Where do the municipal parties stand on LGBTQ issues?
In an attempt to get some clarity around an issue I consider very important, I emailed a question to each of the four parties running in the April 5th, Vancouver City By Election. I asked the identical question listed below. I realise that the biggest issue in this By Election is likely to be the Broadway Plan and the contentious issues surrounding it. However, as a city that has a deep LGBTQ cultural heritage, I do feel it’s good to know exactly where our representatives stand, as they will be formulating policy on a wide range of issues.
The question asked was:
“Hi there,
I am looking for information about the ABC’s position on SOGI and LGBTQ issues in general. Do you have any transgender people within your team and what exactly is your position in regards to the protection of trans rights within Vancouver – a city with a strong LGBTQ heritage? Do you have an LGBTQ advisory group within Team?
I would appreciate your response,
Rob Hadley
They/Them.”
The answers, in the order received are as follows:
From COPE VANCOUVER:
“Hi Rob,
Thanks for reaching out.
We consider standing up for people’s human rights to be a core value, including queer folks, disabled folks, racialized folks, and indigenous communities.
COPE has a history of standing with LGBTQ folks for decades. We do indeed have transgender, nonbinary, and queer folks on our team- both in staff roles, and in our core volunteers. We also do have an advisory group in our organization- an equity caucus- that deals with LGBTQ issues. If you’re interested in being involved in those discussions after the election, and you sign up as a member, we’d be happy to plug you into that as we build our 2026 platform to take back the city.
Housing justice, one of our core pillars, is an issue that affects the LGBTQ community disproportionately. We’re always looking for more ways to support LGBTQ Vancouverites both in and out of office, and I welcome any feedback or suggestion in that regard.
Shawn”
From TEAM for a liveable Vancouver:
“Hi Rob,
Thank you for getting in touch.
TEAM supports, and adheres to, the B.C. Human Rights Code with its protections against discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
TEAM supports the LGBTQ community, and we count among our supporters many members of the LGBTQ community. In fact, two of our candidates in the last election were proud, longtime members of the LGBTQ community. We don’t have an LGBTQ advisory group, but we currently have three members of the LGBTQ community on our leadership team.
We are not aware of any trans people on our leadership team at this time.
SOGI was not the issue it now is back in 2021 when we were formulating school board policies. We’ll be revisiting and clarifying our positions, with the input of all our members who are interested, in preparation for the 2026 general election. It’s fair to say that TEAM supports the rights of all students, including LGBTQ youth, to experience safe and supportive schools that are free from discrimination and bullying, but I (personally, with a 40+ year career in alternative education at the VSB) will be pushing for specific support for SOGI.
Regards,
Sal Robinson”
From OneCity Vancouver:
“Hi Rob, thank you for reaching out!
The work OneCity does is deeply informed by the wisdom and resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ elders who have fought tirelessly for dignity and safety. We honour their contributions and recognize the importance of standing against homophobia and transphobia, which were brought here through colonization. Our fight for a more inclusive Vancouver requires ongoing reconciliation and daily actions. Additionally, “We are working for an inclusive, vibrant and affordable city — a city for everyone, not just a few. We acknowledge the variety of obstacles facing members of our organization and residents of our city that are both institutional and systemic and we commit ourselves to working against these obstacles in all their forms.”
OneCity takes strides to nurture and develop 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders in our organization. Our Executive Director is queer and we make disciplined efforts during campaign periods to ensure our candidate recruitment and mentorship includes 2SLGBTQIA+ candidates, volunteers, and community members. Consistent with those values, we frequently hire and engage with staff, contractors, volunteers, etc, who are 2SLGBTQIA+ (as well as elect Board Members, and run candidates for office from these communities). We have a Discrimination and Harassment Policy that reads, in part: “OneCity does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or bullying of any kind. Discrimination means any form of unequal treatment based on a personal characteristic such as race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, socio- economic condition, substance use, language, or other similar characteristic.”
As a party, we have sought to make space for the voices of 2SLGBTQAI+ people, and the priorities that they have brought forward. Of OneCity’s 12 candidates for municipal office in October 2022, 4 identified as non-binary, queer, or bi. We support inclusive, informed education in our public schools including SOGI and our elected School Trustee Jennifer Reddy has been a staunch champion for trans and gender diverse students and their families.
I hope this information answers your questions!
All the best, Giovanna”
I have resent the request to ABC Vancouver (three days after the original request) but at the time of writing have not received a response.
I’m not going to comment on the above, in the interests of impartiality.
Rob Hadley.