‘It perpetuates hatred’: Alberta LGBTQ2S+ community ‘disheartened’ by Poilievre comments on gender

Alberta’s LGBTQ community says it is troubled by sentiments south of the border and worried they’re spreading to Canada. Timm Bruch explains.

Alberta’s LGBTQ2S+ community says it’s “disheartened” by recent comments on gender by Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.

Poilievre’s remarks came a day after Donald Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. will only recognize two sexes, male and female, moving forward.

Asked about his stance on the issue during an interview Wednesday, Poilievre said he is “only aware of two” genders.

“And as far as I’m concerned,” he added, “we should have a government that just minds its own damn business and leaves people alone to make their own personal decisions.”

One University of Alberta Faculty of Law and School of Public Health professor called the comments “ridiculous.”

“(Poilievre) has his finger to the air to get a sense of the direction of the wind,” Timothy Caulfield said. “He tried to walk a fine line here, but it’s clear he’s trying to align himself with that MAGA sentiment about gender.”

“And for him to say (the government should mind its own business); it’s the Conservatives that have made this a wedge issue, as they’ve done in the past with culture war topics.”

‘It perpetuates hatred’

Those in the LGBTQ2S+ community who spoke with CTV News Thursday believe Poilievre’s comments were rooted in misinformation and anger.

“And it just perpetuates more hatred and division among folks and creates unsafe spaces,” Sara Miles said. “It’s a dog whistle.”

Miles is gender diverse and believes Poilievre is discounting — or just ignoring — her lived experience.

“You’re erasing the identity of over 100,000 Canadians,” she said. “So it’s really important to maybe speak to some of us and educate yourself on gender diversity. Realize that a lot of us are just normal people who are successful and have great lives in Canada and contribute to society.”

Lethbridge Pride Society’s Cassaundra Fayant agreed.

She voiced concern that the Conservative leader is normalizing a society where it is alright to be “intolerant.”

“As things shift south of the border, people do feel more emboldened to follow suit here,” she said. “It’s very disheartening.”

A major shift

Canadians who do not identify exclusively as female or male have been able to identify as gender “X” on official documents — including passports, travel documents, citizenship certificates and permanent resident cards — since 2019.

Americans have likewise been able to put “X” as their gender since 2022, until Trump’s Monday order ended the policy.

Some advocates call the move a significant first step in rolling back transgender rights and diversity and inclusion policies.

“As someone who studies misinformation, I’m frustrated because I know the justification for this position shift are rooted in things that are simply not true,” Caulfield said. “They back up their position with misinformation about gender affirming care and this idea of regret: stigmatized ideas that do nothing to move our society forward.”

A request for an interview made to Poilievre’s office wasn’t answered directly Thursday.

-with files from CTV’s Spencer Van Dyk