PQ refuses to immediately support motion against homophobia, QS perplexed
Manon Massé no longer recognizes the Parti Québécois. The political party, several of whose former MNAs would have gone "to the bat" for LGBTQ+ rights, she said, refused to support her motion denouncing homophobia in schools on Thursday.
The motion presented in the Red Room in the morning aimed for the National Assembly to demonstrate its concern about the "results of the study by the Groupe de recherche et d'intervention sociale, which concludes that there is an increase in young people's intolerance towards members of the LGBTQ community."
The study, which was published in mid-January, concluded that the number of students who were "uncomfortable" with sexual diversity had exploded in the past seven years.
In her motion tabled Thursday, Québec solidaire MNA Manon Massé wanted the National Assembly to "recognize that the sexuality education program in Quebec is of high quality" and to welcome "the fact that the program addresses issues of gender identity, stereotypes and expression, as well as the impacts of sexism, in a neutral and open manner. of homophobia and transphobia on children and adolescents".
However, after a vote in the House, three deputies abstained. The three Parti Québécois (PQ) MNAs present in the Red Room at the time: Pascal Bérubé, Joël Arseneau and Pascal Paradis.
Support for "principles"Asked about this decision not to support the motion, as the Coalition Avenir Québec and the Quebec Liberal Party had done, the PQ said Thursday that it was "in agreement with [its] main principles." "We are also concerned about the rise in intolerance among young people towards members of the LGBTQ community, and we recognize the importance of adequate sex education in schools," wrote the press secretary of the PQ parliamentary wing, Emmanuel Renaud, in a written statement sent to Le Devoir.
However, "as far as the sexuality education program is concerned, the vehicle of the motion without notice did not allow for a complete analysis from the angle proposed," he continued. "This is a recent program that covers several levels and is the subject of support and criticism from experts, stakeholders and parents."
In a post on X, the PQ reiterated that its position was not on "the issue of intolerance," but on the content of sex education classes. "To suggest otherwise in any way is not serious."
Manon Massé asks to see these criticisms with her own eyes. In an interview Thursday afternoon, the former Solidaire critic said she had difficulty explaining the PQ's decision, even after being made aware of its justifications.
"What I do know is that for years, I worked with the likes of Véronique Hivon, Carole Poirier, Sylvain Gaudreault [all former PQ elected officials], who went to bat when the rights of LGBT communities were undermined, questioned or questioned. And especially when we saw hatred and intolerance increase," said Mr.me Massé, perplexed.
The elected representative for Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques is all the more surprised that her motion "was not intended to be problematic." "It was meant to be rather positive, to send a message. Their answer is: "we agree on the principles, but not on the details"... Hey, we're in a motion without notice, we're not in the study of a bill," she commented. "If they had wanted to, they could have proposed amendments."
Already criticisms of the sex education courseIn December, in an open letter published in La Presse in response to columnist Rima Elkouri, the current president of the Parti Québécois, Catherine Gentilcore, who is also running in the upcoming Terrebonne by-election, raised concerns about the sex education course currently offered in Quebec schools.
"In Quebec, at the moment, the sex education program [...] is based on gender theory. Our children are told that gender is not linked to the sex observed at birth, but assigned by society. The ministry explains to teachers that children can start exploring their gender identity between the ages of 3 and 7," she wrote, a statement that was later nuanced in a "clarification" by the newspaper.
"What are we afraid of?" asked Mr.me Massé, Thursday, on the other end of the line. "First, gender theories are not taught at the elementary and secondary levels. We teach children that gender diversity exists, it's correct, it's legitimate. And why are we doing this? Because the suicide rate among our LGBT youth is still much [too] high. »
Le Devoir gave the PQ the opportunity to respond to Mr.me Massé in an interview, an invitation that was declined.
The motion presented in the Red Room in the morning aimed for the National Assembly to demonstrate its concern about the "results of the study by the Groupe de recherche et d'intervention sociale, which concludes that there is an increase in young people's intolerance towards members of the LGBTQ community."
The study, which was published in mid-January, concluded that the number of students who were "uncomfortable" with sexual diversity had exploded in the past seven years.
In her motion tabled Thursday, Québec solidaire MNA Manon Massé wanted the National Assembly to "recognize that the sexuality education program in Quebec is of high quality" and to welcome "the fact that the program addresses issues of gender identity, stereotypes and expression, as well as the impacts of sexism, in a neutral and open manner. of homophobia and transphobia on children and adolescents".
However, after a vote in the House, three deputies abstained. The three Parti Québécois (PQ) MNAs present in the Red Room at the time: Pascal Bérubé, Joël Arseneau and Pascal Paradis.
Support for "principles"Asked about this decision not to support the motion, as the Coalition Avenir Québec and the Quebec Liberal Party had done, the PQ said Thursday that it was "in agreement with [its] main principles." "We are also concerned about the rise in intolerance among young people towards members of the LGBTQ community, and we recognize the importance of adequate sex education in schools," wrote the press secretary of the PQ parliamentary wing, Emmanuel Renaud, in a written statement sent to Le Devoir.
However, "as far as the sexuality education program is concerned, the vehicle of the motion without notice did not allow for a complete analysis from the angle proposed," he continued. "This is a recent program that covers several levels and is the subject of support and criticism from experts, stakeholders and parents."
In a post on X, the PQ reiterated that its position was not on "the issue of intolerance," but on the content of sex education classes. "To suggest otherwise in any way is not serious."
Manon Massé asks to see these criticisms with her own eyes. In an interview Thursday afternoon, the former Solidaire critic said she had difficulty explaining the PQ's decision, even after being made aware of its justifications.
"What I do know is that for years, I worked with the likes of Véronique Hivon, Carole Poirier, Sylvain Gaudreault [all former PQ elected officials], who went to bat when the rights of LGBT communities were undermined, questioned or questioned. And especially when we saw hatred and intolerance increase," said Mr.me Massé, perplexed.
The elected representative for Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques is all the more surprised that her motion "was not intended to be problematic." "It was meant to be rather positive, to send a message. Their answer is: "we agree on the principles, but not on the details"... Hey, we're in a motion without notice, we're not in the study of a bill," she commented. "If they had wanted to, they could have proposed amendments."
Already criticisms of the sex education courseIn December, in an open letter published in La Presse in response to columnist Rima Elkouri, the current president of the Parti Québécois, Catherine Gentilcore, who is also running in the upcoming Terrebonne by-election, raised concerns about the sex education course currently offered in Quebec schools.
"In Quebec, at the moment, the sex education program [...] is based on gender theory. Our children are told that gender is not linked to the sex observed at birth, but assigned by society. The ministry explains to teachers that children can start exploring their gender identity between the ages of 3 and 7," she wrote, a statement that was later nuanced in a "clarification" by the newspaper.
"What are we afraid of?" asked Mr.me Massé, Thursday, on the other end of the line. "First, gender theories are not taught at the elementary and secondary levels. We teach children that gender diversity exists, it's correct, it's legitimate. And why are we doing this? Because the suicide rate among our LGBT youth is still much [too] high. »
Le Devoir gave the PQ the opportunity to respond to Mr.me Massé in an interview, an invitation that was declined.
