Fourth Session, 42nd Parliament

(2023) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, April 3, 2023

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 296

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

Building a green economy

K. Greene

R. Merrifield

Construction and skilled trades

G. Kyllo

M. Starchuk

Inclusive care

K. Paddon

S. Bond

Supporting forest workers and their communities

M. Bernier

D. Routley

Private Members’ Motions

Motion 32 — Violence against drag artists and performers

S. Chandra Herbert

R. Merrifield

H. Yao

K. Kirkpatrick

S. Chant

M. Bernier

J. Sims

D. Davies

K. Paddon

E. Sturko

B. D’Eith

MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2023

The House met at 10:02 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: H. Sandhu.

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

BUILDING A GREEN ECONOMY

K. Greene: What if I told you that necessity is the mother of invention? I

see heads nodding, because it’s true.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Humans are at their most creative and most innovative when faced

with a difficult problem, and when that problem is a matter of

survival…. Well, our global community moved mountains to fight the

COVID-19 pandemic, create a COVID vaccine, understanding masking and

distancing and fixing those tough supply chain issues so people could

get essentials.

Climate change is also a global threat to our collective

well-being. We know that it’s caused by human activity, we know that

it’s getting worse, and we know that the leading edge is already upon

us. Climate change is a threat multiplier, making natural disasters so

much worse — wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, drought — but climate

change is also an opportunity multiplier. In a Forbes ’

article

on green economy, Nick Grewal notes that green is good for business and

change is going to happen whether we like it or not.

Within the change that is already underway, there is opportunity

not just to boost GDP but also to improve the lives of workers, create a

stable economy and adapt to and mitigate climate change. It’s a win for

investors, for workers, and for our planet.

[10:05 a.m.]

At a CPABC event I attended, the accounting professionals there

highlighted the importance of ESG — environmental, social and governance

— and the development of IFRS ESG reporting standards. The world’s

leading business organizations see the writing on the wall, and there’s

trillions of dollars of capital flowing into the green economy in the

coming years.

There was a misconception that there’s an economic trade-off

between doing things the way we are today and doing things and

transitioning things into a green economy. Study after study shows that

this simply isn’t true. Even excluding the direct costs of climate

change, which are astronomical, a recent Oxford study shows that

transitioning to a decarbonized economy by 2050 will save the world $12

trillion. We could also have healthier lives, better work and

sustainable communities.

Being at the forefront of change, adapting and innovating will

create a better future for everyone. That’s why our groundbreaking

CleanBC plan is so important, as well as focus on the triple bottom

line, while we’re growing our economy.

ESG and sustainable development goals aren’t nice-to-haves. They

are necessities, and they are driving innovation. We’re making

investments to build our green economy in communities, large and small,

all across B.C.

The innovative clean energy fund — it’s the ICE fund because it’s

so cool — just invested $7 million in seven B.C. clean tech companies

that are helping B.C. transition to a low-carbon economy, while creating

new job opportunities in developing technology.

These funds are going to support B.C.’s blue economy, creating

jobs, building a sustainable ocean economy, and cutting the cost of

ocean research and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, Open Ocean Robotics in Victoria develops uncrewed,

solar-powered surface vehicles and data analytics platforms to monitor

marine environments and provide instant ocean data to researchers on

land.

Water treatment has wide applications for use. B.C. companies Pani

Energy and Axine Water are receiving ICE grants to support development

of their water treatment solutions. Other ICE grant recipients are

working on technologies to support agriculture, which is critically

important for food security in a changing climate.

Ecoaction Innovation in North Vancouver and Terramera in Vancouver

are each tackling challenges in greenhouse and soil-based agriculture

respectively.

South Island Prosperity Partnership’s Centre for Ocean Applied

Sustainable Technologies, or COAST, received $2 million to serve as a

catalyst and cluster facilitator for the blue economy up and down

British Columbia’s coast.

COAST is filling a gap in the west coast ocean marine industry by

connecting emerging technologies to large industry players like

shipping, shipbuilding, and defence and aerospace. The ICE fund is part

of CleanBC, the province’s pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and

sustainable future.

CleanBC guides government’s commitment to climate action to meet

B.C.’s emissions targets and build a cleaner, stronger economy for

everyone.

Another CleanBC program that is generating jobs and growing our

green economy is the CleanBC plastics fund, which supports new plastic

waste reduction projects across the province and promotes the

development of a circular economy in B.C.

It includes projects for the recycling and remanufacturing of

recycled plastics, and the fund’s scope was expanded to include

businesses that support plastic waste reduction through business models

that support reuse, refill, sharing or repairing

opportunities.

Previous recipients include Plascon Plastics, which created the

first child-safe cannabis container made from 100 percent recycled

plastic. These containers demonstrate how products made from

post-consumer recycled plastics are comparable to those made with virgin

plastics, and it’s a complementary product to our growing cannabis

industry.

The CleanBC communities fund supports communities in achieving one

or more of four outcomes: renewable energy, clean transportation,

building efficiency and clean energy.

One of the funded projects is an affordable housing and community

redevelopment project in Lower Kanaka — the Kanaka Bar Indian Band

energy self-sufficient affordable housing development.

This development will use a combination of solar ground units and

wind towers to create a sustainable energy supply for space and water

heating. Once completed, the development’s housing and community amenity

spaces will have a resilient source of clean energy available for

community members and Kanaka Bar residents, regardless of age or

background.

A circular economy is one that keeps materials at their highest

and best use, so that the value of that material is retained for the

longest period of time. It also closes the loop by diverting waste back

into inputs for new products. In agriculture, that’s known as

composting. The organics infrastructure program closes the loop on food

waste, transforming waste into compost.

[10:10 a.m.]

Two complementary projects, led by the regional district of

Central Kootenay, will provide processing capacity for food waste for

the first time in the regional district.

Green jobs are across industries — tech, plastics, renewable

energy, circular economy, ocean economy — and they’re good-paying,

sustainable jobs to support families and communities for decades to

come. They’re all across this beautiful province and offer the

generational opportunity to create a better future for our

children.

R. Merrifield: I thank the member opposite for the statement.

I also appreciate that everyone in this House can agree that

climate change is an important issue that must be taken seriously and

acted upon. It is essential that we continue to lower our emissions

while building a stronger economy and attracting investment. British

Columbia has a great, green economy before it — one that is built on

sustainability, well-paying jobs and responsible resource

development.

This is a green economy which includes world-class, clean,

liquefied natural gas, which is actually produced at 60 percent lower

emissions than anywhere else in the world. It includes mining of

critical minerals needed for electrical vehicles and future technology.

It also includes pursuit of commitments made to Indigenous peoples, such

as economic reconciliation.

I am optimistic that B.C. has great potential to reach. However,

under the current approach, getting there seems to be increasingly

impossible. It’s important to note that our province is missing its

carbon emission targets. The 2022 climate change accountability report

projects that B.C. will miss the overall 2025 emissions targets by 15

percent and the 2030 targets by 3 percent. The 2030 targets for the

building and community sector will be missed by at least 35

percent.

A major obstacle to meeting our climate targets is the shortage of

hydro power to electrify net-zero LNG projects. According to a new

report published by Richard McCandless, an intervener at the B.C.

Utilities Commission, our province doesn’t have anywhere near the

electrification capacity to meet the increased demands. The report says

B.C. Hydro is planning to increase its output by 3,800 gigawatt hours,

but the six LNG projects currently proposed will require 18,500 gigawatt

hours.

Without generating much more hydroelectric or other forms of clean

power, the math of net zero does not add up. This means that LNG

projects will be powered by natural gas, delayed or outright cancelled.

These are also the future of our mining projects, which won’t be able to

proceed because they cannot meet our necessary emission targets without

hydroelectricity. We can’t afford for these projects to fail to

proceed.

Countries around the world are looking for a safe, transitional

fuel source, and we can be a leader in this transition by providing

clean and ethical LNG. Climate change is a global issue, and we here in

B.C. have an obligation to produce low-emitting LNG that can replace

heavy-emitting, coal-fired plants in Asia. LNG produced in our province

is among the lowest-emitting in the world and has the highest social and

environmental standards. We should be proud of this.

LNG is also a crucial component of economic reconciliation with

First Nations. After months of delay, I was glad to hear that the Cedar

LNG project will be moving forward, finally. This is a great step

towards building B.C.’s green economy and economic

reconciliation.

Yet there continue to be Indigenous LNG partnerships awaiting

approval, such as the Tilbury LNG project in Delta. Indigenous people

want to contribute to clean energy projects like LNG, so that they can

be full partners in the economic development of B.C. We must give them

every opportunity to do so.

The shortage of electrification capacity will be further amplified

by the province’s plan that requires 90 percent of all new light

vehicles sold in B.C. to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. B.C. Hydro

estimates that by 2030 there will be 350,000 electric vehicles on B.C.

roads, consuming about 1,050 gigawatts annually.

The increase in electric vehicles on the road all around the world

presents an incredible economic opportunity for our province if we are

bold enough to seize it. British Columbia is lucky to be bountiful with

critical minerals, such as copper and lithium, required for electric car

batteries.

[10:15 a.m.]

Our high social and environmental standards are attractive to

investors. However, red tape and permit delays can disincentivize

investment. We need faster permit approval rates since, as it is

currently, mining permits can take over a decade to acquire.

We don’t have ten years to wait. The transition to electric cars

is happening now, and we must embrace that opportunity. British Columbia

will not achieve a green economy tomorrow if we can’t approve and power

the clean projects of today. It’s time for our government to recognize

that.

K. Greene: It is beyond a doubt that we need to achieve the emissions targets

as set out in CleanBC. We will grow our green economy here in B.C., and

we will all benefit from the global transition that is already

underway.

A green economy and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. In

fact, sustainable investment is shown to have a larger GDP multiplier

than traditional industries, from a study undertaken by the

International Monetary Fund. That’s before consideration of the benefits

of protecting biodiversity, public health and climate impacts on

GDP.

CleanBC is the roadmap for how we grow our green economy and reap

the benefits for all British Columbians. The recently announced new

energy action framework will ensure we meet our climate commitments and

create new opportunities for green jobs. Under this framework, the

province will establish a clean energy and major projects office to

fast-track investments in clean energy and technology and create good,

sustainable jobs in the transition to a cleaner economy.

It’s important to be able to move nimbly to seize opportunities

for leading-edge green investment. Other jurisdictions are seeing the

substantial benefits that come with transitioning to a sustainable

economy. We are currently well recognized as being a good location for

green investments, and we need to sustain that advantage in the face of

increasing competition.

Under the new energy action framework, we’ll also create a B.C.

Hydro task force to accelerate the electrification of B.C.’s economy by

powering more homes, businesses and industries with renewable energy.

The future of decarbonization of our economy will be through

electrification. We have the clear advantage of a near-zero carbon

emissions electrical grid with hydroelectric power.

Our future economy is for everyone. That’s why we’re making sure

that we’re offering training that will match skills to future

opportunities. Whether that’s ensuring underrepresented people have

opportunities in tech or opening up more seats in EV maintenance

training, we’re making sure that all British Columbians can achieve

their potential and benefit from a growing green economy.

We are at the right time and place to unlock the green economy and

benefit communities, large and small, across this province. Green

innovation is here to stay, and B.C. is poised to take full advantage of

a changing world. CleanBC is our plan to create good jobs that people

and communities can count on, now and for their grandkids. The old

dichotomy was wrong. We don’t have to choose between today and tomorrow.

With a green economy, we can have both.

CONSTRUCTION AND SKILLED TRADES

G. Kyllo: The importance of British Columbia’s construction and

skilled-trades sector cannot be understated. The critical work

undertaken by workers, employers and all their stakeholders builds the

critical infrastructure — the hospitals, the schools and homes — that

people in B.C. so desperately need.

I thank all members of this House, and I hope that they all

understand and would agree that it’s in the best interests of all

British Columbians for government to listen to those in the construction

and skilled-s sectors and to find innovative ways to make it easier, not

harder, to fill our skilled labour gaps. More carrot, less

stick.

I rise today to remind my colleagues here that this is not the

case currently. Beginning December 1 of 2023, phase 1 of the

government’s compulsory trades program or skilled trades certification

kicks in.

Phase 1 includes a variety of regulations imposed on employers and

employees in the construction and skilled-trades sectors, including

introducing a prescribed supervisor ratio of two apprentices per one

journeyman for the following ten trades: construction electrician,

industrial electrician, power line technician, refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic, gas fitter A and B, steam fitter-pipefitter,

heavy-duty-equipment technician, sheet metal worker, automotive service

technician and autobody and collision technician.

[10:20 a.m.]

Now, I’m troubled, along with many in the industry, about the

program’s impact on the availability of tradespeople in B.C. The policy,

which sets new conditions and regulations, is going to have a negative

and unintended consequence on industries that are vital to our economy

and society. Those aspiring to work in the trades from rural and smaller

communities may have to leave their communities to access training seats

or apprenticeships, if they’re indeed even available.

I’m hearing from constituents in Salmon Arm and contractors from

around the province that are raising alarm bells as there appears not to

be enough journeypersons in the province to meet the requirements for

the government’s new ratio. For example, I spoke to a contractor only a

few weeks ago who told me that should the compulsory trades program

legislation kick in today, you’d have to lay off five people in order to

satisfy the 2-to-1 trades-training ratio. He stated that there simply

are not enough journeypersons in the province available for him to be

able to meet the 2-to-1 ratio.

The reality is that although this is intended to increase and

provide additional opportunities for trades training in the province,

which is definitely an admirable effort and something that we would

support, the challenge is that by bringing in the requirement of the

2-to-1 trades-training ratio without having enough journeypersons

available, it will likely result in apprentices having to be laid off

because a company can no longer meet that ratio requirement.

Now, this highlights the lack of planning and foresight on the

part of government. Let me remind members and British Columbians that we

have not seen a plan to increase the number of trades-training seats in

B.C.

These new regulations set restrictions on our industry without a

proper plan on how to mitigate the side effects and consequences. We saw

this with the recent strata legislation that only led to even more

people being kicked out of their homes as a result of the lack of

consultation to listen to those impacted by the legislation. This was

also the case with Bill 36, where we now see hundreds of doctors, nurses

and others in the health care sector speak up about the negative impact

of last-minute legislation.

The list goes on, but the point that I’m trying to make is that

this trend needs to stop. We need more time to properly scrutinize and

debate important legislation so that we can actually fix problems

instead of making them worse.

It’s unbelievable that during a time when we’re facing a housing

supply crisis, the very people who have the skills to build those homes

are facing yet more red tape and barriers. This could impact worker

availability, which would also potentially create further issues for a

government that already struggles to deliver projects on time and on

budget. There’s already a massive backlog in the sector as we face a

shortage of electricians and of heating and air-conditioning

tradespersons — where we have projects that are put on hold until there

are people available.

Instead of addressing the lack of seats and supports for

tradespeople, more layers of red tape have been added. Making matters

worse, businesses are now hearing from newly hired enforcement officers

who are leaving businesses scrambling at the last minute as they’re

facing layoffs, cost overruns or closures when this compulsory trades

program kicks in.

I’ve heard from forestry and mining sectors who are deeply

concerned about how this could potentially impact their business, their

ability to keep going at a time when labour is increasingly difficult to

find and the cost of goods is increasing. More bureaucratic red tape is

only making things worse. And with this sector, specifically, the

heavy-duty-equipment technician program for the mandatory certification

is what’s going to negatively impact those two specific

industries.

While there have been pressures put on the skilled trades sector,

the government has not made it clear what it is doing to ease the burden

or what kind of support it will offer. The last-minute budget made no

mention of what the plan is to meet demand or make available all the

journeymen and tradespeople needed to meet these

requirements.

The introduction of the mandatory skills trades program later this

year is going to have negative, unintended consequences on industries

that need more support and resources and less red tape. These new

changes require more resources, such as more journeymen, than we have

currently available in our province.

Businesses, workers and my colleagues on this side of the House

are all wondering: what is government’s plan to ensure that construction

and skilled trades sectors will not face layoffs, shutdowns or cost

overruns as a result of the legislation that they are now raising the

alarm bells about?

[10:25 a.m.]

In speaking to a number of trades-training colleges around the

province, they’ve indicated that there’s inadequate funding and that, in

many cases, the trades-training programs are a loss. They actually cost

additional dollars, and they’re having to subsidize them through other

operations.

It appears that if we want to encourage colleges to increase the

number of trades-training seats, funding needs to be increased,

especially for the trades-training sector.

M. Starchuk: Thank you to the member opposite for putting up the statement of

construction and skilled trade. Before I start, I just want to make sure

that we understand that inside of the legislation, sections 33 and 34

actually allow for those exemptions. So when we’re talking about ratios,

there is language in there that can be utilized to address some of those

issues that were brought up.

April is Construction and Skilled Trades Month, and the province

is raising awareness about the job opportunities for people in the

building trades, with 85,000 new job openings expected over the next

decade. Proclaiming April as Construction and Skilled Trades Month

highlights the importance of people who work in the construction trades

and help make, build and maintain local communities in the province.

Construction and skilled trades jobs are in demand, and government is

investing in trades education and support for workers in the skilled

trades.

The Skilled Trades B.C. Act, passed in the spring of 2022,

established a made-in-B.C. system to support and train apprentices and

modernize the Crown agency responsible for trades training. The new

legislation replaced the Industry Training Authority Act and transformed

the industry training authority into SkilledTradesBC, the modernized

Crown agency responsible for skilled trades training in British

Columbia.

The renewed focus on SkilledTradesBC reflects the expanded

responsibilities associated with skilled trades certification and a new

focus on supporting apprentices and trainees throughout their training

journey. Skilled­TradesBC will remain the authority on trades

training in B.C., with enhanced and streamlined services to help

apprentices navigate training and access to get support.

SkilledTradesBC delivers preapprentice trades-training programs,

including for women, Indigenous peoples and other equity-seeking groups,

to reduce barriers and help people secure employment in the trades. The

programs provide individualized and group services and support hands-on

training, exploration training and industry certification training.

These programs help increase opportunities to enter an apprenticeship

training program and earn certification to become a

journeyperson.

Construction is B.C.’s fourth-largest industry and employed over

216,000 workers in 2021. Between 2022 and 2032, the construction

industry will post 72,700 job openings and account for more than 7

percent of the total job openings in the province of B.C.

SkilledTradesBC manages more than 100 trades programs in B.C., 49

of which are red seal programs. Skilled­TradesBC funds

approximately 27,000 apprenticeship and foundation training seats at

public and private institutions annually.

In 2022, the B.C. employer training grant approved more than

$500,000 in grants to support 100 employers in the construction and

trade sector to train 516 participants. In the trades alone, we expect

85,000 job openings, with more workers retiring than entering the trade

occupations.

Tradespeople are critical to B.C.’s economic growth. Tradespeople

are building our homes, our bridges, our schools and, of course, our

hospitals. I am so happy to say that this year the building of that

hospital that’s coming to a constituency near me is set to

happen.

Tradespeople fix our cars. They keep our lights on. They keep our

water flowing. I had the opportunity to tour KPU to watch what I call

the magicians of the world, the electricians. You walk over to the side,

they flick a switch, and it becomes bright inside of the

room.

[10:30 a.m.]

We want tradespeople to count on having good, family-supporting,

steady work by ensuring that they have the certified skills that they

need to be first in line for these job openings. The ministry supports

skills-training and education programs that prepare people for those

good jobs all across the economy. Through SkilledTradesBC, we’re

investing in Indigenous skills training, improving opportunities for

apprenticeship leading to rewarding and good-paying careers in the

trades.

Lastly, the number of Indigenous apprentices has increased to over

3,200 from 600 over the last ten years.

G. Kyllo: No one was asking for this. No one in the industry has been asking

for government’s new compulsory trades-training program, and no one has

indicated that this is what is going to actually drive construction and

the skilled-trades sector in our province. Yet the government is able to

defend decisions that will have negative consequences, as we did see

with Bill 36, the aforementioned strata legislation and now the

compulsory trades-training program.

We must ensure that tradespersons who have been working for

decades can continue doing what they love. We can ensure that the

trucking industry can carry on their businesses without increased costs,

that the construction sector can continue to have the labourers and the

necessary skilled tradespersons in order to complete the construction of

housing that is so desperately needed in our province, and they can

responsibly grow their operations while providing the work that our

housing infrastructure projects are so badly in need of.

We know that this is not the case. The base of communication, the

unpragmatic 2-to-1 journeyman-to-apprenticeship ratio and all of the red

tape that comes along with government’s new mandatory trades program

pose an unnecessary threat to skills and construction in B.C. It begs

the question: on top of existing cost overruns, community benefits

agreements and delays, how many government projects are we going to see

delayed? And how many government projects are we going to see over

budget on account, yet again, of this new compulsory trades-training

program?

The member opposite referenced the construction of a hospital. I

would remind members back home of the significant cost overruns that

were established with the Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan: $455

million over budget, and they’re just getting started on construction

now. Vancouver Island Health Authority indicated the cost overruns were

largely attributed to a shortage of skilled workers.

The challenges in the short- and immediate-term compulsory

trades-training programs will largely not encourage or entice more

workers in this province to actually undertake those programs. The

colleges and universities that are providing these very important

programs are underfunded. They do not have sufficient dollars to be

creating more programs. In addition, the workers that are in need of

this very important skills trades training are not provided the

necessary supports in order to provide that opportunity.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, their report on the program

and this is one the government themselves have cited in the past: “It is

expected that without sufficient programs in place to address barriers,

some workers will be disproportionately and negatively affected by

mandatory certification.”

INCLUSIVE CARE

K. Paddon: It is a privilege to rise today to discuss inclusive care and to

share some information with folks, which is my primary goal with this

statement, so buckle up.

In 2021, I stood to speak on the topic of gendered health,

outlining some of the obstacles and the biases that might impact a

person’s access to health care based on their gender. So I’m excited to

rise again today for a bit of a follow-up and expansion on that

topic.

We know that, unfortunately, gender can have a significant impact

on how one moves around our society — what one has access to, how safe

one feels or how safe one is, what opportunities may be available and

even how much a person might be paying for items like shampoo and

razors. In 2023, it seems ridiculous, right? But there it is.

[10:35 a.m.]

We also know that systems meant for everyone are not immune to the

gendered results to access and that accessing things like health care is

different for women, non-binary, trans and two-spirit people.

This can also be said for racialized people, persons with

disabilities, Indigenous people and other marginalized

groups.

The reality of intersectionality means that, for people belonging

to multiple groups, access may be further impacted, and their experience

in these systems will be different. The most recent example of this is,

undoubtedly, the change that happened when we acknowledged that we have

to be able to offer services that meet people where they’re at and that

are person-centered. It was an important change.

One of the gender-related big changes — and I know we talk about

this, and everyone probably heard about it all weekend — is that as of

April 1, people will benefit from improved access to contraceptives as

the province implements a universal coverage plan, making them free for

all people residing in B.C. This includes all birth control methods

currently listed as regular PharmaCare benefits as well as several that

have been added to regular benefits that will be 100 percent paid for by

B.C. Pharmacare.

B.C. is the first jurisdiction in Canada to provide free

prescription contraception to all residents, and we know that that’s

about more than a pill. Contraceptives available for free include birth

control pills, hormonal injection, implant and hormonal and copper

intrauterine devices or IUDs, with zero out-of-pocket cost.

Access is key to this plan as well. In 2023, pharmacists will be

able to prescribe some medications independently, and this will include

some forms of contraception and medication to treat minor ailments. This

means you’ll be able to access care faster, when you need it. This will

be great for people in rural and remote communities who have challenges

accessing a hospital or those without a family doctor. This is in

addition to the work we know is being done in period poverty and access

to menstrual products — an ongoing piece of work across our communities

and our province.

Another example of how access to inclusive care and health is

being addressed is the delivery of equitable and accessible care,

surgical planning and peer and community support for trans people across

our province.

In 2018, we brought gender-affirming care for trans people closer

to home. Previous to this, transgender people approved for genital

surgery had to travel to Montreal. After this, genital surgery became

available in British Columbia. Other forms of gender-affirming chest and

breast surgeries were almost exclusively available in Vancouver or

Victoria. We expanded access to those, as well, with physicians in the

Interior, the North and the Lower Mainland.

It is also important to share that as of February 16, 2023, we

made some pathways and practice changes. In line with the World

Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care,

version 8 is being implemented in B.C., related to gender-affirming

surgical care. Some of these include requiring only one letter of

recommendation, instead of two, for genital surgery; only six months of

hormone therapy are required to access genital surgery or gonadectomy;

and congruent living is no longer a requirement to access genital

surgery. These changes will help reduce wait times for surgical care

planning.

There is so much work yet to do, but we know that each step taken

towards access, equity and inclusion in health care makes us stronger.

Together with B.C.’s health care practitioners and experts, and with

expertise from here and across Canada and around the world, we continue

to take on this work as we move forward together.

Real world actions, like government creating the First Nations

Health Authority to when we make cancer care more equitable for people

living in rural and remote communities by having a plan that includes

increased funding to support expenses related to travelling for cancer

care and also more cancer centres, added throughout the province, to

bring treatment closer to home for people — these are just examples of

the work done by government that is happening to not only acknowledge

the barriers to inclusive care but to take steps to address the issue

head-on.

In September 2017, the province expanded the publicly funded HPV

vaccine program in B.C. through a school-based program to include grade

6 children. In December 2017, in partnership with First Nations Health

Authority, Métis Nation B.C., B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship

Centres and B.C. Cancer, the province announced an Indigenous cancer

strategy to improve cancer care and supports for Indigenous peoples

across B.C.

[10:40 a.m.]

In December 2021, the province launched the first at-home HPV

cervix screening pilot. Hon. Speaker, I’ll be talking about that in the

three-minute section. Stay tuned.

The health HR strategy is increasing the number of family doctors.

It has a focus to retain, to redesign, to recruit and to train. It’s

expanding pharmacists’, paramedics’ and first responders’ scopes of

practice and recognizing credentials for foreign-trained

workers.

It’s new programs to train health care workers, free education to

become a health care assistant, and increased spots for future doctors.

It’s developing a pool of nurses ready to travel to rural and remote

places; scaling up virtual care; building a second medical school;

making the health care system culturally safer with systemwide reforms;

and making sure, like I said, that family doctors have the supports they

need to start and maintain their practices.

There’s more work to come. That’s a little snapshot.

S. Bond: Thank you to the member opposite for raising this series of

important topics for discussion in the House today. I appreciate the

opportunity to respond, and I agree that this is something that we, as

elected officials, not only need to be thinking about but acting

on.

Every day we need to work to ensure that our system serves all

British Columbians with respect and dignity. Everyone who seeks care in

our province deserves to feel safe, supported and heard — and,

importantly, to get access to the help that they need. Unfortunately, we

know that this is not currently the case for everyone in our

province.

The ever-growing health care crisis has stretched our system

beyond anything we have ever seen before. The health care workers,

nurses, doctors, specialists, techs and other health care professionals

have reached the point of burnout. They are exhausted. Many have told us

they are suffering moral distress, unable to provide the care they

passionately want to deliver.

Our system has been barely treading water for the past three

years. We have not yet been able to improve critical issues, and others

have worsened. Health care inequality remains a major barrier in B.C. We

cannot truly provide inclusive care until we address the root causes of

that inequity. We know that racism and discrimination exist in our

society and in our province. If we want to address the issues, we must

first acknowledge their presence and then work to break the cycle of

discrimination.

Inclusive care means that regardless of your race or ethnicity,

your sexual orientation or gender identity, your age or religion, any

physical or intellectual disabilities that you may have, you deserve

care that demonstrates you are supported and that your best interest is

at the heart of the care you receive.

What do we need to do? We need to ensure that practitioners and

health care workers have the education and tools they need. This must

include updating terminology and best practices and ensuring that our

health care spaces are safe and comfortable for everyone to be able to

express their needs and get access to the best medical advice and

assistance.

Much work is being done to create the inclusive care system we all

want to see in British Columbia. Take, for example, the work done by

Island Health to create a toolkit for ensuring inclusive and

gender-affirming care for LGBTQ2+ seniors. The toolkit was developed

following a review of international and national research and input from

local focus groups. It includes information and ideas adapted from a

wide variety of resources.

The toolkit was created after acknowledging that changes need to

be made in a number of areas to improve the experience of LGBTQ2+

seniors accessing Island Health services. Program leaders are encouraged

to use this change toolkit to review and/or modify existing policies,

practices and programs and to guide them in the development of new ones,

with the goal of improving care for all seniors in Island

Health.

As noted, there is much work underway, yet there’s much more to be

done. A true commitment to gender equality and inclusivity requires more

than saying the right words. We need meaningful action to ensure not

just that Indigenous British Columbians and people of colour, women and

gender-diverse people have the full opportunity to participate in our

society but also that they have the quality care that they need and

deserve.

[10:45 a.m.]

When you need care in our province, no one should feel shunned or

made to feel like their concerns do not matter. No one should feel

unsafe being themselves or like they have been forgotten or ignored. All

they should have to think about is getting well. It’s our

responsibility, as leaders, to make sure that the system gets better for

them.

While the member’s comments focused on inclusive care, it’s

important to reflect on the current state of our health care system. Few

would disagree that we need to have a system that meets the needs of all

British Columbians, but today we have a full-blown crisis on our hands:

closed ERs, overcrowded hospitals, burned-out and exhausted health care

professionals doing absolutely everything they can to keep the system

operating. More urgent action must be taken to retain, recruit, train

and provide the kinds of workplaces that enable the inclusive,

high-quality care that we are talking about today.

Equity and inclusivity are about recognizing and accommodating

people’s differences to ensure that every individual has what they need

to thrive. I know that that is what our dedicated and passionate health

care professionals want to do. So let’s give them the support, resources

and tools they need to ensure that they can provide inclusive,

person-centred care in British Columbia.

K. Paddon: Thank you to the member for their comments. We all know that part

of inclusive care means….

We’re having conversations about a range of issues. Today we’re

going to have, really, some great information, I think, about something

that doesn’t get talked about a lot in mixed company, let’s say. I think

that’s how someone put it to me. I would like to talk about things that

happen with our cervix, for those of us who have one.

Many of us have heard the terms “Pap test” or “Pap smear” or

“cervical exam.” A Pap test is designed to find abnormal cells in the

cervix before they become cancer. It’s free, and it can be done by a

health care provider at a clinic or an office. Anyone with a cervix,

including women and transgender people aged 25 to 69, according to B.C.

Cancer, should be screened.

What not everybody knows is that this is a difficult test for some

people, not because it is necessarily painful, although there may be

some discomfort for some people, but because it’s internal. It’s

invasive. I think we all need to talk about that.

I’m going to see some heads nodding along when what I mention is….

Everybody who has had one of these tests understands what I mean when I

say: “Okay, just scooch a little bit.” It’s a test that is…. You’re

working very closely with your health care practitioner.

The reason I mention it is because there are feelings involved in

that. Not everybody is coming to that situation with the same life

experiences. This can be difficult for people, maybe, who are in

transition, maybe people who are non-binary as well as survivors of

gender-based violence, sexual assault. This can be something that is

avoided, but it is so important.

One of the things that I’m very excited about is the work being

done around HPV. We know that the best way to eliminate cervical cancer

is to make sure that people are screening and being vaccinated against

the human papillomavirus. The majority of cervical cancers are caused by

HPV.

Now there is a pilot program happening, the cervix self-screening

pilot, which detects high-risk HPV types that can cause cervical cancer.

You can complete a cervix self-screening instead of a Pap test. This,

like I said, is a pilot.

Cervix self-screening is quick, painless, and you can do it

yourself from the comfort of your home or at your local health clinic.

The test involves turning a small swab inside your vagina, and then you

either mail it or give it to your health care provider.

The pilot is currently available to eligible participants in the

Tri-Cities, Belcarra, Anmore, New Westminster, lower Sunshine Coast,

Pemberton and Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. And I think that it’s a

very critical piece that I just want to share a little bit of

information about today, because in the ten-year cancer action plan, we

want to secure a cancer-free future for people, including the

elimination of cervical cancer in B.C.

SUPPORTING FOREST WORKERS

AND THEIR

COMMUNITIES

M. Bernier: It’s a real honour and privilege to stand up today to talk about

the importance of supporting B.C.’s forestry workers and the communities

that depend on them here in the province of British Columbia.

[10:50 a.m.]

We need to remember that these communities, many of them, were

built because of the resource sector. Industries like forestry exist

because of that. They were built…. Some of them started, like, over 100

years ago in the province, as we were thriving at that time, building a

forestry sector.

We know now, though, that we really need to put focus back on our

resource sector, sectors like forestry, as we’re watching communities

that are being hollowed out, as industries are facing a number of

challenges that are leading to more and more mill closures and

curtailments around our province, leading to job losses and people,

unfortunately, being forced to leave some of these towns and places that

they call home.

Recently, I took an opportunity while we weren’t sitting here for

the week to tour around the province to some communities, to look at

those forestry-dependent communities, to see firsthand what they were

facing and, in some cases, what was working and wasn’t working for some

of these communities. I got to see, actually, some success stories,

operations that are doing well.

I was able to tour down and see Structurlam, a great facility in

Okanagan Falls — continually innovating, looking at ways to stay

operational, promoting and producing high-quality mass timber. I want to

thank them for the tour that they gave myself and the member for

Penticton, who joined me. They were able to explain the operations and

how the value-added sector was working for them — more importantly, how

being a major employer in a small community like Okanagan Falls,

employing 300 people and making sure that they were stressing the role

that they play in that community and how right now, being operational,

we hope that continues.

But it was a reminder that they gave to me that they can only

exist if we continue to allow for permits to be accessible for the

primary companies to stay operational. This is not about one sector,

value-added versus primary. It’s about looking at the entire chain in

the forestry sector that will stay resilient and prosperous only if we

give it the attention that is needed right now, as they’re

struggling.

So that brings me, on the flip side, while I was doing my tours,

having the privilege to go to Merritt with the member for Fraser-Nicola

and the member for Vancouver-Langara. We sat down and met with Aspen

Planers, the company, members from the United Steelworkers, who I want

to thank. We had the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with them

on the streets in Merritt, to try to remind government and the public of

the importance of the forestry sector and the impact it has on

communities, especially right now, where we see employers who are

struggling to work, who want to work.

We need to remember that we used to have a thriving forestry

sector. With the closures and curtailments right now that are affecting

companies, I think it’s important that we remember that this is

affecting families. This is affecting people. These are jobs. These are

communities.

You know, I think it’s important that we highlight the fact that

since 2017, 13,400 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the province of

British Columbia. More recently, in January alone, we’ve seen a 12

percent decline in forestry jobs, a 7 percent decline in the wood

manufacturing jobs, a 15 percent decline in the pulp and paper sector.

Again, these stats, I guess, are important to show the crisis that the

forestry sector is seeing right now, but we should never use those stats

to hide the fact that these are people, these are jobs, and these are

families that are affected around the province.

I had the privilege of meeting recently with the Truck Loggers

Association, as well. That reminded me of the stress that is being faced

right here on Vancouver Island, with thousands and thousands of people

who have been struggling to understand what the future holds for them in

the forestry sector. What the comments came to me are: there are

opportunities here in British Columbia. We don’t want to see a managed

decline of a sector. We want to see clear vision and leadership to show

these families, the corporations, the small mom-and-pop companies that

there is a future, still, for forestry in British Columbia.

[10:55 a.m.]

Sadly, many are losing faith, and that’s not fair to these people.

We need to be showing that, yes, there are challenges right now in the

industry, but that we’re willing to take those challenges and take them

head-on.

One of the ways that can happen is by giving certainty, ensuring

that we know what the plan is and making sure that we know that permits,

when applied for, will have some chance of being approved so that

companies can continue to invest here in British Columbia, rather than

what we’re seeing right now, where they’re moving that investment to

other jurisdictions like Alberta and the United States.

Again, we need to be reminding ourselves that it’s not just what

we’re hearing about the supports for value-added, which, I will

acknowledge, are important. But if we don’t have your primaries, if we

don’t have Western Forest Products, the Canfors, the West Frasers, the

Dunkleys…. If we don’t have these large companies that actually are

employing thousands of people, who are keeping our communities vibrant,

our value-added sector will suffer as well, because we all rely on

this.

Are there challenges right now? Absolutely. Are there pressures in

the forestry crisis? Absolutely. But we need to ensure that our focus is

on the forestry workers and these communities that rely on

them.

In a few moments, after the member opposite speaks, I will take an

opportunity to highlight some of the factors in the forestry sector, the

impacts they have on some of our smaller communities.

D. Routley: Thank you to the member previous for his statement. As a former

tree planter, logger and sawmill worker, my heart goes out to affected

workers and their families dealing with curtailments caused by

challenges in the forest sector.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

I’m very proud of the forest industry, and I want all British

Columbians to feel proud of a sector that will be managed sustainably

and continue to provide thriving communities with services that we all

depend on. Our government is committed to supporting workers impacted by

these challenges through skills training, short-term employment

opportunities, employment assistance and retirement transition support

for workers who are 55 years or older.

Forestry is and will remain a foundation of the B.C. economy. The

sector continues to provide good, family-supporting jobs for over 55,000

workers in communities across the province, but we know the industry and

forest communities are facing challenges.

Lumber prices have plummeted compared to a year ago, causing many

sawmills to scale back production, and the annual allowable cut has

declined due to the end of the beetle-kill harvest and unprecedented

wildfires across the province. Our government is committed to supporting

forest workers impacted by these challenges, as well as supporting good,

long-term jobs in the sector.

We are involved in a paradigm shift, from simply viewing our

forests as an economic tool or asset to the full value of ecological

qualities that are represented. The old-growth strategic review

identified two million hectares of land that will be protected in

partnership with First Nations, and First Nations and local communities

are leading landscape planning tables that take a comprehensive view of

the landscape and an inclusive view in how to manage that.

We are recognizing that there’s change afoot in the industry, and

we’re supporting communities and workers who are being affected by that.

In terms of value-added, that sector of the forest economy is being

supported by a new category of timber sales called category value-added.

This will have a value-added focus and will ensure that those operations

that rely on competitive access to fibre will continue to have that

access.

The B.C. manufacturing jobs fund is $180 million, $90 million of

which is targeted at rural communities. This will support communities

that have been impacted by these challenges in the forest industry and

support the continued development of high-value industrial and

manufacturing projects that should provide clean, inclusive growth to

those areas affected by economic impacts or downturns and should create

thousands of stable, good-paying jobs.

[11:00 a.m.]

I chair the Forest Worker Supports and Community Resiliency

council, which helps manage and shape several programs in four different

ministries that support forest workers and their communities. The forest

employment program provided $27 million in funding and supported 317

projects developing rural business and community recovery. The enhanced

community rapid response team worker transition effort is a group of

people who go into communities that have been affected by curtailments

or decisions like these, and they work with local government, industry

and the unions in order to provide support for those

families.

The rural economic diversification and infrastructure program

develops economic capacity and economic development, particularly in

forest-impacted communities. The industry innovation program is a

high-value industrial and manufacturing program that supports projects

driving clean and inclusive growth and creates well-paying job

opportunities for local workers. The bridging to retirement program —

for some workers over 55 who want to retire and make room for younger

workers: that’s $80 million of support for communities.

It is the experience that I have in the forest industry that makes

me proud of what British Columbia has as its core resource industry. It

is the commitment of our government to support communities that are in

transition. We all know that change is coming. We don’t want to punt it

down the road. We want to deal with it directly while there’s still an

industry to develop again.

We are proud of the industry, and we continue to provide support

to the workers and their communities.

M. Bernier: I appreciate the member opposite for his comments. One of the

things that I think it’s important to highlight, though, through this is

that when we’re talking to families, when we’re talking to workers, when

we’re talking to communities, they’re not looking for transitional

support. What they want is their jobs to stay. They want the mills to

stay open.

It’s cold comfort to many when the advice that they’re given is:

“Here’s a bridging-to-retirement plan.” They say: “I didn’t want to

bridge to retirement. I’m fourth generation in the forestry sector. I

had a life plan of working until I was 65. I was hoping my son or

daughter would also be able to work in this mill in this small

community. It’s something that, for four generations, we’ve

done.”

The last thing somebody wants to hear when they’re 40 or 50 years

old — and, maybe, they’ve worked 20 or 25 years in the forestry sector —

is: “Don’t worry. We’re going to have a transition plan to retrain you

for another sector.” That is not what they’re looking for, and a lot of

this can be avoided.

When we look at the uncertainty that’s out there right now — the

member opposite talked about world markets, declines and changes in

stumpage, or changes in the board feet costs around North America —

here’s one of the biggest challenges we’re facing. It has been over two

years, in some jurisdictions in this province, that there has even been

a timber sale. It’s really hard for a company to even be operational if

they can’t access the timber or the fibre, which is putting a lot of

these communities and these jobs at risk.

A case in point in my own riding, the community of Chetwynd. Two

weeks from now on a Friday, the last log will be going through that

mill; 150 direct jobs, an estimated 300 to 400 jobs that are going to be

affected in this community because of that.

We look at the community of Mackenzie. We look at the community of

Houston. We look at the impacts in Prince George. We look at the impacts

in Terrace, in Merritt — you name it. Around the province right now, we

have families that are struggling to know what the future

holds.

It is really unfortunate when the message we have to give them is:

“Don’t worry. The government plan is to transition you to something

else.” That is not what they want. They want supports; they want

certainty. We need to give them hope that forestry will continue in

B.C.

[11:05 a.m.]

Hon. N. Sharma: Hon. Speaker, I ask that the House consider proceeding with

Motion 32 on the order paper, standing in the name of the member for

Vancouver–​West End.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed to

Motion 32 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it

on the order paper. If any member is opposed to the request for leave,

please indicate now.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 32 — VIOLENCE AGAINST

DRAG ARTISTS AND

PERFORMERS

S. Chandra Herbert:

[Be it resolved that this House condemns violence and intimidation

of artists and performers in the drag community.]

I’ve moved this motion because we have seen too much of this.

We’ve seen people targeted in their communities across B.C., and indeed

across North America, whether it was in Nelson, Coquitlam, I think this

weekend in Kelowna, North Vancouver, Duncan, Vancouver, in my own

community of the West End.

Really, the list is too long to go on with, where because somebody

has decided to express themselves, decided to show up in drag as a

performer, they’ve been targeted. They’ve been told that they can’t

perform, that they can’t be themselves. Indeed, we’ve had people show up

outside these venues to try to hate them out through screams and

intimidation, hon. Speaker.

“I am what I am.

I am this own special creation,

come take a look.

Give me the hook or the ovation.

It’s my world

that I want

to have a little pride in —

my world, and it’s not a

place

I have to hide in.

Life’s not worth a damn

till you

can say:

“I am what I am.”

Maybe I’ll sing a little bit later, but I’ve got to warm up.

That’s from La Cage aux Folles , which was 1982, one of the

first musicals to ever feature a gay relationship. Now, many will

remember the Robin Williams movie that came later, but it was also a

movie back in the 1970s, before I was born — a hit movie, I might

add.

Now, why was it at a hit, and why do people perform drag? I think

they’re both, in some ways, the same. It’s because of expression. It’s

because in the beauty of the movie, the characters were able to find a

way to express themselves that they couldn’t because of hatred that had

been directed towards them.

I was first in drag, I should say, probably when I was a four- or

five-year-old. Kids like to dress up. We like to perform. I think I

first saw drag in a Shakespeare play. A man dressed up as a woman

pretending to be a man, I think, is how I remember it. Shakespeare can

be confusing sometimes. Sometimes it’s a triple or quadruple play in

back of play.

Drag is something that goes back beyond history. Really, it’s us

having fun. I’m wearing drag right now, of a sort. Really, it’s a

uniform to signify something else. Now, I dressed in drag for high

school in grade 12. I must say that for me, that was an accomplishment

because I’d been called a girly man, a girly boy, targeted with misogyny

and sexism, because that’s a lot of what this is.

It’s targeting men because they seem too much like women, and “If

you’re a man, and you don’t like women, we’ll attack you for being too

much like a woman” — another weird, confusing thing that shouldn’t

exist, but unfortunately, it does.

I did it as a way to push back against the haters who would come

after me, and to say: “I’m not afraid of you anymore. I’m embracing all

I am, and if you want to call me whatever you want to call me, too bad

for you, because I am quite comfortable with who I am.”

That’s indeed what Chris Bolton, also known as Conni Smudge, was

doing when they went to Coquitlam to be all they could be. And you know,

the thing that those haters came to say was a horrible thing that they

should never have done: they read The Itsy Bitsy Spider to

children in a library. They read Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

in a library — for shame. It seemed so ridiculous that anyone would have

a problem with that.

I’ve got to say, our neighbours just to the south of us seem to be

having a great deal of problems with that, and we’re seeing it bleed

across the border here, which is why we’ve got this motion here today.

Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma — you go on and

on. They’ve even suggested that you should go to jail for up to ten

years, in Arizona, if you performed in drag. Can you believe that? Lock

you up for performing in some costume? Wow.

[11:10 a.m.]

Well, we’ve seen it here in this province before. ted northe, who

passed away back in 2014, stood up in drag in 1958 to protest against

homophobia — organized discrimination, legalized hatred — in our

province, by showing up in drag outside the courthouse, holding a sign

saying: “I am a human.”

In the end, that’s what this is about: being able to be so

wonderfully human in our diversity, without other people stepping in to

try and shame us for who we are, trying to beat up and use violence to

intimidate. No, this is about being able to be all we are.

It took a long time, but leaders like ted northe, who started the

court system that celebrated its coronation the other weekend…. They

stood, and they changed the law. They showed we are human. They said:

“No more hatred. No more discrimination. No more targeting people

because they are a little different. Let’s embrace love and

diversity.”

I’m glad to join with, hopefully, all members in this House to

move this motion and support it.

R. Merrifield: Let me say it very clearly: violence during peaceful protest is

wrong. Any violence and intimidation towards drag artists and performers

is wrong and must be condemned in the strongest terms — full stop. All

members of this House can agree on that.

In light of horrible incidents towards the drag community, it is

clear that there is still so much more to do to ensure everyone in

British Columbia is treated with dignity and respect. Violent protests

are not acceptable. We all have the right to express our views and

debate or protest against those views with which we don’t agree.

Violence against others is never the answer, ever.

These events have been plagued with intimidation and violence

throughout B.C., in communities such as Nelson, Victoria and Vancouver

either having violence break out or being forced to cancel them out of

fear. No community should need to fear violence for simply holding an

event in a province as rich and diverse as British Columbia. No British

Columbian should fear taking their child to a library because of

dangerous protests outside the entrance. No British Columbian should

fear violence for holding a view or position in opposition to their

neighbour. This is not the British Columbia that we want for our

kids.

We teach our kids to always be themselves: “Don’t give into peer

pressure to be someone you aren’t.” I used to teach my kids when they

were younger, you know, when they would be called a name…. I would ask

them: “Well, if I called you a banana, would that make you a

banana?”

We teach our kids to be tolerant of those that are different from

them, to respect each other and learn from each other. We teach our kids

to stand up for what they believe in, to be the voice for those that may

not be able to speak for themselves.

We live in a country where we are protected by laws and where we

can live without fear, but this cannot be said by every member of our

communities. Last week I was privileged to attend the Transgender Day of

Visibility flag raising here at the Legislature. It serves as an

excellent reminder of just some of the many adversities faced by those

that are simply trying to be themselves and are not treated with dignity

and respect. For the sake of our constituents and the rights of human

beings as a whole, we must continue to deliberate and strengthen our

laws so that they can be as protective, strong and inclusive as

possible.

Unfortunately, we face a public safety crisis in this province,

and not enough is being done to fix it. We could be debating motions

like this every hour of every day for any number of communities that

have faced horrible violence in the last five years. Motions are just

words unless action is taken, and this government doesn’t have a good

track record on taking action. They have no trouble with motions, words,

actions.

British Columbians facing violence in their streets need more than

flowery words on Twitter and clever motions in this place. We must

encourage meaningful dialogue amongst those who disagree with one

another. We must make sure that those that target a community with

violence, like the drag community or the LGBTQ2+ community, face legal

consequences. This is our job in this place.

[11:15 a.m.]

That is why our communities elect us to serve them here. For the

sake of upholding basic human rights, it is incredibly important that we

ensure the government follows through on motions like this one and takes

meaningful action and can provide results for British

Columbians.

Democracy loses when we shout instead of listen, when we use

culture wars to silence opposition instead of exercising empathy and

love. Love must win.

I encourage this House to use this motion as an opportunity to

reach out and hear the voices across B.C., advocate for those that can’t

always speak for themselves and use the power given to them by British

Columbians to influence positive and real change in legislation to

ensure everyone is free from the fear of facing violence in their

community. Violence is wrong.

H. Yao: Thank you for the opportunity to stand up and speak in support of

the motion by the member for Vancouver–West End: ‘Be it resolved that

this House condemns violence and intimidation of artists and performers

in the drag community.”

For starters, I want to humbly express the fact that I, too, am in

need to learn from my colleagues and everyone else in the community as

we come together and help our community support the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Let us come together and learn how to be an ally to the fight for the

most basic human rights that the majority of us take for

granted.

People in the community continue to face stigma and

discrimination, which puts people at risk for much higher rates of

violence, poverty, mental health issues and other complex challenges.

For people of colour and Indigenous people, this issue is further

amplified.

With permission, I would like to share an incident in Richmond.

Imagine that a basic right we all take for granted in this chamber is

somehow no longer accessible to us. Imagine that a person in a position

of authority, whom we trust, chooses to exercise personal bias to deny

us the very basic right.

To start the story, I attended an event held by youth in a

Richmond school, as a guest speaker. After my boring speech, I took a

seat by the entrance of the library. I quickly noted outside the library

there was a young BIPOC individual who was crying. Their peers

surrounded the individual and attempted to comfort the individual. I

decided to approach in an attempt to find out what happened. The young

person’s situation was both shocking and shook me to the

core.

The person self-identified as transgender. For over one hour, the

young person was in need to use a washroom, but couldn’t. The young

person’s previous attempt to use the school’s all-gender washroom was

stopped and prevented by school staff. I learned that the school staff

denied the young person’s right to access a washroom by telling the

individual to use the regular washroom like everyone else. The young

person couldn’t leave the school without giving up their spot in the

activity. Without a safe and accessible facility, that young person

struggled with both the biological stress and mental

frustration.

I had to step in. I escorted the young person straight to the

all-gender washroom in the very same school. Despite the fact that

school staff saw us walking straight to the all-gender washroom, the

staff decided not to stop us this time.

I further shared the frustration which the Richmond school board,

and I want to express my sincere gratitude to Richmond school trustees

for taking time out of their busy

schedule and listening. Their

unwavering determination to address the issue was much appreciated and

needed.

Drag performers are skilled artists and performers that contribute

so much to our B.C. arts and cultural scene. The violence, hate and

intimidation that drag performers have to face in B.C. is unacceptable.

Such actions of violence and intimidation against drag performers comes

from a place of misunderstanding and hate. Current themes include

homophobic and transphobic language, in addition to statements

condemning SOGI 123. We must all work together to form inclusivity,

kindness and acceptance.

Our government continues to work hard to advance human rights and

the rights and freedom of people of all sexual orientations and gender

identities. Only by working together can we make B.C. a place where

people are truly free to be who they are.

The trans flag flew for the first time on the B.C. Legislature

lawn. The flag-raising event was attended and supported by both B.C. NDP

caucus representatives and B.C. Liberal caucus

representatives.

The provincial government also reworded 1,300 incidences of

gendered language in regulation across government to reflect British

Columbia’s diversity. These changes were made to ensure that all British

Columbians have equal access to government services, no matter their

sexual orientation, gender identity, race or cultural

beliefs.

[11:20 a.m.]

Our government also re-established a Human Rights Commission to

ensure a spectrum of gender identity is included on B.C. identification

cards. Now British Columbians can choose the third option in the gender

field on a B.C.-issued ID. Our government moved to ensure publicly

funded surgery is available in B.C., making us the first province in

western Canada to offer these essential procedures.

All 60 schools and several First Nations and independent schools

are part of the B.C. SOGI Educator Network to help schools be more

inclusive for students. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to

the University of Victoria for establishing the first largest

Transgender Archives in the world.

Although it is important to remember how far we have come, we must

also acknowledge that there’s much more work to do. For people to feel

safe, we must come and stand together to amplify the voices and take

steps to help our neighbours, friends and colleagues to be safe from

violence.

K. Kirkpatrick: When I was a kid growing up in Edmonton, we had absolutely some of

the funkiest bars and theatres in all of Canada. I think that might

still be the case. We were so cool in Edmonton that we were able to

attract some of the coolest performers in North America. I was so lucky

to see Harris Glenn Milstead twice, better known to the world as

Divine.

Divine was one of the most famous drag queens in the world and set

the stage for performers like RuPaul. Those evenings I had were so fun —

the music, the dancing, the laughter. You couldn’t help but have a smile

on your face when you left and a love of Divine. It just made me so

happy. But I guess in my naivety, I could never imagine that anyone

would think differently.

Today a 10-foot-high statue of Divine stands at the American

Museum of Visionary Art in Baltimore. Her cult sensation movie, which

you must see, called Pink Flamingos is in the permanent

collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

I do want to give a shout-out, as well, to Conni Smudge, who has

made some wonderful videos across the North Shore, has videos of her

reading wonderful children’s stories and I know has been at the North

Vancouver City Library.

But ongoing intimidation and violence directed towards drag

performers goes against the very values of diversity and inclusion we

claim as a society to hold near. Unfortunately, attacks and threats have

occurred far too often here in British Columbia.

Earlier this month the Nelson Public Library scheduled a

family-friendly drag storytime event that models inclusiveness, kindness

and acceptance, while promoting a love of reading. But it had to be

cancelled after the staff and storytellers were threatened and

intimidated online.

In June of last year, organizers of a drag show at a Victoria cafe

were also inundated with homophobic and transphobic phone calls. I was

proud that the Leader of the Opposition was the first B.C. politician to

speak out and condemn this hate.

Last summer anti-gay protesters waved rainbow swastikas at a

Richmond drag queen storytime, knocking over children in the process. I

don’t get it. It just makes no sense to me.

These are just some of the examples showing the unacceptable

levels of discrimination, harassment and violence toward drag

performers, which are rooted in homophobia and transphobia.

In March, a Statistics Canada report showed that the 423 hate

crimes targeting a sexual orientation recorded in 2021 rose above the

previous peak of 265 in 2019. Such attacks are absolutely unacceptable,

and we have to work together as a society to reject them and ensure that

all communities are protected and treated with dignity and

respect.

Drag performance has been an important part of our culture,

providing a platform for self-expression, creativity and activism. In

ancient Western cultures, women often were not allowed to perform on

stage or to become actors, so it was normal — in fact, it was respected

— for men to dress as women to perform. Remember the movie

Shakespeare in Love . Didn’t we all love that

movie?

[11:25 a.m.]

In addition to its cultural and social significance, drag

performance has also contributed to popular culture. Many famous

performers, from RuPaul and, again, Divine, have become icons of drag,

bringing their unique styles and personalities to mainstream audiences

through film, television and other media.

Its impact can be felt not only by the LGBT community but in

popular culture, as well, where it comes to inspire and entertain

audiences around the world.

We must address the underlying attitudes that fuel these attacks.

This includes education and awareness campaigns to promote

understanding.

Now, it’s funny how Divine has stayed with me for so many years.

She left an impression on me that was positive, and she really helped me

in a tough time in my young life. I felt, and I mean this quite

sincerely…. To me, she represented the freedom to be yourself, not to

worry about stereotypes and to do things that made others happy. She

referred to herself as the most beautiful 300-pound woman in the world.

She celebrated everything unique and special about us.

I recently walked into a funky-looking store. I couldn’t believe

the thrill when I saw posters, coffee mugs and other memorabilia with

Divine on them. It brought back such happy feelings. I had to buy a mug,

and she now joins me every day for my morning coffee.

S. Chant: Thank you for the opportunity to rise today and speak to the

motion: “Be it resolved that this House condemn violence and

intimidation of artists and performers in the drag

community.”

I’m speaking from the unceded territories of the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ people, the

Esquimalt and the Songhees.

I work, live and learn in my beautiful riding of North

Vancouver–Seymour, situated in the unceded territory of the Coast

Salish, specifically, the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish

Nations.

I find it remarkable in this day and age that this topic remains

one that needs to be restated. Yet clearly it does, in light of the

events of the past year. Violence, hate and intimidation should have no

place in our current state, but it has reared its ugly head once again,

in the most benign of places: community centres and

libraries.

Drag storytimes are wonderful events full of colour, whimsy and

drama — just what children enjoy most, as do many adults. Children are

enraptured by the theatre of it, captured by the stories, entranced by

the voices that vary with each character. Sometimes there are crafts,

sometimes there are songs — all activities that stimulate the

imagination of kids and grownups alike.

Drag storytime has been going on for a while, both in B.C. and

across North America. It’s a family-friendly event, demonstrates

inclusiveness, kindness and acceptance, allowing people to explore their

own beliefs about drag and dispelling fears and myths.

Unfortunately, those fears seem to be driving a group of

arrive at events disrupting, at the expense of families. These protests

generate discomfort, fear and anxiety for those that want to attend,

which is completely counter to the intent of the activities. I find it

difficult to recognize value in these negative events.

Even though pro-drag supporters and police have also attended to

try and abate the anticipated efforts of the anti-drag contingent,

families with storytelling-aged children will still be reluctant to stay

in such a volatile environment. In other circumstances, support staff

have been intimidated and harassed to the point that a library event has

been cancelled, which is really disappointing and discouraging to

organizers, performers and participants, all of whom look forward to

fun, entertaining and thought-provoking presentations.

It’s important to recognize that drag performers are skilled

artists, and they contribute significantly to the arts and cultural

fabric of British Columbia. Just like any other performer, they should

be able to provide entertainment in a safe, respectful environment that

appreciates their contributions and enjoys their performances. Consider

original Shakespeare, pantomimes, Cabaret , La Cage aux

Folles , Mrs. Doubtfire , Hairspray , Mrs. Brown

and Dame Edna.

In our current landscape, we should be revelling in our diversity,

in our ability to be inclusive, in our understanding and acceptance of

the marvellous variation in cultures, religions and ethnicities that is

British Columbia. Yet there is an underlying presence of fear,

homophobia, transphobia and vitriol aimed at people who have chosen

alternate sexual orientations or gender identities. This is all grounded

in fear, perhaps of the unknown.

[11:30 a.m.]

As a member of this House, and as a community member that has been

in service all of my life with the goal of making things better for the

folks around me, I believe we can all contribute towards calming the

fear, stemming the anxiety and enhancing the understanding of each

other.

Next time there’s an opportunity to attend a drag event, go and

see what it’s about. Enjoy the showmanship and the talent, whether it’s

at your local library or as a storytelling or at a local cabaret as a

song, dance and humour. There’s no need for intimidation, violence and

hate, because there’s nothing to be frightened of.

M. Bernier: I’m glad to rise and support the motion that has been put forward

today by the member for Vancouver–West End.

I say this in a weird way, I think, that it’s unfortunate that we

even have to have this motion brought forward today. Of course,

everybody in this House agrees that violence and intimidation have no

place in our communities and in our society. We’re all committed to the

idea of creating a safer, more inclusive British Columbia for

everybody.

It’s incredibly disturbing to hear the stories that we are seeing

more frequently in our media about people being harassed and threatened

simply for being themselves — for being who they are. As a society,

everybody is entitled to their opinions, but those opinions also have to

be recognized in a non-violent, non-hatred way. People have to be able

to coexist, but we also have to love and support each other.

When we look at the violence on our streets that’s happening right

now across British Columbia, across all sectors, it’s important, I

think, not just through this motion, that we talk about making sure that

we work collectively in this House to condemn it and to try to come up

with supports to end this. We need to create a positive

change.

When I sat on the other side of the House, I was proud that we

took action on a part of this issue, anyway, to begin working on

bringing SOGI supports and anti-bullying policies into our schools.

Thankfully, those policies are still in place today.

I think, when we look at our upcoming generations, it’s about

education. It’s ensuring that we instil in them tolerance and the

education of what we want society to look like. Education is absolutely

foundational when it comes to building a more welcoming and informed

society.

On September 8, 2016, I announced that explicit references to

sexual orientation and gender identity were being added to anti-bullying

policies that school districts and independent schools are required to

have in place. I thank them for the work that they did. That’s still in

place. Our government also worked with the ARC Foundation of Vancouver,

working together to provide schools with additional resources and tools

to support LGB — capital T today — Q2+ students. We continue with that

work.

As I said, every British Columbian deserves to be welcomed. A lot

of these supports were brought into place because of the high level of

bullying and intimidation that was happening in our schools. We’re

unfortunately seeing it in society outside of our schools. We need to

remember that we need to have those supports. As many people have said

today, this comes with understanding. This comes with education of who

we are and supporting people for who they are.

All British Columbians, particularly vulnerable people and members

of marginalized groups, must and should be able to live their lives

without fear of harm. That’s why we’ve called on government for years to

establish a dedicated hate crime hotline. It’s why we’ve publicly

condemned things like conversion therapy, homophobia and transphobia in

all forms.

We’ve called on government to ensure that local police forces have

sufficient resources to respond quickly to and to fully investigate hate

crimes and racist incidents. We have to also ensure that the Attorney

General’s Crown Prosecution Service treats such incidents as a priority

for charge determinations and prosecutions.

[11:35 a.m.]

There are too many people right now in our province who are living

daily in fear because of the violence that’s happening on our streets.

That’s not acceptable. It doesn’t matter what group you represent or

that you identify with. Criminality has to be charged as criminality.

People need to be held accountable.

I’m glad that we’re standing in the House today and condemning

violence. We know that words are not enough. We need actions. We need

supports. If we truly, as we’re talking about today, all agree upon

that, then this is a start to make that become a reality.

J. Sims: It is a pleasure today to rise and speak in supporting the motion

that has been brought to us: “Be it resolved that this House condemn

violence and intimidation of artists and performers in the drag

community.”

Many people have said before me, and I agree with them, that we

had hoped that in 2023 we would not be discussing, or having the need to

debate, this motion in this chamber, but here we are.

What really warms my heart is that we have so much agreement that

everyone of us in this House condemns any kind of intimidation and

violence — full stop. In this case today, we are talking about the

2SLGBTQ+ community. They’ve had a history of intimidation and violence

directed against them. I can remember, and it seems like yesterday, not

so long ago, when you could say…. We talk about what’s happening in the

States right now with the libraries and books.

We had the same things happening right here in British Columbia,

where certain books — same mom, same dad — were not allowed into our

libraries — in one school district, not all, the one that I represent

today, along with some of my other colleagues. I can remember, in those

days, wondering what could be more harmful to a society as a whole than

to start banning books. especially banning books that were teaching

about who we are, but it happened.

I’m so glad that we are way beyond that right now. At the same

time, it’s very hurtful. You could say it brings back lots of memories

when we recently viewed the violence that was directed — quite ugly it

was — against the drag community, the artists who were reading books to

kids.

Now I want all of us to just imagine that for a moment. You’re all

dressed up, you’re reading to kids, and that invites violence from

people. Because of that, it is so good to have everybody in this House

condemn that outright.

I will say that, living in Canada — even having experienced my own

journey as a new immigrant, starting off in England — it is very, very

hard when people pick on you, even with words, because you look

in that classroom on that first day. It took a while for the class to

include me in things, but it happened.

I think for the LGBTQ community, it has been a long journey. I

think this was a shocker that reading books to kids was going to be

inviting that kind of violence.

So many of my friends have made reference to Shake­speare,

to theatre. You know, I grew up in England, and we went to pantomimes.

In many of those pantomimes, it was men who were dressed up as women. We

all laughed, and we all enjoyed those pantomimes.

[11:40 a.m.]

What’s really important in this is that for the drag community,

their performances are just as artistic, just as valued and just as

connected to who they are as other artists. I think it is calling for

that respect for art and for the drag community at the same

time.

This topic — we could all wax eloquent all day, but today I want

to celebrate one of those rare moments that we cherish in this House:

when we all agree that this violence, no matter who it is directed

against, is not acceptable.

D. Davies: I’m pleased to speak to this motion on violence against drag

artists and performers. Again, as everybody else has stated, it is quite

surprising that we are, and it’s sad that we have to be here to condone

these actions, in fact. Everyone in our province deserves the right to

feel safe in their communities, and drag artists are no

different.

Canada has seen a rise in aggression toward drag artists and the

LGBTQ2S+ community, as they have also become targets of online threats

and hate. No one should have to face any amount of harassment for being

who they are and celebrating it.

It is of utmost importance that this House support all groups no

matter how they identify, and to continue to support them.

Just last week we marked the Transgender Day of Visibility, a day

to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness of the

discrimination they continue to face. The Legislature hosted an event on

Thursday, where we raised the transgender flag on the lawn to show this

House’s support.

This is an important way to highlight the province’s efforts to

support transgender people and all the members of the LGBTQ2S+ community

and their right to be seen and respected.

This flag-raising event highlighted that we as MLAs in this place

are allies to this community, but there is always more work to be done

to end discrimination that individuals frequently face. On that

particular day, as we celebrated the achievements and increasing

visibility of trans people in B.C., we also acknowledged that many still

face severe discrimination, stigma and systemic inequality.

In fact, trans people are disproportionately overrepresented when

it comes to poverty, with many living in poverty at elevated rates.

According to the 2021 Canadian census, transgender individuals were

overrepresented in populations experiencing homelessness compared to

cisgender individuals.

The Transgender Day of Visibility also lends well to highlighting

topics that we are canvassing today, condemning violence and

intimidation of drag artists and the LGBTQ2S+ community, as these

individuals are often disproportionately affected by discrimination

because of how they identify.

Recently across Canada, we have seen a rise in disturbing

incidents at drag storytime events, where these artists and attendees

are subject to protests, threats and online harassment. The artists who

host these events and those who wish to attend them are accosted by

protesters who are spewing hateful speech.

Many LGBTQ2S+ individuals and organizations continue to host

events, and we will stand up to the hate. However, there are genuine

concerns that these protests may turn violent.

As hate crime rates have seen a significant uptick over these

recent years, it is now more important than ever that we do what we can

to promote inclusivity and condemn such hateful words and

actions.

As a former school teacher myself, I understand the importance of

children and individuals having a safe space to learn in a positive

environment. When I was teaching, it was integral that students felt

comfortable in their learning environment, and that still holds true

today.

[11:45 a.m.]

Drag storytime at public libraries provides an opportunity for

people to interact with drag artists and members of the LGBTQ2S+

community, and to do so in a safe environment away from stereotypes,

transphobic rhetoric and hate. It is unacceptable that these events are

being bombarded with this hateful rhetoric.

Homophobia and transphobia have no place in our province. Members

of the LGBTQ2S+ community have the right to feel safe wherever they

choose to go.

While acceptance has improved over the years, these waves of

protests should be concerning to us. Our caucus strongly condemns any

form of hate facing drag artists in British Columbia.

In this House, it’s important that we all do what we can to ensure

that these individuals feel safe across the province. The public, us in

this House, the police, the justice system must take any kinds of

violence or threat seriously and do our

part in supporting their

interests.

K. Paddon: Thank you to my colleague for bringing forward this motion: “Be it

resolved that this House condemns violence and intimidation of artists

and performers in the drag community.”

I wasn’t going to stand to speak to this motion today. I’m

grateful for the privilege to be able to do so, but my main concern was

twofold. One was to be able to do it in a way that truly honoured people

of my community and the people who do call me ally.

The second was to do it in a way that didn’t lead with anger. I

must confess that is the predominant feeling here: anger born out of

protection, an instinct to protect; anger born out of the harm that I’ve

heard directly from my community, from members of the 2SLGBTQ community,

from drag performers, from youth in my community.

I’m very honoured to stand here and just talk about a few things

that some of my colleagues may not have canvassed yet. I do really value

their words.

I do want to say to the member for West Vancouver–Capilano, I love

the joy they brought to their conversation there. So thank you for

that.

I think that one of the things that might be confusing is that

when we hear the anger, the vitriol, the yelling, the noise that would

attack or intimidate drag performers in our community, it’s often

because it’s being equated with transgenderism. There’s no inherent

connection there.

That being said, we do know, as other members have mentioned, that

the transgender community receives a very specific kind of attack, and

that has now been shared with drag performers.

The tools of shame and hurt in order to control and to censor are

not new ones, although we have seen a fairly recent resurgence and rise

in the violence, be that verbal or physical, and the societal attacks on

drag performers. I know in Chilliwack-Kent, in February, there was an

event. It was a student-led event. It was fantastic that they organized

it. It’s called Glow Up. It was a dance and creative

showcase.

One of the things that the students did was that they did invite a

drag performer. I think they were emceeing and performing. Their name is

Hailey Adler, and they’re fantastic. They do a lot for our community and

in our community to raise money and really make sure that we have

opportunities for inclusive events.

The backlash that came out of that was what spurred this

conversation on. It was equating it not only to transgenderism but

misequating that to predation and grooming and sexualization. I think

that’s one of the areas where the anger comes from.

I had the opportunity to speak with Hailey and just thank them,

because I knew that it was going to be hard in our community. And even

they said it: this is kind of new again. It’s disappointing when we see

it.

[11:50 a.m.]

I absolutely support the motion today. I know that an additional

reason I do that is because….

The member for Peace River South talked about anti-bullying and

the actions that have been brought into schools. All I can think is: are

the voices who are doing this, who are being disgusting, saying

disgusting things about other human beings, misequating and attributing

behaviour and actions in a way meant to induce shame, which we know is

an excellent mechanism for control — did they graduate before that?

Because that would make them not relevant in the schools

today.

Maybe, I hope we’re not seeing it in the school today.

Part of the reason I ran originally, as well, was because I was

sick of explaining to the kids what the grownups were doing. And I am

so, so happy that those in this room have stood and

supported.

I would encourage people not only to speak out against violence

generally, but specifically where it’s targeting other human beings

based on, first of all, a protected area, and second of all, an artistic

expression that is very valuable in our society.

I just want to remind drag performers out there that…. And Bob

Dylan, Madonna and even the Beatles, in 1964, on the grounds that those

groups negatively influenced, have been banned. So just keep doing what

you’re doing.

E. Sturko: I’d like to join my colleagues in collectively condemning hate and

intolerance in this province, and we stand together against

discrimination in all its forms. We want to also recognize the rights of

drag performers and other 2SLGBTQI folks to gather, exercising the right

to freedom of expression and the right to lawful assembly.

In Canada and in British Columbia, a right to be free from

discrimination based on age, disability, sexuality, ethnicity, religion,

gender identity and expression are codified, not only by the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms but also in the Canadian Human Rights Act

and the B.C. human rights code.

Certainly, with respect to the rights of 2SLGBTQI peo­ple,

public awareness and political pressure have sparked through community

activism and protest. They were a catalyst to change, particularly

change within the public acceptance of 2SLGBTQI folks as equals in

society, de­serv­ing of health, happiness and

opportunity.

However, it was, in fact, legislative challenges and change which

have helped to solidify 2SLGBTQI rights. Douglas v. Canada , in

1992, was the successful lawsuit against the military that resulted in

the end of its discriminatory practice against gays and

lesbians.

Egan v. Canada , in 1995, stands today as landmark Supreme

Court legislation that established that sexual orientation does

constitute a prohibited basis under

section 15 of the Canadian Charter

of Rights and Freedoms.

Halpern v. Canada , in 2003, was the landmark court

decision in the Court of Appeal of Ontario that found that the

common-law definition of marriage violated the Canadian Charter of

Rights and Freedoms, paving the way for the Civil Marriage

Act.

Although the rights of all people are enshrined in law, there has

been a rise in instances of hate-motivated activity, crime, harassment

and intimidation, not only against the 2SLGBTQI community but against

Indigenous folks and people of colour in British Columbia.

On January 30, 2023, an example of this behaviour was observed by

the public after a video of an attack on a gay couple riding the

local news.

Reports from Stats Canada and from B.C.’s Human Rights

Commissioner have confirmed that hate-related incidents rose

exponentially over the past several years. And according to Stats

Canada, B.C. saw one of the largest increases in hate crimes being

reported to police. Yet they also found that our legal system can’t

properly address hate crimes because of problems from the police

reporting stage, all the way through the court process.

Addressing gaps in B.C.’s court systems, creating new training

programs for police and Crown prosecutors to investigate and prosecute

hate-motivated incidents and looking at new provincial statutes to

address hate-motivated crime are all legislative measures that the

current government could take to help reduce hate in British Columbia.

However, there was no funding to address hate in the 2023 provincial

budget.

[11:55 a.m.]

This government has passed bills to make British Columbia’s

legislation gender-neutral, but where is the legislation or funding to

protect British Columbians from rising hate? Standing as an ally is

important, but 2SLGBTQI people need more than flag raisings and

participation in parades and protests.

As a member of the 2SLGBTQI community and as a member of this

House, I condemn all forms of hate and intolerance. But I recognize that

we need to act as legislators in this chamber and design legislation and

provincial statutes and fund programs in our justice system that will

truly protect our communities from hate. This is our job.

B. D’Eith: I rise today in support of the motion that was brought forward by

the member for Vancouver–West End in regards to violence against drag

artists and performers.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film, I’m very proud that

drag performance art and programs have received funding through the B.C.

Arts Council. Arts communities have actually worked very hard to promote

equity, diversity and inclusion, referred to as EDI, in the

sector.

The B.C. Arts Council has not only recognized the value of EDI

efforts but has also taken significant steps towards systemic changes

within arts funding to ensure that diverse and underrepresented

communities are included in programs and operating funds, including

working towards true and meaningful reconciliation with First

Nations.

Now, the fact is that drag has actually been an art form that’s

been around for a very long time, some say as far back as the Greeks.

But as we’ve heard today, Shakespearean theatre was certainly one where

it’s recognized.

In the 17th century, women were not allowed to perform in

Shakespeare’s productions, so men would play the parts. It was during

this…. There is some controversy over the term “drag,” but one of the

more accepted versions is that the male actors’ dresses dragged behind

them; hence, drag.

This tradition continued throughout the decades and the years but

only became individualized when female impersonation became part of

American vaudeville performances in the 20th century. In fact, during

the 1930s, female impersonation and drag became intertwined with gay

culture.

Of course, during that time, the broader society continued to

criminalize gay culture, and there were many police crackdowns on gay

bars. The response was for the drag scene to move

underground.

The gay community continued to flourish despite all of this. In

fact, at that time, it was illegal for them to even be served alcohol in

bars or even to dance together.

Of course, drag as an art form exploded in modern times, largely

due to RuPaul, arguably the most famous drag queen in the world today.

RuPaul’s very popular Drag Race actually changed the history of

drag, let’s say.

Unfortunately, the art form has come under attack by right-wing

activists and politicians who cast a false light on drag. Much of this

has started in the States, but it’s come into Canada. It’s really

unfortunate.

Some of the members talked about Conni Smudge, a performer. In

January 2023, in Coquitlam at the public library, there was a planned

event. There was a large anti-drag protest that happened, and it was

there to intimidate. Of course, Conni met the protest with love and

called for inclusion. To her, the show must go on, and it

did.

Of course, other events…. March 11 in Nelson, they had to cancel

due to intimidation online. Police are investigating these

hate-motivated incidents.

In Victoria and Kitsilano, this happened as well. It’s not clear

what’s happening as far as organization, but it’s clear the common

themes include homophobic and transphobic language and statements

condemning SOGI 123.

We all — in fact, everyone who’s spoken today — cele­brate

the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and recognize that this community has fought

hard for basic human rights that many of us take for granted.

No one should ever be targeted for violence or oppression. We all

agree on that. But the reality is that the community does continue to

face stigma and discrimination, and that puts people at greater risk for

violence, poverty, mental health issues and other complex

challenges.

[12:00 p.m.]

The recent attacks on the drag community are another example of

this discrimination. We have to make sure that these rights that have

been so hard-fought-for are not eroded.

We can see this happening in the U.S., particularly around women’s

rights recently. We really have to continue that fight so that drag

events can continue. They are events that are inclusive, they have

kindness, and they are all about a model of inclusiveness. We should

encourage them.

The member for Kelowna-Mission did bring up a couple of items

about action. When she attended the event with the transgender flag,

that was the first time any government in British Columbia had raised

that flag.

We’ve ensured that 60 school districts and First Nations have the

SOGI education network. We have gender language in regulations and many

other services.

B. D’Eith moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. N. Sharma moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Deputy Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. this

afternoon.

The House adjourned at 12:01 p.m.

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