Quebec Liberals urge Legault to support LGBTQ2S+ overnight help line

The Quebec Liberal Party is putting pressure on the Legault government to ensure the survival of the Interligne - formerly Gai Écoute – an overnight help phone service.

Liberal MNA Jennifer Maccarone, who is the critic for LGBTQ2S+ issues, said she will table a motion in support of the organization on Wednesday afternoon in the Quebec legislature.

The motion aims to ask the CAQ government to provide the necessary funding so that Interligne can continue to receive nightly distress calls.

In the absence of recurring financial support, the organization plans to stop offering its nighttime crisis line as of March 31.

Alongside the Liberal MNA, Interligne’s executive director Pascal Vaillancourt noted that a recurring sum of $300,000 would be necessary to ensure the survival of the service between midnight and 8 a.m.

In a press conference, he also indicated that this amount would allow him to offer decent salary conditions for his night workers.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 21, 2023