(OTTAWA) Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s cabinet is quiet about a photograph showing one of its MPs with two people dressed in shirts with slogans against measures concerning sexual orientation and gender identity in schools .
The image, shared on social media, surfaced shortly after Mr Poilievre disassociated himself from another photo in which he was standing next to a man wearing a t-shirt referencing the right-wing pride.
Last photo shows Calgary Forest Lawn MP Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative Finance Critic, standing with three other men at a pancake breakfast open to the public last week as part of the Calgary Stampede Calgary.
Two of the men are wearing white t-shirts with black lettering that says, “Leave our kids alone.” The shirts also show a smaller, stylized image of a family under an umbrella sheltering them from the rainbow of colors associated with LGBTQ+ pride flags.
The offices of Messrs. Poilievre and Hallan did not respond to requests for comment on the photo or whether they agree with the message on the t-shirts.
Activist and accused
One of the men pictured, Mahmoud Mourra, protested against school policies and activities that recognize students’ sexual orientation and gender identity.
Mr Mourra, who shared the photo on social media, also faces a charge of hate-motivated stalking. Calgary police say it stems from allegations related to “multiple online interactions” on June 26.
According to the police, Mr Mourra was charged on July 3 and his next court date is in August.
In a telephone interview on Friday, Mourra called the accusation against him a “joke”, saying it was the result of an argument with someone he knows.
He said he thought nothing of his t-shirt when he posed for a picture with Mr Hallan, whom he called a friend. Mr Mourra said the two did not discuss his views on teaching sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, nor did he inform the MP of the charge he faced.
“It wasn’t intentional. I never even thought about it until I saw what happened with Danielle Smith,” he told The Canadian Press.
He was referring to a recent photo of the premier of Alberta standing with a man wearing a “heterosexual pride” shirt. Her office has since indicated that she does not approve of the post, which Mr Poilievre also disagreed with reporters.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre
As for the LGBTQ+ community, Mr Mourra said he was concerned about teachers pushing what he calls “this curriculum” on children.
“I believe that I have the chance to determine or decide how my children should grow up. I don’t teach them any hatred,” he said.
Discord and misinformation
A recent incident in Edmonton sparked protests in Alberta against sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools, after a teacher taught a Muslim student that he should avoid the events of pride. The teacher told the student that he “can’t be Canadian” and that he “doesn’t belong here” if he doesn’t believe in LGBTQ+ rights.
At a recent community event in Calgary, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said much of the divisiveness is fueled by misinformation, particularly from “the American right,” about what’s really in provincial school programs.
“They weaponize the LGBT issue,” Trudeau said in a conversation with Muslim parents at the event, which was recorded and shared on social media.
“They use these fears to divide people,” he added.
The Prime Minister told the small group of parents that the federal government unequivocally defends the rights and freedoms of everyone, including the Muslim community and LGBTQ+ youth.
Along with his prominent role as opposition critic, Hallan is also one of the Tory MPs involved in outreach to immigrant and newcomer communities where the party hopes to build support for the next elections.
Mr Mourra, a Muslim father of five, said many of his values aligned with those of the Tories. He believes the federal party supports the message he is defending based on Mr. Poilievre’s recent comments about a policy in New Brunswick.
The province’s Progressive Conservative premier, Blaine Higgs, has sparked controversy by changing a policy so that teachers are no longer required to use the preferred pronouns of transgender or non-binary students under the age of 16.
Instead, a teacher should obtain parental consent to use these pronouns. The Higgs government says that if this is not possible, a student would be referred to a school psychologist or social worker to develop a plan to let their parents know “if and when they are ready to do so”.
Asked about this initiative, Mr. Poilievre denounced Justin Trudeau’s reaction to it, saying it was none of his business.
“Let the provinces run the schools and let the parents raise their children,” Poilievre told reporters last month.