Island LGBTQ groups applaud decision to remove gender from voter registration forms

LGBTQ groups on the Island are applauding Elections PEI for removing gender identity from a set of registration forms after receiving complaints.

Daniel Boudreau, chair of PFLAG PEI, said the organization started hearing concerns from out-of-province voters who were trying to apply for mail-in-ballots.

Many of them were frustrated when they started filling out the application and noticed the document required voters to state their gender, he said.

Boudreau said the forms, which are available online, required applicants to check boxes for one of only two options: male or female — and didn't provide the option not to disclose.

"For somebody who is on the gender spectrum and for somebody who is perhaps looking to transition, that can really mess with their sense of who they are," said Boudreau, who is also a volunteer for the Green Party of P.E.I.

The CBC reached out to Elections PEI for comment and the organization immediately replaced the application forms with new ones, removing the section requiring any information regarding gender.

Boudreau said he was thrilled to see such a fast response. 

"I would say a big congratulations to Elections PEI for doing that," he said. "We're not looking to vilify the organization. We're simply looking to remedy something and maybe do a little bit of education."

Opportunity for education

A spokesperson for Elections PEI said the application forms were outdated and failing to remove that section of the form was an oversight.

Elections PEI did not say why gathering information about gender was a necessary part of the application process, only that it dates back to a time "when that was a normal part of form information."

Boudreau said he's glad Elections PEI acknowledged and fixed the oversight so quickly and he hopes the situation leads to opportunities for the two organizations to work together moving forward.

He said only providing two gender options leaves many people feeling that they aren't represented and can lead to confusion, anxiety and pressure over how to identify on official forms.

Many people who had complaints were also concerned their form would be considered invalid if they chose not to fill out the gender section and possibly impact their ability to vote, he added.

Possible deterrence to voting

Anastasia Preston said she knows this feeling all too well. 

Preston is a transgender woman living on the Island and also a member of the PEI Transgender Network. She said she is still transitioning and has had to deal with the stress of stating her gender on official forms many times, which often triggers her gender dysphoria and causes anxiety.

Gender dysphoria is the distress an individual may experience when their gender identity doesn't match the one assigned at birth.

"In general with government documents anytime there is a request for gender identity to be disclosed it can cause people a lot of discomfort and anxiety," she said. "Anytime I do have to declare myself as male it's really disconcerting for me…because it's not a representation of who I am."

Preston said the quick acknowledgement and response from Elections PEI was encouraging and she wants to use it as an opportunity to help people understand why changes like these are so important.

"In Canada, as a representative democracy we are a nation that is very dependant on people voting and having gender on a document such as this can actually deter people from voting," Preston said.

She said this can lead to people becoming unintentionally disenfranchised, especially for those who identify as non-binary and aren't given the option not to disclose a gender.

"There's no reason why, voting-wise, the government needs to know your gender since all citizens have the right to vote."

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