Quebec doubles budget for fight against homophobia and transphobia

Quebec is doubling its budget devoted to the fight against homophobia and transphobia to nearly $24 million over the next five years. Community groups are welcoming the plan, even as tensions about other recent government decisions linger.

Martine Biron, the minister responsible for this file, announced the news Thursday morning in Montreal, saying a rise in hate speech worries her "enormously."

"I want this plan to be a response, a way to work to counter the rise of violence, the rise of intimidation, the rise of intolerance," she said.

Biron underlined the centrality of community groups in the plan, noting that more than half the money will go to them.

But she faced repeated questions from media about two recent government moves opposed by many of those same groups: the decision to delay implementing X gender markers on provincial IDs and the creation of an advisory committee on gender identity issues that lacks any LGBT representation.

The $23.7 million, to be spent between 2023 and 2028, is the largest amount ever granted to this cause in Quebec since the very first plan to fight homophobia was adopted by Jean Charest's Liberal government in 2011. It's more than twice the amount invested in the previous plan, some $10 million for the 2017-2022 period.

James Galantino, head of the Conseil québécois LGBT, a federation of 70 organizations, called the plan "historic" and said the funding and the broad intentions of the plan will allow his group to "breathe a sigh of relief."

"Right now, we're pretty much overrun," he said. "There's a high, high demand for the services that the groups offer, a lot of burnout, a lot of changing of personnel. So it's going to change a lot of things for us. It's not going to cure everything because we're still underfinanced, but it will put a lot of steam in our motors."

The plan will focus on three main goals: ensuring the stability and continuity of community action, promoting respect for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and improving practices in public services.

Community anxieties persist

Thursday's announcement follows recent backlash for other provincial government moves affecting the LGBT community. Two days earlier, the government delayed the implementation of X gender markers on provincial IDs to 2025 at the earliest. And last week, it announced the members of a committee to study gender identity issues with a lack of LGBT members that some found conspicuous.

Biron faced repeated questions from reporters about both issues and appeared frustrated as she tried to keep the focus on the new funding.

"If anything, this announcement, coupled with the previous announcements, kind of feels emblematic of the CAQ's views writ large," said Francesco MacAllister-Caruso, a PhD student at Concordia University studying trans rights and political representation in Canada. "This is government that frames itself as an ally, but the actions don't always follow."

MacAllister-Caruso said the significant increase in funds "will go a long way to mend the broken relationship," between government and LGBT groups, but he said the government still needs to back it up with meaningful policy.

While not the leading cause of rising hate, he said the government's choices around the X gender marker "present issues already resolved through the court system as unresolved, or as a threat to society."

Galantino takes a pragmatic approach to this issue, reiterating that his organization disagrees with the government on the matter but will continue to work with it.

"If we want to go forward in general as a group for the communities, we still have to have communications with the government — even if we don't agree," he said.

Victoria Legault, who heads Aide aux Trans du Québec (ATQ), said she welcomes the increased funding but said it wasn't clear whether the government understood what the community faces, noting that hate "goes beyond people shouting in the street."

"The violence is even more subtle," Legault said. "I think some don't understand what people from our communities expect at this critical time. Particularly on the X gender marker."

Sometimes,  Legault said, the government needs to take the lead before there's consensus. "Especially when we're talking about the rights of a minority. We can't necessarily wait until the majority agrees on the issue."

More than half of funds to community groups

The complete plan includes a total of 44 measures, including some adapted from the previous plan. Community groups will get $11 million of the total budget, or 55 percent.

Among other things, the government plans to create an LGBTQ+ award as early as 2024, as well as a web directory that would bring together all the tools and resources developed as part of the action plan.

Over $4 million will be invested to recognize sexual and gender diversity through an awareness-raising strategy aimed at the general public. More targeted content for the sports world and health professionals, in particular, is also planned.

The Bureau de lutte contre l'homophobie et la transphobie will receive $4 million to ensure its continuity within the Quebec government.

The remaining several million dollars will be used, among other things, to create information tools on the rights of LGBTQ+ people and to train public service workers in the realities experienced by LGBTQ+ people.