Trans migrants pushing Pride to get political
LGBTQ protesters say organization needs to show ‘an angry face’
Calling on the organization to return to its more political roots, a portion of Montreal’s LGBTQ community said it has become disenchanted with what it perceives as a lack of advocacy efforts from Montreal Pride.
Dalia Tourki, a trans woman from Tunisia who came to Montreal six years ago, said trans migrants and LGBTQ people of colour have felt abandoned by the organization as it has grown increasingly corporate.
As it hosts the largest edition of its festivities this month, Tourki wishes Montreal Pride would use its influence and resources to fight for some of the more pressing issues that continue to affect the community’s most marginalized members.
“We want it to be as political as before,” Tourki said on Friday, noting how the pride movement grew out of riots.
“We’re not asking Pride to stop celebrating. We should celebrate our achievements,” she said. “We’re asking Pride to celebrate, but also advocate. Wear glitter, but show an angry face.”
One of the most urgent issues, Tourki said, is a lack of rights for trans migrants in Quebec. In order for someone to change their name or gender markers on official documents in Quebec, they need to be a Canadian citizen and have lived in the province for at least one year.
“It prevents us from accessing services, housing, jobs,” Tourki said. “How are you supposed to navigate society on a daily basis when your appearance is female but your documents say male?”
In response, Montreal Pride said the organization has never focused on trans migrant rights more than it has this year and is also “more political than ever.”
President Éric Pineault said the group held public panels to discuss the issue and hired two outreach workers to find the most marginalized members of the community and integrate them into the events. For the first time ever, he added, there will also be a contingent in the parade purposely named “Pride is Political.”
“If you say Pride is no longer political, you’re not looking at our programming,” he said.
The balance between celebrating and advocating is an issue that’s been raised before. And when it is, Pineault said, he always reminds people of something John Banks, the founder of the first Montreal pride parade in 1979, once said: that back then, people could only dream of being allowed to celebrate.
“Celebrating shows there’s an openness,” Pineault said. “The work isn’t done, it’s not equal for everyone, but we’re much more advanced than we were 40 years ago.”
On Friday afternoon, Tourki and a couple dozen other members of the community decided to take action themselves, protesting outside a downtown hotel where Montreal Pride was holding a conference on sexual and gender diversity.
Knowing Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée was to attend, they made their way inside the building and confronted the minister about the issue.
“We acknowledge all the wonderful things she has done for the trans community in recent years, but while doing them, she excluded vulnerable trans migrants,” Tourki said of Vallée.
In mid-May, the Parti Québécois introduced Bill 895, calling for an amendment to Quebec’s Civil Code that would allow anyone living in Quebec, including people who aren’t Canadian citizens, to have their names and gender markers changed on their birth certificates if they don’t correspond with their identities.
Outside the conference room Friday, demonstrators held a banner in front of the entrance — “Love for trans women of colour”— and passed around flyers asking people to support the bill.
“We keep being told it’s the next step, but we need it now,” trans migrant Kama La Mackerel shouted as a group of attendees gathered around to listen. “This concerns my daily life. I need housing right now. I need protection right now. I need security right now. Not in two years, not in five years.”
Vallée told reporters she listened to the group’s concerns and said the government is looking into the issue.
“We are determined to change the situation,” Vallée said.
“And make sure that trans migrants have whatever it takes to be fully integrated into Quebec society.”
I need housing right now. I need protection right now. I need security right now. Not in two years, not in five years.