MLA trans talk dangerous

Open letter to Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong

I am writing to you not only as a British Columbian but as one of the many (Canadian) citizens across this province who are deeply alarmed and disgusted by the comments you made in the Legislative Assembly recently regarding transgender individuals and gender-affirming care.

Your remarks were not just tone-deaf, they were a dangerous and deliberate attempt to spread misinformation and stoke hatred against a small and vulnerable group of people who already face immense challenges just to exist.

Trans and gender-diverse people make up approximately 0.33% of the Canadian population according to Statistics Canada in 2021. They are not a threat to our communities. They are members of our communities. They are our neighbours, coworkers, friends and family.

The real threats to women and girls, according to RCMP and Statistics Canada data, come overwhelmingly from cisgender men—often partners or family members—not trans women. Yet you choose to weaponize fear against trans people to score political points. Why?

You claim to stand for truth and reality, but what you’re engaging in is public grandstanding, a transparent attempt to gain relevance by vilifying others. Is that why you left the B.C .Conservative Party, because even it found your views too extreme?

Has becoming an independent MLA given you the perceived freedom to peddle inflammatory, false narratives without consequence?

As the Attorney General, Niki Sharma, so aptly stated (in responding in the B.C. Legislature), it creates a “cloud of fear and mistrust and misinformation."

She is absolutely right. What you said was not a policy position, it was hate speech, cloaked in bad-faith questions and faux concern.

This type of rhetoric is not just harmful, it is life-threatening. Young trans people already face disproportionate rates of depression, self-harm and suicide, not because of who they are but because of the hostile environment created by people in positions of power who deny their existence and demonize their identities.

Your language, accusing healthcare professionals of “brainwashing” and “mutilation,” is reckless and defamatory. Gender-affirming care in B.C. is regulated, evidence-based and in line with the practices of every major medical association in Canada. Those are lifesaving interventions, not fringe experiments. Suggesting otherwise endangers lives and fans the flames of hate.

You have a responsibility as an elected official to speak truthfully and with care for the wellbeing of all your constituents, not just those who reflect your narrow worldview. Instead, you’ve chosen to target a minority already under siege, ignoring science, compassion and basic human dignity in the process.

We see you. And we will continue to speak out against this hate.

Wilbur Turner