Trans Healthcare and Trans Rights in Montréal, Québec, Canada

Welcome back to Metropolis, Montréal’s PREMIERE weekly live political talk show where we help digest big topics for Montréalers. 

Today, our guest is Carl Bystram, a community researcher, support worker, and organizer based in Montréal. Last year in March, Carl authored an article for Canadian Dimension titled The crisis of trans health care in Canada. In this article, Carl reflects on the state of care available to trans people across Canada. The article laments the incredibly high rates of suicide and self-harm among trans and/or non-binary youth.

Carl comments on the current state of trans rights across Canada. Highlighting the incredibly regressive politics at play in Alberta and New Brunswick. In comparison, Quebec still has a relatively science and health expert-based approach, whereas other provinces are reacting not from on-the-ground facts but sensationalized fears around trans people. 

Some trans activists have been opposed to the new Gender Identity Committee, made up of three cis-gendered individuals from health and legal backgrounds. While the representation would be good, Carl says this committee is in active communication with the Conseil Quebecois LGBTQ, which is a federation of 70 organizations supporting queer individuals. 

Carl and Kalden also discuss the 23.7 million dollars being spent to combat homophobia and transphobia in Québec. This represents a doubling of the budget compared to previous investments. And as Carl cheerfully notes, more than half will attend community organizations. As Carl comments in his original article, trans youth out in rural communities are at a lack of services which are increasingly based in urban centers. Carl hopes some of that 23.7 million will go to building those vital trans support organs in the regions.

On Hello, Good Byline, Savanna Craig returns to discuss a small protest held on Friday where ten individuals blocked the entrance to the Montreal port authority. These protestors were raising awareness on canadian arms shipments to Israel that continue despite UN calls for an arms embargo on Israel given the likelihood that munitions given to Israel will be used in contravention of international laws.