The Quebec government came under fire this week for funding a women香蕉视频直播檚 group that is alleged to have spread transphobic views and targeted trans activists online.
On Thursday in the legislature, Jennifer Maccarone of the Liberal Opposition read excerpts of documents that refer to sex change surgeries as a form of 香蕉视频直播渕utilation,香蕉视频直播� which she said had been published by the group Pour les droits des femmes du Qu茅bec (PDF Qu茅bec) on its online platforms.
Maccarone then questioned the minister responsible for the status of women, Martine Biron, on the fact that the Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec government has been funding the group, which she said also encourages trans people to reverse their transition.
香蕉视频直播淭he government is using public funds to subsidize an organization, PDF Qu茅bec, who are openly transphobic,香蕉视频直播� Maccarone said. The $143,000 given to the group for the 2022-23 fiscal year goes directly against the province香蕉视频直播檚 action plan to combat homophobia and transphobia, she added.
Biron replied that every group has its own 香蕉视频直播渙pinions香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渙bjectives香蕉视频直播� and all groups should be respected and listened to.
香蕉视频直播淭hey are being consulted now, and it香蕉视频直播檚 very obvious that I will make sure that it香蕉视频直播檚 not negative or hateful towards others. I think that all women in Quebec as well as people in the LGBTQ communities, deserve to be respected and deserve to be well represented,香蕉视频直播� the minister said.
Fae Johnstone, an Ottawa-based activist, said that she was called a 香蕉视频直播渧iolent man香蕉视频直播� in a tweet last week by PDF Qu茅bec. She said that in the past, the group has also described her as 香蕉视频直播渕isogynistic.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t was really hurtful to read that in the first place, and then to see them contributing to the sustained campaign of hate directed at me was really atrocious to witness,香蕉视频直播� Johnstone said. 香蕉视频直播淧DF Qu茅bec doesn香蕉视频直播檛 consider trans people to be who we know ourselves to be, but rather that we are somehow deceived or that there is something wrong with us.香蕉视频直播�
Johnstone said that until this week she was unaware of the funding the group had received from the Quebec government and called it 香蕉视频直播渁bsolutely atrocious.香蕉视频直播�
PDF Qu茅bec, which describes itself as feminist, non-partisan, 香蕉视频直播渦niversalist香蕉视频直播� and secular, first received provincial funding of about $120,000 in 2019-20. The group, which was created in 2013, did not respond to repeated requests for comment this week.
Catherine Poulin, a spokesperson for the Department of Labour and Social Solidarity, which provided the funding, said the department was not aware of the allegations of transphobia.
香蕉视频直播淭his will be addressed in accordance with the grant agreement signed with the organization,香蕉视频直播� Poulin said in a written statement on Thursday. 香蕉视频直播淚f the organization does not meet the requirements of its grant agreement, corrective action will be required before the renewal of its financial support, which is scheduled for April 2023.香蕉视频直播�
Celeste Trianon, a Montreal trans activist who runs a legal aid clinic helping trans women, said that she has been targeted by PDF Qu茅bec on multiple occasions.
香蕉视频直播淭hey started singling me out recently and attacking me because of my standing within Quebec香蕉视频直播檚 trans community. Some of the things that PDF Qu茅bec has done include sharing disinformation about me either as an organization or as an individual member thereof and also, in some cases, going as far as to publish slandering articles on me,香蕉视频直播� Trianon said.
The activist said she has received multiple death threats because of misinformation spread by the group.
On Wednesday, Catherine Boucher, a spokesperson for Biron香蕉视频直播檚 office, said Quebec is an open and welcoming society where homophobia and transphobia have no place.
香蕉视频直播淥ur government has taken many actions to fight against this discrimination, and we will continue to denounce the prejudices that persist,香蕉视频直播� Boucher said in a written statement 香蕉视频直播淭he Quebec government香蕉视频直播檚 funding of PDF Qu茅bec is not a sign of support for all their positions.香蕉视频直播�
Marisela Amador, The Canadian Press
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