As Canadians prepare to cast their ballots in the federal election on April 28, members of Manitoba’s LGBTQ2 community say they’re hopeful the nation’s next leader will push for further progress toward equality and acceptance, and that supportive voices will outnumber the hateful ones.
For some living in socially conservative corners of the province, the struggle is ongoing, but as the president of southern Manitoba’s Pembina Valley Pride says, there have been some positive signs of progress.
Pauline Emerson-Froebe told Global Winnipeg she was born in the region but grew up in the United States. She moved back to Canada with her wife after the 2016 U.S. election, immersing herself in the community in Manitoba.
“Here has been a little more challenging because it is a very conservative area, socially conservative,” Emerson-Froebe said.
“And we do get some threats. We do get community pushback. But for the most part, that’s a small group of very loud individuals who are pushing back versus the rest of the community, (which) seems to be really sort of open arms, or they don’t care, which is fine.
“If they are not interested, they do not care, it doesn’t impact them, that’s A-OK, too. But it’s when you start pushing hate, when you start pushing negativity and name-calling, that’s not good for anybody.”
With the election weeks away, Emerson-Froebe said that while many parties and candidates have already made their views known — whether in support of or opposition to organizations like Pembina Valley Pride — she’d like to see leaders embrace everyone’s ability to be themselves.
“It would be nice to see … a group, a political party really lift people up to be able to live their best selves and not have to deal with the discrimination and the rhetoric … and not feeding into that discrimination or that rhetoric.”
Two-spirit elder Charlotte Nolin told Global Winnipeg she’s experienced significant changes in Canadian society’s response to LGBTQ2 people since she first came out at 17 years old in 1967. That progress, she said, needs to continue for the sake of future generations.
“Canada was a much different place. Canada was very racist at the time, very homophobic, and very transphobic,” Nolin said.
“We weren’t allowed out during the day. If we did, we were met with violence, and I got beat up enough times to realize I didn’t want to end up dead.
“It’s taught in the home — homphobia and transphobia, that’s taught in the home, and (in) society too. And so how do we move forward in the 21st century so that everybody has a place to be who they are?”
Nolin said she sees the climate in the United States in 2025 mirroring some of her earlier experiences but believes that Canada has moved forward, and regressing is not an option for this country.
“Here we are in Canada, way ahead of that,” she said.
“We’ve learned to live side by side. We might not always get along, but we do the best we can. What we have to think of, as Canadians, is it’s not just about us. It’s about those little ones, the children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all those (that) are going to come behind.”
Nolin said a key to combating bigotry is helping people recognize the humanity in each other. If we can’t do that, she said, it won’t matter which government is in place — the country will be in trouble.
“We’re your sons, your daughters, your mothers, your fathers, your brothers, your sister. That’s all we are. We’re human beings like the rest of humanity. And to me, that’s what counts the most.”
Many of the parties fielding candidates in Manitoba ridings this election have released their platforms on LGBTQ2 issues, with policies ranging from a push for more acceptance and progress to maintaining the status quo and even rolling back some current legislation:
Liberal Party of Canada
“Mark Carney will defend Canadians’ Charter rights proudly and consistently,” spokesperson Emelyana Titarenko told Global Winnipeg, “as the Liberal Party has, which includes the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people.”
Conservative Party of Canada
A spokesperson directed Global Winnipeg to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s public statements addressing the subject.
“I think we should protect the rights of parents to make their own decisions with regards to their children, and I believe that adults should have the freedom to make any decision they want about their bodies,” Poilievre said in a February 2024 media scrum.
In a written statement last April, Poilievre said, “Canadians are free to love and marry who they choose. Same-sex marriage is legal and it will remain legal when I am prime minister, full stop.”
New Democratic Party
“The NDP will never stop fighting for the rights of queer and trans Canadians,” said NDP spokesperson Anne McGrath.
“At a time when Donald Trump is threatening the sovereignty of our country, and while we watch with disgust the roll-back of human rights for queer and trans Americans, now more than ever we must recommit ourselves to upholding the freedom and equality of all minority groups.”
People’s Party of Canada
“The party has no plan to change the current law on same-sex marriage, but our MPs would be free to have any position they want on this issue,” said spokesperson Martin Masse.
“We believe there are only two sexes, and that getting cosmetic surgery and hormones to appear like another sex doesn’t change your sex, no more than a facelift makes you actually younger.
“We believe that the desire to become another sex is a mental health issue and that people who suffer from it should get psychological help to accept their body rather than being mutilated. As adults though, if they want to pay to undergo such treatment and surgery, they are free to do so.”
Green Party of Canada
“The Green Party of Canada advocates the continued protection of same-sex civil marriage in Canada and opposes the reopening of debate on this matter,” a spokesperson told Global Winnipeg.
“We unequivocally support access to gender-affirming care. We would protect the right to gender-affirming healthcare as part of basic health rights. We trust the expertise of health-care professionals and human rights frameworks to guide decisions, not politics. Every young person deserves access to affirming, safe, and necessary care.”
