The minister responsible for the fight against homophobia and transphobia, Martine Biron, met with the organization For the Rights of Women of Quebec (PDF Quebec) last year to call it to order regarding comments deemed transphobic .
The elected representative of the Coalition Avenir Québec made the revelation on Wednesday, during the study of her ministry’s budgetary appropriations. “We met with them to see exactly what their objective was and to ensure that we respected people,” said M.me Biron.
The women’s rights organization obtained a grant of $143,000 from Quebec in 2022-2023, CBC reported last year. However, in an exchange with Minister Biron on Wednesday, the member for Québec solidaire Sol Zanetti noted a series of publications recently shared on the Facebook page of PDF Québec which look like “not bad [à] misinformation” and “not bad [à] transphobia,” he euphemized.
In these articles, shared until the beginning of April, it is notably written that “young transgender people are not inherently exposed to an increased risk of suicide” and that “ethical rot […] underlies modern transgender medicine.
In a comment published on April 3, PDF Québec also affirms that “it is perfectly possible to provide adequate care to young people with identity problems without pushing them to damage their bodies for their entire existence.”
“I wonder if the $143,000 they receive per year is well invested in the fight against homophobia and transphobia,” Mr. Zanetti argued in committee on Wednesday. “I invite the minister to think about the possibility, perhaps, of reviewing this funding. »
According to Martine Biron, “it is a fact that there are more suicides or attempted suicides or mental health problems in trans communities.” In response to questions from the supportive MP, she agreed that she had already read comments from PDF Québec which had “worried” her.
It was for this reason, she added, that a meeting was organized with the organization last year. “I think we were well heard,” she said. “Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, it exists, [mais] it must be done with respect. »
Joined by The duty Wednesday evening, PDF Québec did not respond to our questions about the content of its social networks.