Today, students drowned out a small anti-transgender demonstration that took place mere steps from UBC’s Pride installation outside the Nest.
Two individuals not affiliated with UBC came to campus this afternoon with materials denying the existence of transgender people, while stressing conservative Christian values.
“I’m protesting censorship on university campuses and human rights commissions, and the imposition of transgender ideology and the inability to be able to freely speak out on this topic, as evidenced by some of the responses,” said Bill Whatcott, a demonstrator and well-known anti-LGBT activist.
This is not the first time Whatcott has hosted an anti-LGBT demonstration on university campuses, having appeared at the University of Calgary and theUniversity of Regina in 2016.
Around a dozen UBC students responded by chanting “trans rights are human rights” and “trans bodies are safe here.” Some carried large Pride flags to block the demonstration from view.
> The college I attended was small and very LGBT friendly. One day someone came to visit and used the word “gay” as a pejorative, as was common in the early 2000s. A current student looked at the visitor and flatly said, “we don’t do that here.” The guest started getting defensive and explaining that they weren’t homophobic and didn’t mean anything by it. The student replied, “I’m sure that’s true, but all you need to know is we don’t do that here.” The interaction ended at that point, and everyone moved on to different topics. “We don’t do that here” was a polite but firm way to educate the newcomer about our culture. […]
> It turns out talking about diversity, inclusion, and even just basic civil behavior can be controversial in technical spaces. I don’t think it should be, but I don’t get to make the rules. When I’m able I’d much rather spend the time to educate someone about diversity and inclusion issues and see if I can change how they see the world a bit. But I don’t always have the time and energy to do that. And sometimes, even if I did have the time, the person involved doesn’t want to be educated.
> This is when I pull out “we don’t do that here.” It is a conversation ender. If you are the newcomer and someone who has been around a long time says “we don’t do that here”, it is hard to argue. This sentence doesn’t push my morality on anyone. If they want to do whatever it is elsewhere, I’m not telling them not to. I’m just cluing them into the local culture and values. If I deliver this sentence well it carries no more emotional weight than saying, “in Japan, people drive on the left.” “We don’t do that here” should be a statement of fact and nothing more. It clearly and concisely sets a boundary, and also makes it easy to disengage with any possible rebuttals.
> Me: “You are standing in that person’s personal space. We don’t do that here.”
> Them: “But I was trying to be nice.”
> Me: “Awesome, but we don’t stand so close to people here.”
> Them: Tells an off-color joke.
> Me: “We don’t do that here.”
> Them: “But I was trying to be funny.”
> Me (shrugging): “That isn’t relevant. We don’t do that here.”
I really really do want to endorse this. Making a person’s behavior about capital-M Morality is a great way to get people to dig in their feet and escalate situations. By going “Hey, that behavior doesn’t fit in this context.” it removes a ton of the resentment and toxicity on both sides of the interaction.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t saying what he is willing to do go to keep a provision protecting labour rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer workers inside a renewed North American free trade pact.
More than 40 Republican lawmakers wrote U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday demanding the removal of language in the agreement pledging all three countries to support “policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity.”
The lawmakers urged Trump not to sign the agreement unless the language was removed.
Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Honor those killed in anti-trans acts of violence; mourn the lights in our community that have gone out; say their names and tell their stories; and vow to fight for those still with us.
On Saturday, November 17th, the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) party voted to pass a resolution that would deny recognizing gender identity theory, during a three-day convention in Toronto.
PC Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Tanya Granic Allen proposed the resolution, which reads, “Be it resolved that an Ontario PC Party recognizes “gender identity theory” for what it is, namely, a highly controversial, unscientific “liberal ideology”; and, as such, that an Ontario PC Government will remove the teaching and promotion of “gender identity theory” from Ontario schools and its curriculum.”
The motion follows the PC’s decision to rescind the updated 2015 sexual education curriculum introduced under the former Liberal government, and reinstate the curriculum from 1998, which excludes topics such as gender identity and online safety.
Since the passing of this vote, numerous members of the transgender community have spoken out to condemn the PC’s decision, advocating for policies that protect the rights and safety of trans and gender diverse peoples.
NDP Leader, Jagmeet Singh responds to Ontario PC delegates that voted for a motion calling for Gender Identity to be erased in the government and in Schools.
He also calls out Conservative Party of Canada Leader, Andrew Scheer who was at this Ontario PC convention, asking him if he agrees with motion that was put forward:
People in Ontario, especially young people, should feel safe being who they are – @OntarioPCParty advanced a motion that seeks to erase diverse gender identities. This is an attack on LGBT & gender non-binary people. @AndrewScheer, you were there today. Do you agree with this?
Delegates at their convention just passed a resolution which says Gender Identity is not real and “an Ontario PC government will remove the teaching and promotion of “Gender Identity Theory” from schools and its curriculum”
UPDATE: Now they’re backpeddling a bit saying they will only debate it at their next convention.
Hey, Ontarians? Now would be a fantastic time to descend on your Conservative MPPs offices in an angry horde. Call them. Email them. Make appointments in person, if you can–make them look you in the eye and explain how they’re gonna sleep at night while enabling the deaths and discrimination of queer youth.
Teens, this means you, too. These are your lives and futures on the line, and you have every right to speak to your representatives, to organize protests and school walkouts, to decide that you deserve better than this. Because you absolutely fucking do.
The Ontario PC Party has passed resolution to no longer recognize gender identity theory, sources tell Global News.
The vote happened Saturday morning, during the party’s three-day convention in Toronto.
The resolution says gender identity theory is “A highly
controversial, unscientific ‘liberal ideology’; and, as such, that an
Ontario PC Government will remove the teaching and promotion of ‘gender
identity theory’ from Ontario schools and its curriculum.”
The vote was adopted as a party policy and is not binding government policy.
The
policy, named Resolution R4, was proposed by Tanya Granic Allen, a
former Ontario PC candidate in the June general election who was ousted
following what the Ontario Liberals called “homophobic” comments in a
2014 video.
The Bigoted Asshole Party passes a motion reconfirming their dedication to being bigoted assholes, while simultaneously reminding the entire world that they wouldn’t know legitimate scientific theory if it stabbed them in the face.
Sadly, this will only endear them to their transphobic conservative fans. Thanks again to all the assholes who voted for the useless Liberals and split the vote in the last election and gave us these assholes for the next four years.
Queer Fiction Writer 