NDP calls on Liberals to oust candidates over trans beliefs
A day after B.C. Liberal candidate Laurie Throness left the party over controversial comments, another Liberal candidate is under fire for praising an anti-trans blog written by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
On Friday, the NDP called on Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson to fire Langley East candidate Margaret Kunst and New Westminster candidate Lorraine Brett for anti-LGBTQ beliefs.
This summer, Brett tweeted: “J.K Rowling's best work! Thank you @jk_ rowling” in response to her blog, an opinion piece that has been condemned as being harmful to transgender people because it denies that trans women are women.
Brett responded on Twitter Friday, acknowledging that in June she responded to a piece by J.K. Rowling that was based on her own personal experiences and drew much attention.
“I think it's important to hear different ideas in a fair and open society. The B.C. Liberals have been unequivocal in our support for the LBGTQ community and worked hard to advance an agenda that builds a better and more tolerant British Columbia. I am running as a B.C. Liberal because I share these views,” said Brett.
Many Twitter users were quick to respond that the ideas were not “different” but “intolerant” of transgender people.
The tweet in response to Rowling's blog has been deleted but can still be found online.
Wilkinson told a Postmedia editorial board Friday that controversial ideas do come up in a party that tries to accommodate many different views. But he said there are core values, including equality, fairness, opportunity and respect for all British Columbians.
He said he was not familiar with the blog that Brett was responding to in her tweet. He added that it raises the issue of whether it is OK “to have different opinions in our society” but that he would need to read it before forming an opinion.
“So I'm not familiar with the issue this morning. But I gather the NDP are criticizing one of our candidates over something that she read in the past.”
Wilkinson has also defended Kunst, who came under fire after she voted against a rainbow crosswalk in Langley.
He claimed it was a procedural vote and that Kunst wasn't against rainbow crosswalks. But it was later reported by Global News that Kunst had promised a right-wing Christian group, Association of Reformed Political Action Canada, she would vote against all rainbow crosswalks.