Gay rights could scuttle North American trade deal

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November 19, 2018 | Sex & Society

Gay rights could scuttle North American trade deal

Trudeau and Trump Several Republican politicians are urging Donald Trump not to sign the new free trade agreement between Canada, the US and Mexico unless changes are made.

The 40 GOP lawmakers do not want to be compelled to protect "workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity."

So women and sexual minorities are still an issue for a group of old white straight men. Sounds about right.

"A trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy. It is especially inappropriate and insulting to our sovereignty to needlessly submit to social policies which the United States Congress has so far explicitly refused to accept," their letter to the President stated.

The trade deal, dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), is supposed to be signed by the three countries at the G20 meeting in Argentina at the end of the month.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spoken out in support of the agreement, saying it offers the strongest labor and environmental provisions of any trade deal Canada has signed. However, when pressed about the push-back from US politicians over employment protections based on sex and sexuality, Trudeau refused to commit to anything.

"We got to a good agreement that I think represents Canadian values, Canadian approach, but also values that are broadly shared amongst citizens of our three countries," Trudeau argued. "In any trade deal, there are going to be people who would like this or like that or not want this or not want that."

He said he would not negotiate any of these issues in public.

Come on Justin, you know you have to do the right thing ... or no more Pride parades for you!