Elliot Page, Carly Rae Jepsen and more back open letter calling out anti-trans policies in Canada
Elliot Page and Carly Rae Jepsen have backed an open letter standing against anti-trans legislation in Canada. (Jim Dyson/Redferns/Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Elliot Page and Carly Rae Jepsen are among more than 400 artists who have backed an open letter standing against anti-trans legislation in Canada.
Led by pop duo Tegan and Sara, through their foundation, the letter, titled Artists Against Anti-Trans Legislation in Canada, highlights how Canada is “not immune to the global attack on the trans community and their access to inclusive spaces, healthcare and freedoms”.
Canadian or Canada-based artists, including Elliot Page, Adam DiMarco, BLOND:ISH, Carly Rae Jepsen and Alanis Morissette have backed the letter, which aims to “stand against these alarming and destructive policies, and call on the general public to turn their attention to a growing problem in our country”.
Last month Tegan and Sara accepted the Humanitarian Award at the 2024 Juno Awards in Canada, which was presented to them by The Umbrella Academy star Page.
In his speech, Page called out the “devastating” elimination of LGBTQ+ rights globally.
Published on Trans Day of Visibility (31 March), the letter goes on to spotlight efforts to target the trans community in Canada, such as Danielle Smith’s proposed bans on hormone treatment, including puberty blockers, and gender-affirming surgery.
Prior to Smith’s proposal, the provinces of New Brunswick and Saskatchewan announced that parental consent will be needed by schools if children under 16 would like their chosen names and pronouns used.
The policy was branded “harmful” and Canadians came out in force to rally behind trans youth and protest against Bill 137, also known as the Parent’s Bill of Rights.
The letter adds: “The anti-trans policies taking root in Canada go beyond discrimination – they present a clear risk to the mental and physical well-being of trans individuals throughout the country.”
Page, who stars in new trans drama Close to You, recently urging the community to fight back against the the “endless, full-blown lies” about trans lives with information and education.
He told PinkNews: “For me, with my mom, I would send her stuff, articles which she read. So, in many ways, I think it’s about sharing the correct information, because there are endless, full-blown lies about our lives, our healthcare, just who we are.
“That’s something I found really, really helpful: sharing the correct information to help educate people, whether it’s an article or a memoir by a trans person,” continued Page, whose own memoir, Pageboy, was published last year.
