LGBTQ+ activists are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to consider stepping aside as leader of the Liberal Party ahead of the next federal election, fearing that his continued leadership could bolster Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s chances of winning. Activists argue that a Poilievre-led government would endanger LGBTQ+ rights in Canada.
Sarah Worthman, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative, voiced concerns over Poilievre’s stance on issues such as access to puberty blockers for minors and the exclusion of transgender athletes from women’s sports and changing rooms. She believes the Liberals would have a stronger chance at winning the next election with a new leader.
While Poilievre has expressed support for offering refuge to persecuted LGBTQ+ individuals, his comments about female spaces being reserved for “biological females” have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates.
Activists like Worthman and Celeste Trianon are looking to the U.S. Democratic Party’s decision to replace President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential model for the Liberals to follow.
Despite these calls, Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister and former LGBTQ+ adviser to Trudeau, defended the prime minister as the best candidate to lead the Liberals through the next election, citing his longstanding support for LGBTQ+ rights.