Analyse af Justin Trudeaus undskyldningstale til LGBTQ2-canadiere

handler om talen “Remarks by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to apologize to LGBTQ2 Canadians”.

Should current governments take responsibility for the misdeeds of past governments? This is a hotly debated issue, which often arises in connection with modern politicians who make heartfelt apology speeches to minorities who have suffered historical injustice at the hands of the government. Some argue that such apologies are important because they offer closure to victims and a path to a brighter future, while others dismiss them as mere political stunts. One of the most famous apology speeches in recent history is the “Remarks to apologize to LGBTQ2 Canadians” which were delivered by the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2017.

Justin Trudeau made this speech from his political office as the Prime Minister of Canada, which means that he speaks on behalf of the entire Canadian government. The speech is an official apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians for past and current injustices they have faced, especially the injustices that the Canadian government was responsible for.

An apology speech like this has many unusual characteristics for a political speech. For example, politicians are normally interested in presenting their government in a positive light, but Trudeau speaks at length about the atrocities committed by the Canadian government, to emphasize why an apology is necessary: “Over our history, laws and policies enacted by the government led to the legitimization of much more than inequality – they legitimized hatred and violence, and brought shame to those targeted“ (ll. 34-35).