Alexe Frédéric Migneault, who campaigns for the addition of a third gender option on health insurance cards, is on his sixth day of hunger strike on Saturday, aiming to put pressure on the Régie de l’Insurance. Quebec health insurance (RAMQ).
For several years, Alexe Frédéric Migneault, who is non-binary, has asked that a third gender option, namely “X”, be added alongside the traditional “M” or “F” for men and women on health insurance cards.
“I admit it’s starting to get pretty difficult. In the morning I need broth quite early, it takes a few hours before I feel ready to walk. But generally speaking, my body is handling it really well so far,” said Alexe Frédéric Migneault, who uses the pronoun “iel”.
His diet since Monday has consisted solely of vegetable broth, water and, occasionally, hot chocolate to hydrate and keep his blood sugar at adequate levels.
Alexe Frédéric camps in a public park near the RAMQ offices, resisting the freezing temperatures overnight by wrapping himself in blankets inside his car. A friend recently found a room where Alexe Frédéric Migneault could spend a few nights.
During the day, Alexe Frédéric Migneault seeks temporary shelter from the cold in shopping centers and cafes.
RAMQ affirms that the Quebec Ministry of Health is still studying the impact that such an update could have on the health and social services network, which relies on the information found on insurance cards. disease to treat patients and manage their care.
However, Alexe Frédéric Migneault says he is tired of waiting for RAMQ to catch up. Quebec made the “X” sex option available on birth and death certificates last year.
“I believe I am shedding light on something which is urgent and which must be resolved as quickly as possible,” argued Alexe Frédéric Migneault, rejecting arguments according to which health insurance cards must reflect the sex assigned at birth, insisting that the “X” marker would benefit the overall health of non-binary people.
“The “X” will make the experience of accessing health care easier and less scary for non-binary people. So, we will be less likely, when we leave, with our “X”, to have mental health problems, to have physical health problems, because precisely, we will be treated better. »
Alexe Frédéric Migneault says he has had no news from the Quebec government or RAMQ officials since the start of his hunger strike.
However, her strike attracted the attention of the minister who oversees the government office dedicated to combating homophobia and transphobia.
Speaking to journalists in Quebec on Friday, Minister Martine Biron asked Alexe Frédéric Migneault to end his demonstration and to show patience. She mentioned an interministerial committee under her jurisdiction which is studying the issue of gender markers. She said the committee is making progress, but did not say when option “X” might become more prevalent.
“I can’t pull on the flower to make it grow faster,” Ms. Biron said. There are measures to be taken, but there is movement. »
Alexe Frédéric Migneault, however, does not intend to abandon his hunger strike. “I’m going to fight until the end, until we get the ‘X’. We deserve the X. The letter I have on my birth certificate is the one I am entitled to and I will not accept anything else. »