François Legault wants to debate gender identity “without falling into extremes”. It is therefore a “moderate” elected official who will lead the work of her committee of wise people: the Minister of Families, Suzanne Roy.
The Prime Minister made the announcement on social networks Wednesday morning. He preferred the elected representative from Verchères to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Martine Biron, and to the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville.
“Suzanne is a woman close to the population and she will, I am sure, be able to listen to everyone,” Mr. Legault wrote on X.
The mandate of the committee and the identity of the “wise men” who will compose it will be known in December, underlined Mr.me Roy, Wednesday in the press scrum. Can we expect LGBTQ+ communities to be represented there? “It’s not a representation committee,” the CAQ elected official insisted.
“I was watching the protests last week. “It’s not like us,” she told the parliamentary press. It’s important to really take stock of the situation and get an idea. »
Last Wednesday, a series of protests and counter-protests across Canada led to tense verbal clashes between opponents of gender identity education and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.
In the wake of these events, Prime Minister Legault said he wanted to act as a “bulwark against extremes”. “We are not used to seeing this polarization on one side or the other,” he said.
Suzanne Roy claims to have observed reprehensible behavior on both sides that day. “Hate, disrespect for different opinions, that, for me, is extreme,” she maintained. Unfortunately, we often see extremes on both sides. »
Biron satisfied
The saga of mixed toilets in schools has awakened a whole reflection within the government of François Legault, which now intends to lead a broader debate on the place of trans and non-binary people in Quebec society.
Bernard Drainville first spoke of a scientific committee. Mr. Legault then spoke of the creation of a committee of wise men. “Our goal, obviously, is not to take away anyone’s rights,” assured Minister Roy on Wednesday.
Asked about the validity of her appointment at the head of the committee of wise men as Minister of Families, Suzanne Roy maintained that it would have a “transversal” and interministerial mandate.
Minister Biron sees no problem in the choice of prime minister. “I am responsible for the Office to Combat Homophobia and Transphobia. We said to ourselves that if I fully wanted to be able to carry out this mandate day after day, [ç’aurait été] good thing I have complete independence,” she said.
According to Mme Biron, in any case, gender identity is an issue that concerns the family just as much. “It affects children, in particular,” she said.
With Alexandre Robillard