What some young 2SLGBTQ+ people in Halifax are prioritizing in the federal election

A week away from the federal election, Sophos Slessor says he is getting ready to go to the polls and potentially spoil his ballot.

Slessor, a transgender person from Nova Scotia's South Shore, said health care and affordability are top of mind for the April 28 vote because 2SLGBTQ+ people and residents of rural communities are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to those essentials.

Attending the Trans Joy Market in Halifax on Sunday, Slessor said he is also concerned about an increase in hateful rhetoric, particularly since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, and its effect on vulnerable minorities.

But he said none of the federal party leaders represent him or the issues that are important to him. 

"Spoiling your ballot is a point in itself because you're making the effort to go out and vote, but you're essentially saying 'I can't have any faith in any of the candidates that I have to pick from,'" he said. 

"I will go out and I'll vote. I will exercise my right to vote, but I also understand the limitations of the system and I don't have confidence in it to fully represent the needs of the people that it is supposed to."

Dartmouth resident Ethan Gysbertsen said they have similar concerns about what has been happening in the United States since Trump's inauguration.

The Trump administration has removed some protections for transgender people, including halting funds for gender-affirming care and denying changes in gender markers.

Gysbertsen said they are noticing a "decline into fascism" south of the border. However, they say one way to reject it in Canada is by exercising their right to vote.

"I would say that today it really feels like that people underestimate their political power," they said. 

"If you vote with your values in mind, then it demonstrates to the people who are paying attention that these are the things that people care about. And that actually does have a chance to change what kind of policies people talk about further down the line."

Tolkien Merrigan, a gay person from New Brunswick and a first-time voter, was also at the market in Halifax on Sunday. 

They said the economy is a top priority, as is ensuring the safety of minorities such as transgender people, who they say have been recently targeted.

Merrigan said although no candidate fits their personal beliefs completely, they are voting strategically. 

"I think we have to realize that politicians are never going to give us exactly what we want, and we just have to vote for whatever keeps our community best protected," they said. 

Merrigan said they will vote on April 28 because they want to experience the "charm of voting on election day," and encouraged others to do the same.