(Quebec) Liberals accuse Quebec of funding a “transphobic” group. According to Jennifer Maccarone, the positions defended by the organization Pour les droits des femmes du Québec (PDF Québec) in terms of gender identity go against the actions taken by the government plan to fight against homophobia and transphobia. .
In a question asked Thursday at the Blue Room, the member for Westmount–Saint-Louis read excerpts from documents published on the PDF Quebec website which associates sex change surgeries with a form of mutilation. It is also written that “the number of young girls being referred to gender identity clinics, which are springing up like mushrooms, should be a warning that something resembling an epidemic is happening”.
Earlier this week, CBC News also carried a report that claimed PDF Quebec has in the past attacked trans activists on Twitter and shared posts encouraging trans people to go through a detransition process.
Questioned in Parliament on the fact that Quebec finances this group, whose grant was $143,000 in 2022-2023, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Martine Biron, replied that “each group has its opinion” and that the groups must be “respected as a whole and listened to”. She then listed the actions taken by her government to promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
PDF Quebec has received financial assistance from the Quebec government since 2019. The group, which describes itself as feminist, mixed, non-partisan, universalist and for secularism, was created in 2013 and has also participated in public consultations in the past. on bills. He also occasionally defends his positions in the debate pages of the news media. At the time of publication, PDF Quebec had not responded to the criticisms made by the PLQ.