A women’s rights advocate is urging the Conservative Party of Canada to support the protection of women’s spaces and categories amid them being compromised by rampant gender ideology.
Dr. Linda Blade, who is also an author, athlete and coach, is hoping to enshrine women’s sex-based rights into the Conservative Party’s Policy Declaration through a resolution that will be debated at next month’s national convention.
The “Protecting Female Sports, Intimate Spaces and Women’s Rights” resolution seeks to have the party endorse the notion that women’s sports, change rooms, shelters and prisons ought to be sex exclusive spaces.
“The Conservative Party of Canada believes that women are entitled to the safety, dignity, and privacy of single-sex spaces (e.g., prisons, shelters, locker rooms, washrooms) and the benefits of women-only categories (e.g., sports, awards, grants, scholarships),” reads the resolution.
Blade’s resolution would also make the Conservative Party adopt a definition of woman – “(a) female person.”
In an interview with True North, Blade said the Conservatives need to have a “pro-female, pro-women stance” and need to have the courage to present Canadians with “a true conservative alternative” to gender ideology.
Blade’s policy resolution comes amid several reported incidents involving biologically male transgender individuals in women’s spaces.
This August, a trans powerlifter set the unofficial world record in women’s powerlifting at Canada’s national championship in Brandon, Manitoba, while a trans runner won a women’s 1500-meter run in Toronto back in March. The Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington also reported that a trans rugby player on Ontario’s Fergus Highland RFC women’s team has been unintentionally injuring female players amid being about 5-foot-10 and weighing up to 220 pounds.
There have also been multiple reports of male to female transgender people exposing themselves to women and girls in ladies’ change rooms.
In April, a trans-identifying biological male was let into a Windsor, Ontario women’s shelter and was subsequently accused of sexually assaulting a woman living at the shelter. A similar incident happened in Parry Sound, Ontario after a convicted trans sex offender was let in. It is alleged that the individual sexually assaulted a woman at the shelter, in addition to allegedly making sexually inappropriate comments to staff and clients.
The Trudeau government is also allowing biologically male inmates to be transferred to Women’s prisons, including those who have been convicted of sex crimes. According to Heather Mason, founding member of Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights, 44% of trans-identifying male inmates are sex offenders. A government research brief also found that “gender diverse persons” have been instigators of sexually coercive and violent incidents in Canadian prisons.
Blade fears some Conservative delegates will be hesitant to support her resolution due to the anticipated reaction from the Liberals and the legacy media – who are likely to label the resolution and the party as transphobic.
She however insists that her policy proposal is not anti-trans in any way, shape or form. Its only goal is to support and protect women.
“You’re gonna notice when you read my policy that I never once said the word ‘trans’ in there,” she said. “Single sex spaces is not about ‘anti-trans’ at all, (in fact) we have trans (people) that we’re supporting in the women’s spaces, that are female.”
“You can be as a female anything you want to be; non-binary, trans… we are on your side because we believe that there has to be distinct sectors and spaces for people born female.”
A poll conducted by the Macdonald Laurier Institute found that 62% of Canadians believe it is unfair for biological males to compete in women’s sports.
Blade also believes that the Conservatives Party, which has traditionally struggled to win support of women, would increase its vote share among female voters if it championed the protection of women’s spaces, noting that there are many feminist groups willing to support whichever party plans to defend sex exclusive spaces.
“Those are the women who are going to come out and vote for Conservatives if we have this position.”
It should be noted that resolutions passed at the convention are non-binding, meaning if the resolution were to pass, Poilievre would not be obligated to include it in his campaign platform and a Conservative government would not have to enact it into law.
Blade believes Poilievre should be a leader and champion women’s sex based rights, amid the gender critical mouvement continuing to gain momentum. She predicts “we’re gonna to come to a point, a tipping point in society, where the politicians are gonna have no choice but to acknowledge that biology is real.”
“So… does the conservative party want to lead or follow?”
True North reached out to Poilievre’s office to ask if he had a stance on the resolution and if he would include the policy in his platform if it is passed at convention. They did not respond in time for publication.
Blade’s policy resolution is not the only one aiming to tackle gender ideology. As previously reported by True North, several anti-woke policy resolutions will be debated at the Conservative convention.
A policy proposal sponsored by the North Okanagan—Shuswap EDA seeks to have the party support a ban on life altering and irreversible gender transitions for children and teenagers, while encouraging “positive mental and physical health support for all Canadians suffering from gender dysphoria and related mental health challenges.”
Blade is the former president of Athletics Alberta and author of the book Unsporting: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport. She is also a Canadian track champion and a professional elite coach.
The Conservative Party of Canada convention takes place Sept. 7-9 at the Quebec City Convention Centre. True North will be on the ground to bring you independent coverage.
