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The Green Party of Manitoba calls on Manitobans and Canadians to challenge the distressing and harmful rhetoric of both the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives and the federal CPC regarding 2sLGBTQIA+ rights.
Although both Manitoba PC candidate Wally Daudrich and fellow candidate Obby Kahn have said they support trans rights, Daudrich has made inappropriate “jokes” at the expense of trans people (and homeless people)[i] while Kahn led the PC party’s “parental rights” campaign in the 2023 election[ii]. Then, in a leadership debate this weekend, Daudrich falsely claimed that school libraries have pornography and books with advice on incest and bestiality[iii]. We must be vigilant and be wary of this narrative as a surreptitious call to action against 2sLGBTQIA+ rights.
Federal CPC leader, Pierre Poilievre, for his part, vowed this week to end the “radical woke agenda”[iv]. What this actually means is imprecise, but an earlier quote is alarming: “I’m not aware of any other genders than men and women. If there are any others you’d like me to consider, you’re welcome to tell me right now.”[v] It’s not clear whether Poilievre would be open to being enlightened about gender diversity, but it appears that we are dangerously close to the implementation of a misguided “anti-woke” agenda and all the harms that come with it.
We need only to look to our southern neighbours to see these harms. The actions of Donald Trump and his administration demonstrate clear risks to immigrants, refugees, women, minorities, and 2sLGBTQIA+. Trans people are at particular risk[vi], with expressed threats to their employment[vii], confidentiality, security[viii], and medical coverage and treatment[ix].
Vulnerable people will always become the scapegoats of people hungry for power. Now is the time for us to support our family, friends, and neighbours and challenge bigoted narratives. We must do everything we can to ensure that the ugliness currently happening in the United States does not become reality in Canada.
The Green Party of Manitoba reiterates a firm commitment to the 2sLGBTQIA+ community and the principles of personal rights to make decisions about one’s own confidentiality, bodily autonomy, and access to medical support.
[i] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/transgender-comment-facebook-daudrich-pc-candidate-1.7396111
[ii] https://www.brandonsun.com/opinion/2025/02/21/the-wrong-position-on-parental-rights
[iii] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/wally-daudrich-obby-khan-pc-leadership-debate-pornography-school-1.7463576
[iv] https://www.ctvnews.ca/video/2025/02/20/pierre-poilievre-vows-to-end-radical-woke-agenda-in-press-conference/
[v] https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/poilievre-says-hes-not-aware-of-more-than-two-genders-has-other-priorities/article_22c7e4a8-7438-53fa-88a3-c85e682953e5.html
[vi] https://apnews.com/article/discrimination-equal-employment-opportunity-trump-trans-samuels-00de2a3c8d5068e83f6ac1d9a073fc02
[vii] https://theconversation.com/how-could-donald-trump-target-the-lgbtq-community-project-2025-is-a-ready-blueprint-for-discrimination-243254
[viii] https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/01/with-donald-trump-in-power-trans-people-are-preparing-for-the-worst/
[ix] https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/gender-affirming-care-executive-order-trans-kids-1235272888/
Related Green Party Manitoba Links:
Education – Book Banning
Education – Sex Education
Healthcare – Prohibitng Sex-Normalizing Procedures
Human Rights – 2SLGBTQIA+ Refugees
Human Rights – Barriers to Transition
Human Rights – Gendered Language
2SLGBTQIA+ Rights – Protecting the Vulnerable
