Liberal Leader Mark Carney finally addressed the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians at a campaign stop in Calgary Wednesday (April 9).
The party has been silent about 2SLGBTQ+ issues until today, as much of the campaign's focus has been centred around the tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed on Canada and their impact on the Canadian economy.
Dylan Robertson, a reporter with the Canadian Press, asked Carney Wednesday if his government would protect access to gender-affirming care under the Canada Health Act and what the government would do about "the backsliding" that is happening for gender and sexual minorities.
Carney said he will defend the rights of all Canadians and described Canada as a mosaic.
"We are all Canadians, but we all have different identities and distinctions, and one of the great strengths of this country is recognizing that people can be who they are, they can love who they love, they can live where they are, and it's fundamentally important that the federal government is the defender of those rights, defender of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and access to health care in Canada is not a business, it is a fundamental right for all Canadians without exception."
The Surrey Now-Leader tried to ask Carney the question on Tuesday when he was in Delta but could not do so due to time constraints on questions.
This question comes inside a province where individuals' access to gender-affirming care is under threat. The Alberta government introduced Bill 26, which is anticipated to come into effect this year, which would "preserve choice" for transgender minors. Health-care professionals would be restricted from performing gender reassignment surgeries and prescribing puberty blockers to transgender youth.
Two 2SLGBTQI organizations and five gender-diverse youth in Alberta have taken the Government of Alberta to court over this bill.
One of those organizations is Egale Canada, which aims to improve the lives of 2SLGBTQI individuals by informing public policy, fostering cultural change, and advocating for human rights through research, education, and awareness.
Egale stated that provinces such as Alberta have introduced a number of bills over the past year that, if passed, could especially harm trans Albertans. It describes the legislation as "unprecedented and discriminatory legislation that will result in a sweeping attack on the rights, safety, and freedoms of 2SLGBTQI people in Alberta."
Surrey Now-Leader reached out to the NDP and the Conservative parties for comment; more to come.
The NDP issued a press release on Transgender Visibility Day (March 31) stating that they stand with trans Canadians and will defend their rights to gender-affirming care.
