LGBTQ pride groups in northwestern Ontario call out Kenora MP's silent treatment

LGBTQ pride groups in northwestern Ontario are calling for an urgent meeting with Conservative MP Eric Melillo over what they're calling transphobic policy resolutions passed by the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC).

The organizations, covering Thunder Bay to Kenora, issued a joint statement Tuesday in response to "the rise in transphobic rhetoric coming from certain political movements and the CPC's response to them."

Caitlin Hartlen, chair of Rainbow Alliance Dryden, said they're concerned about two key policy resolutions passed during the CPC's national convention earlier this month:

• To ban children experiencing gender dysphoria from receiving gender-related "life-altering medicinal or surgical interventions."
• To demand single-sex spaces open only to women, defined as "female persons," which would prevent transgender people and other gender-diverse people from being in women's prisons, shelters, locker rooms and washrooms.

The resolutions are called 'Protecting Children's Mental and Physical Health' and 'Protecting Female Sports, Intimate Spaces and Women's Rights.'

"Now, those both sound good on paper but are designed to undermine the rights of transgender women and youth in this country," said Hartlen. "It's actually going to be very harmful because for many trans youth, school is currently safer than home."

While Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre isn't bound to adopt the policies passed at the CPC convention, Hartlen said these resolutions send the message that LGBTQ people aren't safe.

Silence from local MP 'speaks volumes'

Last week saw marches held across Canada, where parents and socially conservative groups protested LGBTQ-inclusive education policies in schools and in extracurricular settings under the banner of "parental rights."

In Thunder Bay, a counter-protest called the Love Always Wins Healing Rally drew more than 100 people to city hall to push back against claims that parental rights are being violated in classrooms. Thunder Bay–Superior North MP Lise Vaugeois attended, along with Thunder Bay's mayor and members of council.

While critics and researchers say the term "parental rights" is a misnomer because it doesn't address the concerns of LGBTQ parents or parents of LGBTQ children, Poilievre provided a different interpretation in a tweet from Sept. 22.

"Parents should be the final authority on the values and lessons that are taught to children. Trudeau should butt out and let parents raise their kids," Poilievre wrote.

Northwestern Ontario's pride organizations tried to contact Melillo, who represents the Kenora riding, ahead of the CPC convention before issuing their release this week, but say he hasn't responded.

CBC News did not receive a response from Melillo's office by deadline.

"His silence on the issues of transgender rights and safety are deeply concerning," Hartlen said. "The fact that he's not saying anything also speaks volumes."

Last week, the Canadian Press obtained a copy of a message sent to members of Poilievre's caucus, which warned them not to post online or talk to media about recent protests over how schools should handle LGBTQ issues.

"We just want these people to come to the table, talk to us, meet with us, understand that we actually have a common goal of protecting children, but the misinformation and the hatred is not helping to advance that goal," said Hartlen.

Fighting back against misinformation

Jason Veltri, co-founder of the Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay, said he's disappointed  leaders like Melillo are being discouraged from having constructive conversations with pride groups. 

"We want to encourage the MP to stand up in his caucus and say that this isn't what the Conservative values are," Veltri said.

He is particularly concerned about Conservative caucus members who are publicly out as members of the LGBTQ community, saying they're "being muzzled."

Polls from earlier this month suggest Poilievre has a good chance of becoming the next Prime Minister of Canada. Veltri fears that if Poilievre supports policy resolutions like those passed at the CPC convention, protections for LGBTQ people will be rolled back.

Veltri said it's important to work with all elected leaders to make sure LGBTQ rights are upheld – but not being able to have open conversations takes away this opportunity.

For now, he said the region's pride groups will continue to push back against misinformation and focus on "sharing educated information and facts around what's happening in schools."