Good afternoon.
Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today.
My name is Dave Tremblay, and I am the outgoing president and current director of the Alliance Arc-en-ciel de Québec, an organization devoted to defending the rights and improving the living conditions of the LGBTQ+ community in the greater Quebec City area.
Our mission is to promote inclusion, awareness and solidarity through initiatives that foster greater understanding of the realities experienced by the members of our communities. We strongly believe that every person deserves to live in a safe and respectful environment free of any form of discrimination or violence.
Unfortunately, those basic principles are often violated. LGBTQ+ people are still targets of violence motivated by hatred, and that has a profound impact on their mental, emotional and physical well-being. Acts of hatred come in many forms: insults, physical assault, cyberstalking, social exclusion and institutional violence. These are the result of a combination of deeply rooted prejudices, disinformation and a lack of recognition of the diverse identities and experiences of our communities.
It is important to note that the Alliance Arc-en-ciel also organizes Quebec City Pride, which is now in its 20th year. However, for the first time, the Solidarity March route had to be modified this year for security reasons, a fact that clearly illustrates the increase in hatred toward our communities. The Quebec City police service requested the modification as a result of homophobic and transphobic remarks that had been made by truckers during a gathering before the National Assembly of Quebec. I had never seen anything like it.
In response to these challenges, our organization is working hard to increase public awareness by organizing awareness campaigns in public places, to promote a positive view of our communities and to co-operate with government bodies to promote inclusive public policy. I'm thinking in particular of our work with the Quebec government on conversion therapy.
However, our work alone is not enough. It is essential that specific national measures be taken to combat hatred and create safe spaces for everyone.
For example, we recommend that more training be provided for members of Parliament on the challenges facing the LGBTQ+ communities in order to prevent public speech and pronouncements that may foment hatred. We are in favour of leading by example.
First, we recommend that mandatory training programs be implemented on sexual diversity and gender plurality in sectors within the Canadian government's jurisdiction.
Second, we recommend that national awareness campaigns be established to promote a positive view of sexual diversity and gender plurality.
Third, we recommend that guidelines be proposed for health institutions to support LGBTQ+ people in a climate of respect and trust and in a manner consistent with provincial jurisdictions.
Fourth, we naturally recommend that more funding be granted for community organizations that assist LGBTQ+ people.
Lastly, we recommend that a program be introduced to acknowledge issues that arise between law enforcement agencies and sexually diverse and gender-plural people.
In conclusion, we believe that an inclusive and respectful society can only be achieved through sustained collective efforts. The Alliance Arc-en-ciel de Québec is committed to continuing its work, but it needs government support.