Montreal trans march day of remembrance vigil
Life, Politics

A march for trans liberation is happening in Montreal this weekend

by Lorraine Carpenter

Organizers have issued a list of demands on behalf of the trans community.

On Aug. 7, a trans march for liberation will be taking place to unofficially kick off Pride Week in Montreal. While the official Fierté Montreal Pride march on Aug. 15 is also taking on an activist spirit (partly because a traditional Pride parade was not possible due to pandemic restrictions), the trans march this weekend is more pointed, with specific demands for the trans community and well beyond. These demands are addressed to all levels of government:

“WE DEMAND the total decriminalization of sex work. The current laws drive trans sex workers into unsafe, unlivable working conditions and deprive them of their constitutional rights. Trans sex workers must have the freedom to work openly, without police surveillance or the threat of criminal charges.

“WE DEMAND: Defund the police. This spring, a Black trans woman in Montreal was brutally attacked by STM and SPVM agents. Valérie Plante has only given them more money and deadlier weapons. As policing has intensified during COVID, numerous members of our communities have been targeted, harassed and left with trumped-up criminal and penal charges. The police will oppress us as long as there are police. We demand that Montreal’s police budgets be slashed and redistributed to social programs and reparations.

“WE DEMAND amnesty for trans migrants, many of whom have come to Montreal seeking asylum from anti-trans violence in other countries. They are indispensable to our communities, and they deserve to live free from the threat of deportation.

“WE DEMAND the decriminalization of HIV nondisclosure. Canada prosecutes more poz people for this than nearly any other country. The vast majority are convicted and incarcerated; the average sentence is 4 years. HIV-positive people founded our movements and they deserve to be free.

“Finally, WE DEMAND full RAMQ coverage for all forms of trans health care. Our surgeries and treatments are essential to our safety and wellbeing. For the vast majority, these services are impossible to afford at private clinics. Trans people in Quebec should not have to struggle to afford transition-related health care. It should be free.”

A march for trans liberation is happening in Montreal this weekend

The Montreal trans march is organized by Action Santé Travesti(e)s et Transsexuel(le)s du Québec (ASTT(e)Q), also known as Québec Trans Health Action.

The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2 p.m. The meeting point is Café Cleopatra (1230 St-Laurent). For more details, please visit the event page.

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Posted in Life, Politics

by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.