Micheline Montreuil

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Micheline Anne Montreuil is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, writer, radio host, trade unionist and politician. As a transgendered person, she became known for her legal struggles to defend her rights. On March 31, 2007, a nomination meeting without opposition chose her as the official candidate of the New Democratic Party (NPD) in the riding of Québec. [1] This made her the first transgendered person in history to be nominated as an electoral candidate by a major political party in Canada.

The party later dropped her as its candidate, indicating that she had displayed an inappropriately confrontational attitude in her media appearances as a candidate, although Montreuil alleged that transphobia was at the root of her dismissal.

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[edit] Biography

Micheline Montreuil was born Pierre Montreuil in Quebec City, ancestral city of the family since 1627 and still Montreuil's place of residence. [2] Born a male, Montreuil began using the first name Micheline in the 1980s. Montreuil studied law. On September 13, 2003, wearing a wedding gown, she married at the Quebec City Palais des arts the lawyer and author Michèle Morgan. [3] This was Montreuil's second marriage. She presently works as a lawyer at the Conseil de la justice administrative and teacher of ethics at the Université du Québec à Rimouski. [4]

[edit] Political activism

Montreuil made herself known with her struggles for transgender rights. For example, in 1997, she began a legal challenge against the Registrar of Civil Status of Quebec as she had not been permitted to legally change her name to Micheline. Following a court ruling in her favour, her request was finally accepted in 2002. (See Legal aspects of transsexualism.)

Also, in 1998, the National Bank refused to hire Micheline Montreuil. Although the bank argued that she was not hired because she was "overqualified, condescending and self-centered", in a judgement given on February 5 the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled that the National Bank had discriminated against her on the basis of her gender identity. [5]

Within the New Democratic Party, a federal party, she is Co-Chair of the NDP's federal LGBT Committee, a member of the NDP Federal Council, Associate President of the NDP-Quebec Section, and Co-president of the NDP-Quebec LGBTT Commission. [6] She was elected president of Section 225 of the Syndicat de la fonction publique du Québec, and has also served as a member of the administration councils of the Canadian Human Rights Trust and Egale Canada.

She was a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada nomination in 1984 in the riding of Langelier, candidate for city councillor in the Saint-Sacrement District for the Progrès civique de Québec in 1993, and candidate for the nomination Saint-Roch et Saint-Jean Baptiste District for the Renouveau municipal de Québec in 2001. [7]

In 2007, she was acclaimed as NDP candidate for the federal riding of Québec for the NDP. Jack Layton, leader of the party, commented favourably on her candidacy, saying that he was pleased with her candidacy and that having candidates who could raise questions of equality showed that the NDP was quite open and that Quebecers were progressive enough to accept differences. [8] Her political objectives include the struggle against problems of poverty, unemployment and homelessness. [9]

However, the NDP dropped Montreuil as its candidate in December of 2007. Montreuil alleged that the party had dropped her because of her gender identity, although party spokesman Matthew McLauchlin stated that she was dropped for being overly confrontational with both the media and her colleagues in the party.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Micheline Anne Hélène Montreuil en politique fédérale
  3. ^ Mariage de Micheline Anne Hélène Montreuil et de Michele Morgan
  4. ^ Ariane Lacoursière : Une candidate transgenre au NPD | Actualités | Cyberpresse
  5. ^ Micheline Montreuil remporte une victoire en cour - LCN - Faits divers
  6. ^ Micheline Anne Hélène Montreuil in politics
  7. ^ Micheline Anne Hélène Montreuil en politique
  8. ^ L'avocate transgenre Micheline Montreuil candidate du NPD à Québec | Actualités | Cyberpresse
  9. ^ Ariane Lacoursière : Une candidate transgenre au NPD | Actualités | Cyberpresse
  10. ^ "Turfed trans candidate speaks out", Xtra!, December 27, 2007.

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