Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson (centre/black hat) shared her views on things at a PPC rally in Red Deer on Thursday. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

controversial candidate

PPC’s Thompson brings “anti-trans agenda” stance to Red Deer-Lacombe election race

Jul 15, 2019 | 8:46 AM

Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, People’s Party of Canada candidate for Red Deer-Lacombe for this fall’s federal election, acknowledges that she’s controversial.

Thompson, the first woman to run for the party Maxime Bernier founded last fall, finished fourth in the recent Burnaby South byelection won by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

A vocal opponent of B.C.’s sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) resource for schools, Thompson previously ran unsuccessfully for Burnaby school board.

At a rally hosted by Bernier in Red Deer on Thursday, Thompson reiterated her longstanding belief that schools should not teach gender fluidity to children.

“I understand that some kids have a problem and they struggle with gender dysphoria. That’s a private matter and it can certainly be addressed with their parents and, you know, professionals,” she said.

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Thompson added books and TV shows like I Am Jazz, which is about a transgender child, should not be in schools teaching kids that, “’Maybe you’re a boy inside your girl body.’ It’s not okay.

“Adults can be anything they want, but let’s leave the kids out of it,” she implored. “I won’t teach your kids my world view, you don’t teach mine your world view.”

Thompson formerly hosted a Christian broadcast program called The 700 Club Canada. She left in 2017 saying she had been “socially targeted” for her views on SOGI, even though she claims her employer agreed with her.

Thompson shared her thoughts on conversion therapy, a practice banned last week in St. Albert.

“Conversion therapy is a horrible thing that used to happen a long time ago… they put electrodes on people and tried to alter your sexual orientation. That’s ridiculous and I don’t stand for that at all,” she stated.

“But conversion therapy has grown into being where a professional counsellor can speak to somebody to literally find out what are the underlying causes that make you feel transgender.”

Thompson also claims there are thousands of what she calls ‘de-transitioners.’

“They became trans, then changed their mind back. Maybe they should have talked to someone,” she said. “I do not know, since I am not a scientist nor a doctor, nor do I understand why some people have certain persuasions. But I do know, because I have internet, that a lot people think they’re gay, and then they change back.”

Shannon Humphrey, chair of Central Alberta Pride, disputes that claim and says ‘de-transitioner’ is never a term she’d use, nor does she believe it’s correct to say someone would “feel” transgender.

Humphrey says some research on Thompson’s part would go a long way.

“When someone talks about conversion therapy, the first thing that comes into my head is the phrase ‘pray away the gay,’ and my mom tried very hard. Trust me, you can’t pray away the gay,” says Humphrey, who identifies as gender-queer, and says it’s more about reality than being a world view.

“It’s based in a belief that things are black and white and that there’s a binary; but the whole world isn’t gay or straight, male or female, it’s so much more than that. If you put everything on a spectrum, identity starts to make more sense.”

At the end of the day, Thompson believes she brings the heart of conservatism to Red Deer-Lacombe.

“Red Deer people are some of the most conservative in the country. They value family, and they value tradition. I bring a strong fight for oil and gas. I bring a strong fight for equalization so that Quebec is able to not be receiving all of the money while Alberta has been in trouble,” she said.

“I stand for the families and I’ll be loud about it. I will not be a milquetoast candidate like what they have running for the Conservatives.”