Authors: Gilles Gauthier ^1,2

• 1 Université de Laval - Département d'information et de communication [ULaval]
• 2 Université Laval [Québec] [ULaval]

The article examines the evolution of the debate held in Quebec for more than ten years on the port of religious symbols by the representatives of the State by highlighting how it oscillated between agreement and disagreement. The analysis shows that the movements of the debate are determined by the introduction within it of infra‑debates on underlying questions which modify it outlines and, for lack of completely clarified beings, confuse it.