The Quebec government came under fire this week for funding a women害羞草研究所檚 group that is alleged to have spread transphobic views and targeted trans activists online.

On Thursday in the legislature, Jennifer Maccarone of the Liberal Opposition read excerpts of documents that refer to sex change surgeries as a form of 害羞草研究所渕utilation,害羞草研究所� which she said had been published by the group Pour les droits des femmes du Qu茅bec (PDF Qu茅bec) on its online platforms.

Maccarone then questioned the minister responsible for the status of women, Martine Biron, on the fact that the Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec government has been funding the group, which she said also encourages trans people to reverse their transition.

害羞草研究所淭he government is using public funds to subsidize an organization, PDF Qu茅bec, who are openly transphobic,害羞草研究所� Maccarone said. The $143,000 given to the group for the 2022-23 fiscal year goes directly against the province害羞草研究所檚 action plan to combat homophobia and transphobia, she added.

Biron replied that every group has its own 害羞草研究所渙pinions害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渙bjectives害羞草研究所� and all groups should be respected and listened to.

害羞草研究所淭hey are being consulted now, and it害羞草研究所檚 very obvious that I will make sure that it害羞草研究所檚 not negative or hateful towards others. I think that all women in Quebec as well as people in the LGBTQ communities, deserve to be respected and deserve to be well represented,害羞草研究所� the minister said.

Fae Johnstone, an Ottawa-based activist, said that she was called a 害羞草研究所渧iolent man害羞草研究所� in a tweet last week by PDF Qu茅bec. She said that in the past, the group has also described her as 害羞草研究所渕isogynistic.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t was really hurtful to read that in the first place, and then to see them contributing to the sustained campaign of hate directed at me was really atrocious to witness,害羞草研究所� Johnstone said. 害羞草研究所淧DF Qu茅bec doesn害羞草研究所檛 consider trans people to be who we know ourselves to be, but rather that we are somehow deceived or that there is something wrong with us.害羞草研究所�

Johnstone said that until this week she was unaware of the funding the group had received from the Quebec government and called it 害羞草研究所渁bsolutely atrocious.害羞草研究所�

PDF Qu茅bec, which describes itself as feminist, non-partisan, 害羞草研究所渦niversalist害羞草研究所� and secular, first received provincial funding of about $120,000 in 2019-20. The group, which was created in 2013, did not respond to repeated requests for comment this week.

Catherine Poulin, a spokesperson for the Department of Labour and Social Solidarity, which provided the funding, said the department was not aware of the allegations of transphobia.

害羞草研究所淭his will be addressed in accordance with the grant agreement signed with the organization,害羞草研究所� Poulin said in a written statement on Thursday. 害羞草研究所淚f the organization does not meet the requirements of its grant agreement, corrective action will be required before the renewal of its financial support, which is scheduled for April 2023.害羞草研究所�

Celeste Trianon, a Montreal trans activist who runs a legal aid clinic helping trans women, said that she has been targeted by PDF Qu茅bec on multiple occasions.

害羞草研究所淭hey started singling me out recently and attacking me because of my standing within Quebec害羞草研究所檚 trans community. Some of the things that PDF Qu茅bec has done include sharing disinformation about me either as an organization or as an individual member thereof and also, in some cases, going as far as to publish slandering articles on me,害羞草研究所� Trianon said.

The activist said she has received multiple death threats because of misinformation spread by the group.

On Wednesday, Catherine Boucher, a spokesperson for Biron害羞草研究所檚 office, said Quebec is an open and welcoming society where homophobia and transphobia have no place.

害羞草研究所淥ur government has taken many actions to fight against this discrimination, and we will continue to denounce the prejudices that persist,害羞草研究所� Boucher said in a written statement 害羞草研究所淭he Quebec government害羞草研究所檚 funding of PDF Qu茅bec is not a sign of support for all their positions.害羞草研究所�

Marisela Amador, The Canadian Press

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