A day after a significant number of Progressive Conservative MLAs opted to remain seated during a statement acknowledging Transgender Day of Remembrance, tensions escalated in the legislature. Government MLAs continuously heckled the Tories, and the premier publicly labeled the PC leader as a “bigot.”
During Friday’s question period, the ruling NDP criticized the Tories for their decision to stay seated after the address, condemning it as a harmful gesture towards the transgender community. In response, PC Leader Obby Khan defended his choice to remain seated, attributing it to the speech being politically charged and straying from solely honoring the transgender community.
Khan clarified to reporters that he would have stood if the speech solely focused on commemorating the lives lost and the struggles faced by the trans and marginalized community. However, he believed the speech was politically driven, aligned with the intentions of the NDP government.
The speech on Thursday was delivered by Logan Oxenham, the first openly transgender person elected to Manitoba’s legislature. Oxenham highlighted Transgender Day of Remembrance as a day to honor transgender and gender-diverse individuals lost to violence and discrimination. He also criticized Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause to protect bills affecting transgender youth and adults, a move he deemed “horrific and harmful.”
In contrast to Alberta’s approach, Oxenham emphasized that Manitoba has chosen a different path to support the transgender community. He called on all political leaders to condemn the abuse of the notwithstanding clause and advocate for the rights of transgender individuals, especially children.
Premier Wab Kinew condemned the actions of the Tory MLAs as a “cowardly display,” particularly targeting Khan for his refusal to acknowledge Oxenham’s statement. Kinew questioned the inconsistency in the Tories’ support for human rights and accused the party of displaying a pattern of discriminatory behavior towards the transgender community.
In response, Khan accused the NDP of attempting to exploit the situation for political gain, stating that the speech aimed to divide Manitobans rather than unite them. He pointed out the absence of a moment of silence in the speech to honor those who lost their lives within the transgender community.
Khan refrained from commenting on the notwithstanding clause in Alberta, emphasizing that it falls outside his jurisdiction. He also questioned Kinew’s stance on the notwithstanding clause, highlighting the premier’s past criticisms of the clause while acknowledging instances where Kinew supported its use.
Despite the accusations of bigotry, Khan denied the claims and suggested that the Speaker of the House should have intervened to address the parliamentary language used by the premier.