Manon Massé invites non-binary people to run for a position as co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, but the party admits that it does not know how it would handle this situation if it arises.
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“I invite, if there are non-gendered people who want to introduce themselves, that they do so”, launched Ms. Massé in response to the question of a journalist who asked her if it would not be time to have a spokesperson who does not identify as either a man or a woman at Québec solidaire.
But at present, the statutes of the party provide for two spokesperson posts, one male and one female. For Ms. Massé, this is not a problem. “We at QS, whatever, people can show up. If that happens, we will see with our members what we do with it,” she said.
Then, when asked whether a trans person could hold a spokesperson position at QS, Ms. Massé was adamant. “A trans woman could serve as the female spokesperson, and a trans man could serve as the male spokesperson.”
Ms. Massé announced last week that she will not seek a new mandate as female co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire.
The race to elect the next spokespersons will be launched in August, and the election will take place on November 26 at the party convention. The parliamentary leader of QS, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, will run for his mandate to be renewed.
The member for Mercier, Ruba Ghazal, has already announced that she is launching the race to succeed Manon Massé.
On the side of the Quebec solidaire office, it is indicated that a non-binary person who would start the race could not occupy the position of female spokesperson, because the statutes of the party provide that 50% of the spokespersons must be women.
But does this mean that a non-binary person should necessarily try to get elected as a male spokesperson, and try to replace Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois?
Not necessarily, we were told. In fact, nothing defines how the party would manage a race in the event of such a candidacy. “When the statutes were drafted in 2006-2007, these issues were not as present,” we breathe.
As this situation has never arisen and it is only a hypothetical scenario for the moment, Québec solidaire limits itself to stressing that “the party would arrange for the race to take place in the way as inclusive as possible, respecting [leurs] feminist principles.