JAG speaks out against homophobia and transphobia
Callan Forrester – LJI reporter
On January 30, members of the Corporation de Développement Communautaire (CDC) de la Montérégie got together for the second edition of the Journée Arc-en-ciel, which has the goal of combatting homophobia, transphobia, and violence against the LBGTQIA+ community in the region and raising the general public’s awareness of these experiences.
For this year’s Journée Arc-en-ciel, Simon Proulx, the director of the CDC des Maskoutains, moderated a press conference that featured speakers from different organizations to talk about issues the queer community is facing. He set the tone of the conference by saying, “We’re here to talk about a worrying reality: the rise in homophobic and transphobic violence. Through this Journée Arc-en-ciel, we are reaffirming our commitment to a more inclusive and safe world for all people in the LGBT community.”
The day also included a virtual training session, which was introduced by Joanne Nystrom from Troc Montérégie. Over 200 organizations took part in this mobilization against hate.
Jessica Grenon and Dominique Théberge of JAG, and James Galantino of the Conseil Québécois LGBT spoke extremely candidly about the current realities for queer people. JAG is an organization that provides education and support about emotional, sexual, and gender diversity. It is the only such resource for many young queer people of the Montérégie. Grenon explained that from 2023 to 2024, there was a 69-per cent increase in hate crimes towards queer folks. On top of that, the data from 2017 to 2024 shows that now, one in five people are uncomfortable with a child being raised by two mothers, compared to one in 14 eight years ago.
They also explained that organizations like JAG are being turned away from schools because there is fear of how the students or parents will react. “I have colleagues who have had to be escorted to and from the bathroom, or even escorted out after a class period, because the students’ attitudes and comments suggested that their safety was in danger,” Grenon shared. She added that there have been weekly acts of violence towards members of the organization. “I’ve been at JAG for 10 years now and I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Our tolerance threshold for violence has reached levels that are completely disproportionate,” she said.
Galantino expanded on these concerns and the severity of their impact. “After food, safety is the second most basic need on Maslow’s pyramid … You need to understand that members of our community are scared.” He also reminded people that politics at the municipal level have the most direct impact on a citizen’s day-to-day life. He explained the Inclusive Municipalities project, which is a certification made possible by the Bureau de Lutte Contre l’Homophobie et la Transphobie. “The goal is also to offer a website, an updated map of all the municipalities in the Montérégie region, which shows commitments and municipalities that offer a climate of benevolence for their entire population,” he said. This is to help queer people know where they may be more safe.
Mélanie Villeneuve, mayor of Otterburn Park, also spoke to the importance of allyship at the municipal level. “Through our policies, through the actions we take on a daily basis, in our planning, etc., we can play the role of being benevolent. We can play the role of being good employers to ultimately promote openness and inclusiveness,” she said. Her goal is to “make living environments that are inclusive, that are welcoming, and that promote inclusiveness, openness, and caring.”
Right now, JAG is begging for people to be loud and proud allies to the queer community. “More than ever, we need allies – people who will act as amplifiers of the voices of people of sexual and gender diversity, and who will stand up for them. The danger of the rise of hate speech and hate behavior is very real and has catastrophic impacts,” Grenon said. Villeneuve added that “There’s work to be done, work that had to be done before, work that has to be done today, and work that will have to be done again tomorrow.”
The commitment to helping the queer community has to happen at all levels. It is important that members of the Haut Saint Laurent are also active in this work. Remi Pelletier from the CDC Haut-Saint-Laurent said, “Community organizations cannot meet the challenge of countering transphobia and homophobia alone. It is together, with the support of our partners and the public, that we can create safe and inclusive environments. The Journée Arc-en-ciel demonstrated that local solidarity can have a profound impact.”
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