Alberta crooner k.d. lang has invited Jason Kenney to Calgary91裸聊视频檚 Pride festivities 91裸聊视频� but it appears he won91裸聊视频檛 be attending.
The country singer took to Twitter on Tuesday to offer Kenney 91裸聊视频� a leadership candidate for the province91裸聊视频檚 new United Conservative Party 91裸聊视频� free tickets to a concert if he91裸聊视频檇 sit down and discuss LGBTQ rights with her.
I'll give free tickets if he'll sit down and talk rights with me!
91裸聊视频� k.d. lang (@kdlang)
Lang91裸聊视频檚 offer followed a tweet from blogger Mike Morrison, who also invited Kenney on Twitter to attend Pride.
It all stemmed from a statement Kenney91裸聊视频檚 spokeswoman, Annie Dormuth, issued Monday, saying he would skip the annual parade because he wasn91裸聊视频檛 invited.
In response to lang91裸聊视频檚 invitation, another spokesman, Blaise Boehmer, tweeted that Kenney was 91裸聊视频�100% focused91裸聊视频� on the leadership campaign and had a 91裸聊视频減acked week meeting with members.91裸聊视频�
Calgary Pride begins Friday and ends Sept. 4. The marquee parade will be held on Sept 3.
While lang and Morrison were urging Kenney to attend, parade organizers made it clear on the weekend that the United Conservative Party was not welcome because the party doesn91裸聊视频檛 have a clear stance on sexual diversity issues.
Leadership candidate Brian Jean said he hoped they would reconsider, noting he had asked to march in the parade and has always championed diversity and tolerance. Jean91裸聊视频檚 campaign organizers said he might try to attend as a spectator.
Others affiliated with the party expect to attend as spectators, too, including interim leader Nathan Cooper, and leadership candidates Doug Schweitzer and Jeff Callaway.
The United Conservative Party was created last month after members of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties voted overwhelmingly to join forces. A new leader is to be picked in October.
Both the PCs and Wildrose have had strained relationships with the LGBTQ community.
The Wildrose party lost the 2012 general election in part due to its refusal to sanction a candidate who once warned gays to repent or face eternity in hell91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渓ake of fire.91裸聊视频�
The PCs faced a backlash in government over their handling of gay-straight alliances before passing legislation acceptable to all sides in early 2015.
Kenney has had an especially fractious relationship with the LGBTQ community, drawing criticism for urging that parents, in some circumstances, be told if their children attend a gay-straight alliance group. Critics say that could out kids before they are ready and put them at risk of family estrangement or worse.
The Canadian Press
