Members of Vancouver’s LGBTQ community are objecting to a scheduled Feb. 2 appearance by Pierre Poilievre at Temple Sholom, a socially and religiously liberal congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Journalism.

The federal Conservative leader’s responses to questions about transgender rights, and the fact that audience questions will not be accommodated at the Vancouver event, have been cited as their primary concerns.

During an interview with Toronto news channel CP24, for example, Poilievre stated, “I am not aware of any other genders than men and women.”

Aviva Rathbone, the board chair of JQT, a Vancouver queer and trans non-profit, told The CJN, “Our trans community members are among the most vulnerable, with markedly higher rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts. Mr. Poilievre supports policies that would undoubtedly add to this harm and would see lives impacted in devastating and irreparable ways.

“We’re disappointed that Temple Sholom has chosen to prioritize forming a relationship with Mr. Poilievre over the safety and wellbeing of our community.”

Rathbone said that JQT (pronounced J-Cutie) is hopeful that Temple Sholom will view this as an opportunity to move beyond what she described as “performative allyship” and to learn to listen to the needs of all community members “not just when it’s easy and reflects well on the organization but also when it requires tough decisions.

“Our mandate is to have those difficult discussions and we will continue to hold organizations accountable for listening to the voices of the J-cuties who make up an integral and beautiful part of Vancouver’s Jewish community,” she said.

JQT said in a social media statement released on Thursday that many of its members had contacted them, distressed by Temple Sholom’s choice to host the event and the potential harm it could cause to people in the Jewish LGBTQ community in Vancouver.

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The organization reached out to Temple Sholom to express its displeasure and try to persuade the synagogue not to provide “a voice, who clearly stands in opposition to trans rights, and the safety and well-being of our community.“

JQT said it had invited members of Temple’s Sholom’s leadership to address a call to action referred to within its community needs assessment that urges Jewish organizations to adopt a zero-tolerance position on homophobic, transphobic and antisemitic language, practices and policies.

In its social media post, JQT cited a letter written last February by the Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC), to which Temple Sholom belongs, that called on governments at all levels to affirm and preserve transgender rights.

At the time, the RJCC criticized Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for “proposed policies to deny access to healthcare and athletics and placing barriers in educational settings for transgender youth.”

The letter, signed by Len Bates, president of RJCC, and Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg, chair of the Reform Rabbis of Canada, read, “We reaffirm our support for all those who seek to live without fear of harassment, violence, or discrimination, and that our clergy and institutions are committed to caring for and supporting everyone who is affected by this dangerous and widespread assault on trans and queer people.”

Like JQT, the RJCC also pointed out that LGBTQ youth are far more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience suicidal thoughts and thereby any denial of support puts their lives at greater risk.

Similar statements have been made by the U.S.-based Union for Reform Judaism, which is identified as a partner organization at the synagogue where Polievere is scheduled to appear.

“Guided by our Jewish values and the Reform Movement’s long history of supporting LGBTQ+ equality, we remain committed to protecting the civil rights of all people.” Read the Reform Movement’s full response to the slew of state attacks on LGBTQ+ youth: https://t.co/qDCJkBtawl

— The URJ (@URJorg) May 18, 2023

While it is being held at Temple Sholom, the appearance is being organized together with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and billed as a community-wide event for the Conservative leader to address the Jewish community of Vancouver. The event is fully booked—and the promotion notes the event will not be livestreamed or recorded.

It is not unusual for Temple Sholom to be a part of events involving the broader Jewish community in Vancouver. In March 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with local rabbis at the synagogue’s boardroom. Events and rallies for the city’s Jewish community following Oct. 7 have been highlighted on the Temple Sholom website.

Dan Moskovitz, the senior rabbi at Temple Sholom, and Nico Slobinsky, vice president of CIJA, sent a joint statement to The CJN when asked about Poilievre’s appearance on Sunday.

“Temple Sholom, in partnership with CIJA, are hosting an event on Feb. 2 with Mr. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Official Opposition. At the event Mr. Poilievre will share perspectives on antisemitism and other issues related to the Jewish community,” they said. “Our organizations have proudly hosted similar events over the years for elected representatives and political leaders from all levels of government and parties. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response to the event from members of our community, the event sold out in less than two days.”

According to an email obtained by The Tyee, a news organization based in British Columbia, Moskovitz had asked for a question-and-answer format during Poilievre’s visit—similar to a 2015 event with Trudeau, when the then-leader of the Liberal Party visited the synagogue. Poilievre’s team refused that request and also denied a request to livestream the visit, the publication reported.

Poilievre’s Vancouver Synagogue Visit Is Raising Concerns. The planned speech and photo op leaves some members troubled by the leader’s refusal to take questions, @JenStDen reports. https://t.co/gsWMQtVAwY

Find out more at https://t.co/1zbPY5GAhV pic.twitter.com/0rGY5JPhhg

— National Newswatch (@natnewswatch) January 30, 2025

Members of Vancouver’s Jewish LGBTQ community, some of whom are congregants at Temple Sholom, told The Tyee they are dismayed that Poilievre would refrain from answering questions, including ones on transgender rights. They also wanted to ask him about his praise of Elon Musk, particularly after the Tesla CEO performed what some have interpreted as a Nazi salute at US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Poilievre has been a staunch defender of Israel and has repeatedly spoken out against antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere following the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.

On Jan. 27, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Poilievre said that his party stands “in solidarity with Canada’s Jewish community to honour the memory of the 6 million innocent live murdered in the Holocaust. In a dark time of rampant antisemitism in Canada, Conservatives unequivocally condemn the world’s most enduring form of hatred.”

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