(Ottawa) The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, said Wednesday that he only knows two genders, masculine and feminine, and that the government should leave aside questions relating to sexual identity.
Posted at 10:32 p.m.
Alessia Passafiume
The Canadian Press
A leading LGBTQ+ organization responded to Poilievre’s comments by saying that denying the existence of transgender and gender diverse people could contribute to increased discrimination and violence against them.
In an interview with the CP24 news channel, Mr. Poilievre was asked about President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order declaring that the United States only recognizes two genders and that these are immutable.
Mr. Poilievre responded that he does not know more than two genres and that if the host had “others that you want me to consider, you can tell me right away.”
Asked whether he would ask the United States to recognize the neutral “X” marker that appears on Canadian passports, Mr. Poilievre preferred to talk about the cost of living.
He said other politicians can discuss gender identity, but his priority is ensuring Canadians can afford the basics.
“My priority is to put people back in control of their lives and restore Canada’s promise that everyone who works hard gets a paycheck that buys food, gas and homes in safe and affordable neighborhoods. This is the promise we need for Canadians,” he said.
If liberals want to talk about the different gender labels they want to put on passports in the United States, they can do that. I will talk about the things that will allow Canada to keep its promise.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
In response to Mr. Poilievre’s remarks, the executive director of the organization Egale Canada, which defends the rights of LGBTQ+ people, argued that it was essential for all political leaders to defend transgender and gender diverse people in an era where misinformation and hatred are increasingly widespread.
“To deny the existence of transgender and gender diverse people ignores decades of medical and psychological research, as well as the voices of those directly affected. This contributes to discrimination, hatred and violence. Transgender and gender diverse people have always existed and always will exist,” Helen Kennedy said in a press release Wednesday.
-“A dangerous game”
Fae Johnstone, transgender activist and director of Queer Momentum, said in an interview that transgender people want to live their lives free from government interference.
According to her, some conservative provincial governments are trying to obstruct this by establishing rules that explicitly affect transgender youth and their families.
Mme Johnstone said it was a “cowardly option” for Mr Poilievre to do anything other than defend the freedom and equality of LGBTQ+ people. She added that it was “hypocritical” to talk about building a country that is free and equal for all if it excludes transgender people and their families.
“It’s disgusting that politicians are playing politics on social issues that require a mature and nuanced conversation. It threatens everything that makes Canada a country in which I am proud to live and in which I am so grateful to have grown up,” she lamented.
Liberal MP Rob Oliphant also criticized Mr Poilievre, writing on social media that he is “taking his cues from Donald Trump’s playbook”.
“Leave transgender people alone and focus on the real issues that matter to Canadians,” said independent senator Kristopher Wells.
Many social media posts supported Mr. Poilievre’s comments. Excerpts from this interview have been broadcast countless times.
Mr Poilievre has previously expressed support for banning transgender women in women’s sports and the idea of ”parental rights”.
Last February, he affirmed that “feminine spaces should be exclusively reserved for women and not for biological men”.
He also does not support transgender children taking puberty blockers and believes gender-affirming hormone therapies should only be available to adults.
Mme Johnstone said Mr Poilievre is “playing a dangerous game” in trying to appease the more right-wing elements of the Conservative base.
“We risk tarnishing our long and proud history as a safe country for LGBTQ people,” as a country where freedom includes everyone. He is hypocritical every time he talks about freedom if that freedom excludes my community and the families of transgender children. »
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