{"id":432,"date":"2021-11-19T18:29:36","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T18:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/theragingtwenties\/?p=432"},"modified":"2021-12-02T17:57:20","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T17:57:20","slug":"green-we","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/theragingtwenties\/2021\/11\/19\/green-we\/","title":{"rendered":"With Parliament returning, young members of a defeated Green Party grapple with its racism and transphobia problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Annamie Paul, centre, resigned on Nov. 10 amid poor election results and internal party disputes. Photo by courtesy of Rebecca Wood through Creative Commons license.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For Kayne Alleyne-Adams, 20, the Green Party of Canada represented an important voice for young people to address the issues of climate change and social justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like other young Greens, he is now grappling with his place in the party following allegations of racism and transphobia within many of the party\u2019s inner circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are a lot of party spaces that are extremely unsafe for members, especially members of colour, Jewish members and members from the LGBTQ+ community,\u201d said Alleyne-Adams, who is Black and identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a year that saw the hottest temperatures in Canadian history, and record-breaking floods this week in B.C., the stage was set for the Greens to take command of the climate issue in the Sept. 20 federal election. However, with Parliament now set to return on Nov. 22, the Greens are arriving back in Ottawa without a leader and with a host of internal equity issues, which has many supporters wondering how the party can move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internal Green Party report details strife<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Aug. 31, an internal report detailed complaints of racism and transphobia in the party. The complaints stem from a variety of \u201cspaces\u201d such as campaign events and Facebook groups. Members reported the comments and remarks made by other members in these spaces to senior levels of the party, who they say failed to address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some generation Z and millennial members \u2014 who represent an important source of support for the party \u2014 are reckoning with their confidence in the party\u2019s management of discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can’t be part of a movement where I don’t feel as if I can bring people in \u2026 If I feel guilty bringing in a friend or bringing in a family member. I just don’t see that as a space that I want to dedicate my time to,\u201d Alleyne-Adams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd until the Green Party of Canada makes it clear that organizationally, they want to create a safer environment, it’s just not the place for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kayne Alleyne-Adams says he was initially inspired by Annamie Paul’s vision for the Green Party. He became frustrated with senior members who failed to address systemic problems of racism, transphobia, and anti-Semitism. Photo courtesy of Darcy Higgins.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Growing up as the eldest of four, raised by a single mother with disabilities, Alleyne-Adams was inspired by Annamie Paul and identified with her story as the daughter of immigrants. He felt she had a passion for integrating diverse views and youth voices into her campaign and would go on to serve as the chair of the Young Greens of Canada Council and as Paul\u2019s debate prep coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After over a year with the Green Party, he became frustrated with the party\u2019s senior governance in addressing problems of racism, transphobia and anti-Semitism within the party. Alleyne-Adams said he reported the incidents of racism against him to the membership review and complaints process but received no resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOftentimes, I wouldn’t even receive as much as a reply or even an acknowledgement that they’ve received this letter in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But racism is not the only issue facing the Greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Transphobia seems to go unchecked\u2019: B.C. Green Party candidate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Aug. 31 internal report also describes the governance level of the party failing to address complaints of transphobia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve just noticed that transphobia within the federal party seems to go unchecked,\u201d said Nicola Spurling, 31, a candidate for the provincial B.C. Green Party in Coquitlam-Maillardville and a member of the federal Green Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nicola Spurling says federal party leaders stayed silent and allowed transphobia to occur in the party. She ran as a candidate for the B.C. Green Party in the 2020 provincial election. Photo used by courtesy of Nicola Spurling
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During the 2020 provincial election, Spurling, who is openly transgender, was harassed and doxed by a man who claimed to be a fan of author J.K. Rowling and protested at several sign-waving events for her campaign with anti-transgender signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spurling said she felt supported by the B.C. Green Party following the harassment who offered to pay her legal bills and provide any support she required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat, to me, was really impressive to have a party that really cared about me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although she felt supported in the provincial party, she says trans members of the federal Greens face a significant amount of transphobia and the party has not supported them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the party continues the way that it has been, sort of staying silent on these important issues\u2026 I have doubts about whether it can last,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this time, Spurling says she is unsure whether she will renew her membership to the federal party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Struggle for the soul of the party\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the 2021 federal election, the Green Party finished with 2.3 per cent of the popular vote, down from 6.5 per cent in 2019. Former leader, Annamie Paul, finished in fourth place in her riding of Toronto Centre, prompting an internal battle over what went wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul, who officially resigned on Nov. 10, said in her resignation speech, \u201cthere is a struggle that is going on for the soul of the party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the decline in the national vote and internal conflict within the party, the Greens were saved from a calamitous loss in seats by Mike Morrice, who won a surprise victory in the Ontario riding of Kitchener Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Morrice, who joined the party in 2019, running for the Greens wasn\u2019t the most politically advantageous, but he felt he needed his first choice in politics to be one he believed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to start myself on a track that ensured I could stay true to who I am and focus on democracy first and foremost and give me the best chance to hold on to my integrity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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