TORONTO – Justin Trudeau’s was the Canadian federal government most open ever to the LGBTQ2S+ community and to the defense of the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, queers and two spirits people. It seems like a joke, therefore, that they are the ones asking the Prime Minister to step aside and make room for another Liberal Party candidate in the next federal elections.
The request started today from a group of LGBTQ2S+ activists according to whom a conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be dangerous for their community: Justin Trudeau should therefore step aside to give the Liberals a better chance of winning the next elections – which must take place by 20 October 2025 – given that the polls have for months shown the Prime Minister himself soundly defeated in the event of elections.
Sarah Worthman, executive director of the Queer Research Initiative of Newfoundland and Labrador, says she is gravely concerned about the potential harm of a Conservative government to LGBTQ2S+ Canadians and points to Poilievre’s comments that minors should not have access to puberty blockers and transgender athletes should be barred from women’s sports and locker rooms. According to Worthman, the Liberals would have a better chance of beating the Conservatives in the election if they replaced Trudeau, although she did not specify with whom.
According to Worthman and Celeste Trianon, who runs a center that helps trans people in Quebec, the Liberals should follow the lead of the US Democratic Party, which has seen a surge in support since it replaced President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee in November’s presidential election.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister who had previously served as Trudeau’s special advisor on LGBTQ2S+ issues, also spoke on the issue: the minister said that “queer” people are right to be worried about what might happen if Poilievre wins the upcoming elections, but stressed that Trudeau is the best person to lead the party in another campaign, adding that the prime minister is a champion of LGBTQ2S+ rights.
A few hours after the appeal of the queers, an announcement arrived: the NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is pulling his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that’s helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberals in power. Is it a coincidence?
In the pic above, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Montreal Pride party, less than a month ago (photo from Twitter X – @JustinTrudeau)
