LGBTQ+ activists say Prime Minister Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 pledge to remain the Liberal leader through to the next election, despite dwindling public support, is putting them at risk.
Queer advocates say a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be dangerous for the LGBTQ+ community, and some are calling on Trudeau to step aside to give the Liberals a better chance at winning the next election B次元官网网址� which must happen by Oct. 20, 2025.
Sarah Worthman, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative, says sheB次元官网网址檚 seriously concerned about the potential harm of a Conservative government for LGBTQ+ Canadians.
She points to PoilievreB次元官网网址檚 comments saying minors should not have access to puberty blockers and transgender athletes should be barred from womenB次元官网网址檚 sports and changing rooms.
Worthman says the Liberals would have a better chance at beating the Conservatives in an election if they replaced Trudeau, but she didnB次元官网网址檛 say with whom.
A spokesperson for the Conservatives did not directly respond to questions but instead sent an email with a series of transcribed answers that Poilievre gave to journalists between June 2023 and February 2024 on LGBTQ+ issues.
The answers include PoilievreB次元官网网址檚 call for Canada to continue offering refuge for persecuted LGBTQ+ people around the world, and that B次元官网网址渇emale spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males.B次元官网网址�
Worthman and Celeste Trianon, who runs a centre that helps trans people in Quebec who wish to change their legal name or gender marker, say the Liberals should follow the lead of the U.S. Democratic party, which has seen a swell of support since replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris as the partyB次元官网网址檚 nominee in NovemberB次元官网网址檚 presidential election.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister who was previously TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 special adviser on LGBTQ+ issues, says queer people are right to be worried about what may happen if Poilievre wins the upcoming election.
However, Boissonnault says Trudeau is the best person to lead the party through another campaign, adding that the prime minister is a champion of LGBTQ+ rights.
