Janis Irwin on everything she loves about Pride in Edmonton | Daily Hive

Allison Stephen/Daily Hive

Pride Month may be coming to an end, but in Edmonton, the celebrations continue well beyond June.

We caught up with Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Janis Irwin, one of Alberta’s openly queer MLAs, to talk about her favourite places, Pride traditions, and why it feels like Pride all summer long.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What’s your ideal Pride day in Edmonton? Walk me through it from start to finish.

For me, Pride is about community, so my dream day is really just being wherever my community is. Edmonton is a pretty queer city — we celebrate Pride in June, have Pride events throughout the summer, Pride days at KDays, and our big Pride festival in August. It really feels like Pride all year. So my dream day is just being with the community, checking out markets, going to drag shows, just all of the things. There’s always so much to do here.

Are there certain places in Edmonton where you feel especially connected to the community?

I feel like I can go most places, and that’s the cool thing about Edmonton, right? It’s a pretty welcoming and inclusive city.

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What are some lesser-known spots in Edmonton you think people should check out?

It’s so hard for me, because I can’t just choose one place. The cool thing about Edmonton is that while we only have one queer-centred bar left — Evo, which people should definitely support — we also have so many spaces that may not be explicitly queer but are incredibly welcoming. Take Black Dog on Whyte, for example. They’ve been hosting queer dance parties on long weekends forever. It’s not a queer-targeted venue, but it’s always been a safe, welcoming place for people. I know, that’s such a politician answer.

How has Pride in Edmonton evolved over the years?

It’s funny because I spend a lot of time in Calgary for work, and they’ve always had Pride at the end of August or early September. Now, Edmonton Pride Festival has moved to August, too, even though we still have lots of Pride events in June. The homophobes hate it — they’re like, “Didn’t you already have a month?” But Pride isn’t just for queer and trans folks. It’s for the whole city, and Edmonton really shows up.

Are there any queer Edmontonians who inspire you?

I’ve been seeing him everywhere lately. We keep running into each other at events—he’s always at drag shows — and we were just together at the Riverhawks Pride game. I’d have to say, Michael Phair. For anyone who doesn’t know him, you should. He was Alberta’s first openly queer politician and served as an Edmonton city councillor. I always say my journey as a queer legislator has been made so much easier because of trailblazers like him. He comes from a time when people wore paper bags over their heads at Pride parades because they feared violence and discrimination. Every time I see him, I’m just filled with gratitude.

What does it mean to you to be part of the LGBTQ2S+ community and represent that community in the legislature?

The really cool thing is that when I was first elected in 2019, I was the only openly queer MLA out of 87. I remember thinking, “Gosh, that’s going to be a big responsibility.” But the reality was I was surrounded by NDP MLAs who were incredible allies and incredibly supportive. Then, after the 2023 election, we had multiple openly queer MLAs in the legislature. We’ve made a lot of progress, and it means I don’t have to carry that responsibility alone anymore.

What advice do you have for young queer Edmontonians?

Honestly, it sounds cliché, but just be yourself and live your life. I always say, you know, be visible, but that’s easy for me to say, right? I’m a white cisgender person with a lot of privilege. If you can’t be visible, if you can’t fully be yourself, that’s okay too. You need to be safe with your family, with your community. And I just hope that one day you can be in a place where you can be visible.