Members of New Brunswick’s transgender community say Premier Blaine Higgs’ comments on gender dysphoria are “insulting” and “harmful.”
On Thursday, the Premier told the legislature: “We’re seeing a rapid onset of gender dysphoria. It’s expanded in the last several years and it’s becoming popular and trendy.”
Gender dysphoria is a phenomenon some transgender people experience in which the difference between their gender and the one assigned to them at birth causes distress.
It has been recognized by the medical community since 1980, first under the name “gender identity disorder,” before being changed to “gender dysphoria” in 2013.
Nicki Lyons-MacFarlane, a trans non-binary person and queer and trans rights advocate in Fredericton, has experienced it.
“Gender dysphoria is a hard topic and it is very difficult to experience. It affects people greatly, it’s not something anyone would wish on a child,” they said in an interview on Friday.
Lyons-MacFarlane serves as chair for Imprint Youth Association, an organization supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults.
“(Gender dysphoria) is something that we should be combatting and to call it ‘popular and trendy’ it’s really, really disrespectful and minimizes what we go through as part of the trans community,” they said.
Moncton-based trans rights activist Dominique Légèr said Higgs’ comments were “concerning, because he is spreading misinformation to a broad public.”
Légèr has also experienced gender dysphoria and feels comfortable explaining it to those who may not understand at times.
“What becomes exhausting and upsetting is when people refuse to accept that these are really real things,” Légèr said. “And it becomes really exhausting when it becomes politicized and when your government of your province actively tries to hurt your community.”
Both Légèr and Lyons-MacFarlane expressed concern over the impact of the Premier’s words on trans youth.
“Being trans at any age is really difficult. You lose a lot of friends,” Lyons-MacFarlane said. “Having your Premier say things like this….there’s a lot of youth that are going to be struggling to find their place again, struggling to be safe at school, wondering if their friends are still going to be their friends. It’s really disheartening to see.”
Lyons-MacFarlane wants to see Higgs “held accountable” and removed as a leader for his words in the legislature as well as the controversy over policy 713. They praised Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard over her decision to leave cabinet.
Lyons-MacFarlane is calling on cisgender New Brunswickers to speak out in support of transgender rights. “If you say you’re an ally, you need to start taking those actions,” they said.
Légèr had some advice for trans people who may be struggling. “The most beautiful thing you can do is listen to yourself and trust yourself,” they said.