Winnipeg Free Press

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President Donald Trump’s executive or- der that the government will only recognize two sexes has raised concerns in Manitoba about anti-LGBTTQ+ sentiment ratcheting up. “It might creep over the border,” said Pauline Emerson-Froebe, president of Pembina Valley Pride, who moved to Carman from Milwaukee, Wis., with her wife eight years ago after Trump was elected the first time. “Check in on your queer friends, on your family members, on anybody who’s in a marginalized group, because we’re fearful,” she said Thursday. “A little act of kindness can go a long way in help- ing us feel loved and accepted and just wanted.” Manitoba’s minister for gender equity said the reality is what happens down south impacts Can- adians. “I think that what we’ve seen from his first term is that people become more emboldened when they see leadership at the highest level say and do particular things,” Nahanni Fontaine said Thursday. “We have always operated under the banner of inclusivity and allowing folks to live authentic, joyful lives, and as minister responsible, that is what I’m concentrating on for the next four years — and certainly for the rest of my life.” Emerson-Froebe said the fear in the U.S. is LGBTTQ+ people are being pushed back into the closet. The result, she said, is LGBTTQ+ people don’t want to spend their money down there. “People don’t want to go down to Fargo, to Grand Forks, to go shopping or whatnot as, trad- itionally, a lot of people have done. We don’t know what kind of hassle, what kind of pushback we’re going to get while we’re there, which is very un- fortunate because it seems to me that half the population don’t have an issue” with LGBTTQ+ people, she said. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, who identi- fies as queer and non-binary, wouldn’t say if they have any concern about visiting the U.S. “My biggest concern, quite frankly, is just mak- ing sure that young people today, especially, know that they’re valued,” said Asagwara. Asagwara is concerned young Manitobans are hearing messages that are “hurtful and harmful.” “I think that we have a responsibility as elected people to celebrate others, to lead with compas- sion and care, and to recognize that even if you don’t understand another person’s lived experi- ence, it doesn’t mean we can’t treat them with dignity and respect.” With a federal election looming, LGBTTQ+ people and political analysts were keen to hear Conservative party Leader Pierre Poilievre re- spond to questions about Trump’s order recogniz- ing only two sexes. In an interview Wednesday, Poilievre — who polls predict will win the next election — told CP24 he is only aware of two gen- ders and that the government should leave ques- tions of gender identity alone. “That doesn’t mean others don’t exist, be- cause he may not be recognizing it,” said Emer- son-Froebe. “It doesn’t matter what label you put on it. We’re still here.” She accused the Tory leader of mixed messa- ging. “Sometimes politicians will say that parents should be able to decide what happens with their kids.” The parental rights movement supported by Poilievre and the Manitoba Tories during 2023’s provincial election, for instance, demanded that teachers inform parents of the gender identity their child uses at school. “But then, the minute parents of trans kids are like, ‘Hey, can we access puberty blockers for my kid? Can we get this help?’ Suddenly the answer is ‘No, parents shouldn’t be able to make that deci- sion,’” said Emerson-Froebe. Brandon University political science Prof. Kel- ly Saunders called Poilievre’s response hypo- critical. “The Conservative Party has come out and supported so-called parental rights movements across the provinces, have said things that are inflammatory — that some would say are trans- phobic, homophobic and certainly not supportive of the LGBT community,” said Saunders, whose daughter identifies as trans. “So it’s kind of ironic that he’s calling on people now to mind their own business when he, himself, has been wading into this issue, and not in a sup- portive or in an allyship type of way. It would be good if everybody stopped worrying about every- body else’s gender identity. But unfortunately, he and other politicians like him are refusing to do that. And that’s part of the reason why we’re seeing this backlash against the trans and queer community and that has led to the rise in hate crimes against the LGBT community.” carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca CAROL SANDERS Youth sentence for man involved in 2022 Elmwood slaying A MAN who pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the death of a man whose body was dis- covered under a cargo truck won’t have to serve an adult sentence. On Oct. 24, 2022, 35-year-old Lionel Sherwin Colombe was stabbed in a group assault. Colombe was found dead underneath a cargo truck parked on Clyde Road in Elmwood near the home of his former girlfriend. He was a father of two. In Monday’s written decision, provincial court Judge Mary Kate Harvie ruled the 18-year-old, who was 16 at the time of the attack, will serve a youth sentence. The judge said she is satisfied the man’s role in the offence and his circumstances, which include cognitive issues, reduced his moral responsibility for the crime. The man will be jailed for a year, then be sub- ject to two years of conditional supervision. The maximum sentence for a youth for manslaughter is three years. Crown prosecutors Carrie Ritchot and Sarah Thiessen had argued for the adult sentence, while his lawyers Ryan Amy and Ashley Anderson sought an intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision order. That program allows participants access to one-on-one counselling, occupational therapy, tu- toring and other specialized services in an effort to lessen the chance of a youth reoffending. Harvie said the teen, who has a troubled family history that includes domestic violence, sub- stance abuse, involvement with child welfare and sexual abuse, is suffering from a cycle of inter- generational trauma and addiction. She agreed with defence lawyers who argued the teen’s behaviour was consistent with an immature adolescent rather than an adult. The teen had been drinking and smoking can- nabis at a house party with three men on the night of the attack, along with Colombe’s former girlfriend. At around 4 a.m., the group chased Co- lombe down outside the party and knocked him to the ground after finding him in the yard. The group punched him and the now-18-year- old kicked him twice in the thigh, before Des- mond Houle pulled out a knife and stabbed Co- lombe. The teen took video of the stabbing. Houle and the teen dragged Colombe’s body underneath the truck. Harvie said the teen’s involvement suggested he was a follower rather than an instigator. Houle, 27, was convicted last year of second-de- gree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years. Co-accused Nathan Michael Bruce, 24, is set to stand trial for second-degree murder in February. Miles Nicholas Batenchuk, 26, was spared jail earlier this month, after pleading down his man- slaughter charge to simple assault. The prosecution and defence lawyers agreed Batenchuk played no role in inflicting Colombe’s fatal injuries. He was given two years of proba- tion. erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca ERIK PINDERA MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Nahanni Fontaine, minister responsible for gender equity, outside one of the all gender washrooms on Thursday at the Manitoba Legislative Building. Fontaine says she wants to see everyone live ‘authentic, joyful lives.’ ;