‘Our community is under attack’: Canadian drag performers calling on voters

As the federal election gets closer, more than 100 Canadian drag performers are standing up for the queer community.

“Our community is under attack. Anti-gay groups and even some federal politicians are spreading lies about trans and queer people to divide Canadians and gain power,” said Jaylene Tyme, a recent star of Canada’s Drag Race.

“As drag performers, we are asking queer people, allies and our fans to speak up with us to uphold freedom and human rights for our community.”

Election anticipation is growing as Mark Carney was elected the new Liberal leader and will become prime minister March 14, replacing Justin Trudeau.

Parliament resumes March 24. Ahead of the election, a national advocacy group called Queer Momentum launched a campaign called Drag the Vote.

‘Standing up for our community’

The focus is to engage, educate and mobilize Canadians to ensure freedom and equality continue, especially after the rollback of gender identity and antidiscrimination protections in the U.S.

“Drag is political. Full stop. It always has been and it always will be,” said Sudbury drag queen Stacy Woods.

“That’s why, as a drag performer, I am continuing the legacy of drag artists making a stand, and why I’m proud to be joining drag artists across the country in standing up for our community.”

‘Get out and vote’

The movement is not pushing one party over another but rather encouraging the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies to make sure they vote in the upcoming federal election.

“We just really want people to keep in mind, not just things like financial policies, but also social policies when looking at parties,” Woods said.

“If you look at certain party platforms, you’ll see that there is some push to remove certain bills … like Bill C-16, which is what put gender identity and expression in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a protected group.”

The last federal election in 2022 saw a 62.6 per cent voter turnout, while last month’s Ontario election saw only about 47 per cent of voters show up to the polls.

“We want people to keep in mind members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are being targeted and affected in general by the continued rise of the anti-trans, anti-queer, anti-drag rhetoric that we see coming from the States and manifesting in our own country,” Woods said.

What’s at stake?

“Our lives, basically are what’s at stake with this election.”

Cuts to social and community support programs could be detrimental not only to the queer community but also to the unhoused and people living with substance use and mental health challenges, she added.