Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville made it clear he is against gender-neutral washrooms in schools. .“We don't think it's a good idea,” said Drainville at a press conference covered by CTV News Montreal. .“The school needs to get its act together.”.The issue was raised at the Quebec National Assembly after a school in Rouyn-Noranda, QC, said it planned to offer gender-neutral washrooms. .Quebec Trans ID Clinic founder Celeste Trianon said Drainville is ignoring the well-being of transgender and non-binary students by ruling out having gender-neutral washrooms in schools. .“So I definitely felt disappointed when I saw his comments because it disregards, in a way, trans and non-binary students' safety,” said Trianon. .“And the consequence of that is that it's going to lead to othering of trans and non-binary students who are not going to feel safe at school, as would be the case with full-blown gender-neutral washrooms as is being proposed at that school in Abitibi.”.Drainville was reacting to news Ecole d’Iberville had started work to provide mixed-gender washrooms for students for the 2024/25 school year. The proposed washrooms would have floor-to-ceiling stalls with a shared sink area. .A petition was launched to oppose the project. .He admitted he preferred boys and girls bathrooms, but he was open to the idea of having individual mixed ones. He called this “a reasonable way of showing respect for diversity while ensuring that our boys and girls, men and women, have their intimate space when they go into the bathroom or washroom in any school.”.Drainville cited privacy concerns among teenage female students going through puberty who could face harassment from males sharing the same bathroom. For teenage girls who start menstruating and come out of cubicles, they might have to cope with boys looking at them. .“Mockery, sarcasm, humiliation: a scenario we don't want, so I think we need to draw a line and the line is being drawn now,” he said. .Trianon did not share the same level of concern, saying his comments reinforce her opinion schools need to ensure adequate sex education is taught to prevent ridicule “of what is a perfectly normal bodily function.” She said staff should be equipped to deal with harassment on school property when it happens. .Ultimately, she said many demands transgender and non-binary people have in society are to ensure they have an equitable chance at living their best lives, securing employment and being able to finish school. It is all of these factors combined with this situation. .Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called for a parliamentary commission on certain issues up for debate, including gender-neutral bathrooms, the use of pronouns for non-binary people and gender transitions in minors. .“I see a lot of ideology coming from the radical left being imposed and then that's where I have an issue when concepts are imposed, ways of doing new programs in the education system without any prior democratic debate,” said Plamondon. .Quebec Solidaire spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois compared Plamondon to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has not spoken out against a party resolution about supporting sex-based rights. .Nadeau-Dubois acknowledged transgender children are eight times more likely to commit suicide than their peers. .“That's not the ideology of the radical left, it's a fact,” said Nadeau-Dubois. .“I think politicians should leave these kids alone.”.Conservatives voted 87% to 13% in favour of passing the Edmonton-Strathcona, AB, EDA’s resolution about restricting women’s spaces and categories to biological women at the Conservative Convention on Saturday. .READ MORE: Conservatives pass anti-woke policy proposals at convention.Canadian sport performance coach Linda Blade said women in Canada need the Conservatives’ help. .“Single-sex female-only spaces are disappearing in this country,” said Blade.
