Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has stated that he believes “biological males” do not have a place in sports or change rooms that are for female.
Poilievre stated this at a recent news conference while answering a question about his position on whether transgender women should be permitted in spaces that are labeled for women and whether he would introduce any legislation to stop it.
In his answer, Poilievre said he believes “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males.”
That is in accordance with a policy resolution Conservative party members voted for during their convention last fall, which states that women should have access to “single-sex spaces” in areas like prisons, bathrooms and sports.
Poilievre said many of the spaces in question are managed by provinces and municipalities so it is not clear what role the federal government could play.
He said: “But obviously, female sports, female change rooms, female bathrooms, should be for females — not for biological males.”
This is the second time in recent weeks that Poilievre has publicly stated his position on issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation.
Earlier in February, he was asked about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s controversial plan to prohibit young people from accessing gender-related therapies such as hormones and puberty blockers.
He said children should be able to make such choices about their bodies “when they’re adults.” He was asked directly whether he opposes puberty blockers for gender-diverse youth under the age of 18 and he said, “Yes.”
Since he became the leader in late 2022, Poilievre has maintained the party’s focus on issues it sees as paramount to growing its support and winning the next federal election, which include cost of living, housing affordability and public safety.
But some party members, identified as social conservatives, are looking for more attention to cultural and societal questions around gender and children.
Conservative premiers in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta have introduced new policies that require schools to inform parents when transgender or non-binary students want to go by preferred names and pronouns.
