Openly lesbian cabinet minister to make history with parental leave

Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is poised to make history as the first openly lesbian cabinet minister to take parental leave when her wife gives birth in the coming weeks.

"I’m not someone who typically enjoys discussing my personal life," St-Onge shared in an interview with The Canadian Press. However, she felt it was important to publicly address her upcoming parental leave, stating she has “a responsibility to continue the fight” for LGBTQ rights.

St-Onge expressed joy about the upcoming birth, describing it as “an incredible experience that many humans go through and some take for granted.” Her wife’s pregnancy is progressing well, with a due date in November. The timing is almost perfect, coinciding with the House of Commons rising for the holidays in mid-December, she added.

Starting in early November, St-Onge will leave Ottawa and work virtually. She will continue attending debates and voting remotely, while also participating in cabinet and ministerial committee meetings and making decisions in her ministerial role.

"After the birth, I’ll definitely reduce my public presence for a few weeks, but I’ll still be voting until the House rises," she explained.

While St-Onge has chosen not to reveal her wife’s name to protect her privacy, she pointed to the increase in hate crimes against LGBTQ people in recent years as a reason for this decision. She noted that hateful messages and attempts to silence her are a regular occurrence.

St-Onge, a former union leader, was first elected in 2021 in Quebec’s Brome—Missisquoi riding. She expressed her commitment to fighting for those who feel abandoned and emphasized that the Liberals are dedicated to promoting a more inclusive and respectful society.

She highlighted the progress made by Liberal governments on LGBTQ rights, starting with the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1969 by Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s government. In 2005, Paul Martin’s Liberal government legalized same-sex marriage, a milestone that St-Onge personally celebrated by getting married that summer.

Since 2015, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Liberals have banned conversion therapy and lifted restrictions on blood donations from gay men.

St-Onge criticized Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party, calling it "the most retrograde" in Canada and accusing it of focusing on religious values to push the country backward on social issues, including abortion.

In response, Poilievre’s office dismissed her claims as “outrageous,” accusing the Liberals of trying to divert attention from their policy failures. A spokesperson cited Poilievre’s comments about making Canada "the freest country in the world … for everybody, including gays and lesbians," during a June 2023 press conference.

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman is the only other openly lesbian MP, and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault is the only other LGBTQ cabinet minister. Other LGBTQ MPs include New Democrats Blake Desjarlais and Randall Garrison, Liberals Rob Oliphant and Seamus O’Regan, and Conservative Eric Duncan.

In March 1987, former deputy prime minister Sheila Copps became the first MP in Canadian history to give birth while in office.