LGBTQ+ advocates call on Trudeau to resign in order to prevent Poilievre from winning the election
Sarah Worthman, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative, voices serious concerns about the potential dangers a Conservative government could pose for LGBTQ+ Canadians.
LGBTQ+ activists have expressed concerns that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s commitment to staying on as Liberal leader until the next election, despite diminishing public support, could put their community at risk.
Advocates for queer rights argue that a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would pose a threat to the LGBTQ+ community.
Some are urging Trudeau to step down to improve the Liberals’ chances in the upcoming election, which must be held by October 20, 2025.
Sarah Worthman, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative, voices serious concerns about the potential dangers a Conservative government could pose for LGBTQ+ Canadians.
She highlights Poilievre’s statements opposing access to puberty blockers for minors and barring transgender athletes from women’s sports and changing rooms.
Worthman suggests that the Liberals might have a better chance of defeating the Conservatives in an election if they replaced Trudeau, though she did not specify a potential successor.
In response to inquiries, a Conservative spokesperson did not address the questions directly but provided an email with transcriptions of Poilievre’s remarks on LGBTQ+ issues from June 2023 to February 2024.
These include Poilievre’s stance on continuing to offer refuge to persecuted LGBTQ+ individuals globally and his view that “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males.”
Worthman and Celeste Trianon, who operates a center in Quebec assisting trans individuals with changing their legal names or gender markers, suggest the Liberals should emulate the American Democratic Party’s strategy, which gained momentum after replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris as their nominee in the upcoming presidential election.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister and former special adviser to Trudeau on LGBTQ+ issues, acknowledges the concerns about a potential Poilievre victory.
However, Boissonnault maintains that Trudeau is the most suitable leader for the Liberals in the next campaign, emphasizing the prime minister’s dedication to LGBTQ+ rights.
