Northwestern Ontario’s political candidates are providing their stances on issues impacting the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Borderland Pride, the Rainbow Alliance Dryden and the Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay have been administering a survey to federal candidates across northwestern Ontario, including those in the Kenora riding.
“All voters are encouraged to educate themselves on the issues in this election impacting equity-seeking groups, and to help ensure that Northwestern Ontario elects representatives who are committed to addressing 2SLGBTQIA+ diversity, inclusion, and safety issues,” wrote Borderland Pride.
Questions included current legislative priorities for the LGBTQ2S+ community, including proposed federal legislation to criminalize conversion therapy, trans rights and access to healthcare, the controversial and discriminatory blood-giving ban and the protection of LGBTQ2S+ people in the now Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Four of the five candidates, David Bruno of the Liberals, Eric Melillo of the Conservatives, Janine Seymour of the NDP and Remi Rheault of the Green Party, all pledged their support to those in the LGBTQ2S+ community, and their full responses to the questionnaire can be found below.
Borderland Pride did not invite Craig Martin of the People’s Party of Canada to participate.
“Barriers continue to be broken in our politics for queer and trans people, and the responses to this questionnaire reflect that progress. We want to acknowledge David Bruno, the Liberal candidate in Kenora, who we believe may be the first member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to run for Parliament in our region,” says Borderland Pride’s Peter Howie.
Of note, Thunder Bay-Rainy River’s Adelina Pecchia of the Conservative Party was the lone candidate to not respond to the survey, and was also a no-show at Thunder Bay’s All Candidates Debate.
Borderland Pride is an LGBTQ2S+ Pride organization in the Rainy River District, Koochiching County, Northern Minnesota and the southeast of the Treaty #3 territory.