Advocates for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Manitoba say they are sad and fearful after U.S. President Donald Trump targeted transgender people in one of his first actions in office.
Hours after his inauguration on Monday, he signed an executive order ending a series of policies aimed at protecting 2SLGBTQ+ rights, fulfilling a campaign promise he described as “restoring biological truth.”
He said that the United States will recognize only two sexes (male and female) and that they are immutable.
That has the executive director of Trans Manitoba worried about the safety of his community.
“As a parent of a non-binary child, I’m terrified to talk to them about the social climate in the United States and increasingly in Canada,” Charlie Eau told host Marcy Markusa in an interview Tuesday with CBC Manitoba. Information Radio.
“It’s heartbreaking and terrifying to think that if they want to know the current state of politics, I have to tell them that the United States is trying to legislate to eliminate them. It’s a horrible thing to try to explain to a child. That level of hate and ignorance.”
On Monday, Trump repealed 78 executive orders issued by former President Joe Biden, including those fighting discrimination against gay and transgender people. Trump accused the previous administration of “trying to socially introduce race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
His executive order requires the government to use the term “sex” instead of “gender” and mandates that government-issued identification documents, including passports and visas, be based on “an individual’s immutable biological classification as male or women”.
“It’s horrible to hear. The word that comes to mind is ‘dehumanizing,'” said Eau, who has family in the United States.
“I don’t think my gender presentation or my identity documents give me any kind of safety when crossing the border. It’s a really scary and dangerous time.”
Canadian citizens who do not identify as either female or male can since 2019 list their gender as “X” on identification documents.
Canada “not immune”: Pride organization
Pauline Emerson-Froebe, who moved to the southern Manitoba town of Carman with her wife after Trump was elected to his first term, said it’s scary to see her peers “being pushed back into the closet now.” the shadows.”
“Canada is not immune to this type of hate-based politics,” the president of Pembina Valley Pride said in an interview Tuesday afternoon with CBC Manitoba. up to date.
“We’ve already seen it in Alberta with its anti-trans legislation, and we fear it will cross the border as many ideologies seem to do.”
Pembina Valley Pride advocates for 2SLGBTQ+ rights in several communities in southern Manitoba.
On Monday, the organization took to social media to reassure its queer and trans members, saying in a post on Instagram that recognition from people who don’t understand them has never been, nor will be, a requirement for their existence.
“It’s important to know you’re not alone,” Emerson-Froebe said.
“We are in this together and there are people in the queer community who are reaching out and are available to be there for you.”
‘Saying we don’t exist doesn’t make it true’
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that between 0.05 percent and 1.7 percent of the world’s population are born with intersex traits: sexual anatomy, reproductive glands, genitals, hormonal patterns and/or or chromosome patterns that don’t fit. the typical binary notions of male or female bodies.
Emerson-Froebe said trans people are a small part of the broader community and are only used by the US president as a “distraction” from issues such as the cost of living and health care.
“Gender non-conforming people, trans people and non-binary people are just normal people in their community.” Eau said.
“We’re teachers, we’re at your grocery store, we work at your local nonprofit. We’re just regular people trying to live our lives with a minimum of human rights, and you can’t legislate us out of existence.
“Saying we don’t exist doesn’t make it true. We’re still here.”
Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, who is non-binary, posted a video message on Instagram on Tuesday, aimed at those who might be “recovering” from the news in the south.
“It’s very important that we focus on what we can control right now. And what we can control is how we treat each other here in Manitoba,” they said.
“In our province we have the opportunity to continue doing what we have decided to do, which is to embrace each other.”
