Manon Massé is inviting non-binary people to run for the position of Québec Solidaire’s co-speaker, but the party admits it doesn’t know how it would handle the situation if it did occur.
• Also read: Manon Massé will not seek a new mandate as co-speaker of Québec Solidaire
• Also read: Ruba Ghazal starts running for position as co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire
• Also read: Québec solidaire: Émilise Lessard-Therrien could enter the race for the position of co-speaker
“If there are people without gender who want to introduce themselves, I invite them to do so,” Ms. Massé replied to a journalist who asked her if it wasn’t time to have a spokesperson who This does I can’t identify with Québec Solidaire as either a man or a woman.
However, the party’s statutes currently provide for two speaker posts, one male and one female. This is not a problem for Ms. Massé. “We at QS, whatever, people can come over. If that happens, we’ll see with our members what we make of it,” she said.
When asked if a trans person could hold a speaking position at QS, Ms. Massé was adamant. “A trans woman could serve as the female spokesperson, and a trans man could serve as the male spokesperson.”
Ms. Massé announced last week that she will not run for a new mandate as Québec Solidaire’s female co-speaker.
The race to choose the next speaker will start in August, with the election taking place on November 26 at the party congress. The leader of the QS group, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, will stand for the extension of his mandate.
Mercier member Ruba Ghazal has already announced that she is starting the race to succeed Manon Massé.
The Quebec Solidaire office points out that a non-binary person who would take part in the race could not fill the position of a female spokeswoman, as the party’s charter stipulates that 50% of the speakers must be women.
But does that mean that a non-binary person should absolutely try to be elected as the male speaker, replacing Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois?
Not necessarily, we were told. In fact, nothing defines how the party would manage a race in the event of such a candidacy. “When the statutes were drafted in 2006-2007, these questions were not yet so present,” we breathe.
Since this situation has never happened and it is only a hypothetical scenario at the moment, Québec Solidaire confines itself to emphasizing that “the party would ensure that the race is as complete and respected as possible.” [leurs] feminist principles.