Happy Pride Month, but beware the growing hatred in Canada and elsewhere

June is the beginning of Pride Month in Toronto and most places in North America.  It’s a time to celebrate the LGBTQ community, our history and the gains we’ve made overcoming bigotry and oppression, as well as remind ourselves of the battles still ahead for equality and dignity.

Most of the world is still hellish for LGBTQ folks for a variety of unfortunate reasons, mostly rooted in ignorance and religious bigotry.  Those fights continue and I'll be happy this week to attend Rainbow Railroad's Freedom Party to help raise money for this crucially important cause.  

But lately even the gains we’ve made in most of the democratic world are under increasing threat thanks to a resurgence of right-wing bigotry and irresponsibility.  

Republicans south of the Canadian border, taking advantage of public ignorance about trans people, have been on a rampage, overstepping government power to try to control and destroy trans peoples' rights and safety.  Sadly, they've inspired some Canadian conservatives to similarly target queer youth in Canada. 

The horrible Danielle Smith, premier of Alberta, is trying to roll back the rights of LGBTQ youth in Alberta schools, forcing educators to out trans youth, banning them from the healthcare they need, and making anti-bullying education "optional" for Alberta schools. 

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe even invoked the notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to legislate similar attacks on vulnerable trans youth in his province. 

After his own attacks on trans youth, creepy New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs continues to peddle more attacks on other vulnerable youth, his latest including obsessing over and banning sex education provided to teenage girls designed to teach them about consent and healthy sexuality, before he even bothered to research the education he was banning.   

All of these attacks on vulnerable youth including queer youth are just ploys by conservatives to distract voters from their real agenda, which has always been to give more power to the already powerful elites and gatekeepers of society, all at the expense of the rest of us.  

"Don't worry about those massive tax cuts we are giving the rich while we enslave you and your family to their unfettered corporate greed, and cut your health care and public services!  Look over there!  Those scary trans extremists are trying to rape or hurt your children and only we will stop them," those disgusting conservatives are implying through their legislative actions and messaging. 

Sadly, these efforts to roll back progress seem to have convinced some ordinary conservatives it's okay to embrace their little hatreds.  A new poll out this weekend confirms that general support for LGBTQ rights and visibility is down in Canada by about 10 per cent since 2021.   

None of the gains we've made are chiselled in stone.  In fact, Canadian conservatives have shown they are just as willing as Republicans south of the border to attack our rights and invoke any legal means necessary to play their hateful games.  

Pierre Poilievre has also said he's happy to use the notwithstanding clause to roll back rights.  Considering most of his caucus is still dominated by dinosaurs who still obsess over controlling the bodies of all women on the abortion issue, we ought to be very alarmed about the future. 

I want to urge all people who support equality and dignity for all to reject the politics of hatred being espoused by conservatives or others.  We need to stand up against and challenge this hatred, and to let our more moderate conservative friends, family and neighbours know it's not okay.   

Stay strong, keep up the fight, and carry on!