4sLn8D
— Saif Kaisar (@StaySaif) July 10, 2023
What do you think?