Meeting with Alberta MLA who compared trans youth to feces went south: advocates

EDMONTON — A transgender Albertan says it would be a slap in the face if Premier Danielle Smith allows back into the government caucus a member who once compared transgender children to feces.

Victoria Bucholtz, with the group Queer Citizens United, said Lacombe-Ponoka legislature member Jennifer Johnson has not rebuilt trust or exhibited understanding.

Bucholtz was one of five people who met last week with Johnson in the hopes of bettering the politician’s relationship with LGBTQ+ Albertans.

“It wasn’t clear that any of her views had changed,” Bucholtz said.

If Johnson returns to caucus, Bucholtz said it would be a sign to LGBTQ+ Albertans that “we do not belong.”

Johnson currently sits as an Independent in the legislature. During the 2023 election campaign, she ran under Smith’s United Conservative Party banner.

She was turfed from the UCP caucus days before the vote, when audio surfaced of a 2022 meeting where Johnson compared transgender youth to a batch of cookies laced with “a little bit of poop.”

Smith said at the time that Johnson was not welcome back in the UCP, but later said Johnson could come back if she did work to educate herself on the issue.

At a town-hall meeting in Red Deer on Aug. 29, Smith told supporters Johnson could be readmitted this fall after policies requiring parental consent for pronoun changes in schools and banning transgender athletes from female sports are passed.

Two weeks ago, Smith told reporters a decision hasn’t been made.

The UCP constituency association in Lacombe-Ponoka called for Johnson to be reinstated in a letter on Sept. 17. It said her hard work to strengthen relationships with constituents is “second to none.”

Johnson met last week with five groups, including Bucholtz’s group, the Lacombe Pride Society, Panoka Pride Society and Central Alberta Pride Society.

A clip of the meeting shared online included a tense exchange where Bucholtz pressed Johnson on whether the politician believes transgender women are women.

“I’ve never been asked that before,” Johnson said.

“Will you say that on the record right now?” Bucholtz asked.

“No, I want to have some time to think on that,” Johnson answered.

Bucholtz then said Johnson wasn’t ready for the conversation. Bucholtz said she wouldn’t be part of the legislature member’s “pinkwashing,” which refers to an insincere display of concern for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Can we disagree and still respect each other?” Johnson asked.

“No,” Bucholtz answered before leaving the meeting. “Goodbye.”

All five groups later denounced the meeting in a joint statement.

“We do not have confidence that (Johnson) would defend queer Albertans’ rights in this provincial government,” the statement said.

“Queer rights are human rights, and they are not up for debate.”

Jonathan Luscombe of the Lacombe Pride Society said the roughly two-minute clip of the 35-minute meeting shows a breaking point after nearly a full year of being patient.

Luscombe doesn’t expect any future meetings to take place with Johnson.

“If you cannot acknowledge all of us, you’re not going to stand up for all of us,” said Luscombe.

“We have done all that we can to show her that she has to step up.”

Stepping up, Bucholtz said, involves Johnson acknowledging that transgender people exist and advocating for their equality under the law.

Johnson could not be reached for comment but, in a social media statement on Sept. 18, said she was happy to meet with the societies to hear their concerns.

“I support the work of Danielle Smith and her UCP government and look forward to working with all members of the legislature in the fall session on the parental rights legislation and other important bills,” said Johnson.

Kristopher Wells, the Canada Research Chair for the public understanding of sexual and gender minority youth, said those who argue against transgender women being women rely on “narrow and very traditional definitions” of what women can be.

“These statements reinforce a very rigid definition of what women should be, how they should act and ultimately how they should live their lives,” said Wells in a statement.

Wells has recently been appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press