LGBTQ2 activists criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for vowing to stay the Liberal leader until the next election, despite losing public support. They believe this decision endangers them.
Queer advocates express concern that a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be harmful to the LGBTQ2 community. They urge Trudeau to step down to give the Liberals a better chance at winning the next election, which must take place by October 20, 2025.
Sarah Worthman, director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative, feels strongly about the potential danger a Conservative government poses to LGBTQ2 Canadians. She highlights Poilievre’s stance against minors accessing puberty blockers and transgender athletes participating in women’s sports and facilities.
Worthman suggests that the Liberals could defeat the Conservatives in an election if they replaced Trudeau, although she does not specify who his successor should be.
A Conservative spokesperson did not directly address questions but instead shared a series of Poilievre’s recorded statements on LGBTQ2 issues between June 2023 and February 2024.
According to these statements, Poilievre supports offering refuge to persecuted LGBTQ2 individuals worldwide and believes that “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males.”
Worthman and Celeste Trianon, who helps trans individuals in Quebec change their legal names or gender markers, believe that the Liberals should emulate the U.S. Democratic party’s success in replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister and Trudeau’s former special LGBTQ2 adviser, acknowledges the concerns of queer individuals about a potential Poilievre victory. However, he maintains that Trudeau is the most qualified person to lead the party through another campaign, emphasizing Trudeau’s advocacy for LGBTQ2 rights.
Read More
Russian spy beluga whale killed, activists claim