An Open Letter to Alberta Residents

What the fuck are you allowing to happen here? Are you so twisted by the myths and half truths fed to you by the trump wannabes that you can’t see the harm we are facing and have been immersed in since before covid. 

Do NOT tell me the UCP has the best interest of any of us in mind. They don’t. They will keep the rich, rich and fuck the rest of us. This piece today is centred on the absolutely disgusting policy changes the UCP wants to introduce regarding our children.

But, but, parent rights…. Fuck you with that. In Canada that is not an actual thing. 

Canada signed on with the UN Convention to protect the rights of children. This was ratified December 12, 1991. What does this mean? It means our children have the right to have a voice, be protected from harm, have access to healthcare, and be provided basic needs and the opportunity to reach their full potential. So tell me how is the current joke of a provincial government following this. Oh wait, they aren’t. Parents do not have rights, they have duties to provide these things. But the UCP has you convinced you have ownership over your children. You don’t. In many cases home is not the safest place for a child. So let’s explore a little shall we? 

Your child has a right to have a voice. They should be able to speak freely about when they feel safe and when they don’t. They should be able to express and question things about themselves with out feeling that they will be punished. For many reasons this may not be possible in the home. If your child feels safer exploring these questions with a teacher or other trusted adult, instead of taking that safety away, maybe ask yourselves why your kid does not feel safe coming out to you, or letting you know they are questioning things about themselves. 

This brings us to Your child has the right to be protected from harm. The UCP has followed suit with the ridicules rhetoric and fear mongering about the ‘stranger danger’ only upped the ante by targeting trans and drag. In truth children are more likely harmed by the people in their home. By outing a child to their parents their risk of physical and mental harm increases exponentially. And drop the stupid argument that this will facilitate gender transformation at an incredibly young age with out including the parents. Any of the ‘permament’ changes can not be done on a whim, before the age of consent and with out a lot of psychological consultation and counselling. The harm brought by denying gender affirming care has been studied and documented https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-the-science-on-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-kids-really-shows/   

This segways naturally into Your child has the right to access healthcare. The UCP has dismantled this system so badly for everyone that it is almost a moot point bringing it up exclusively for children. We are all badly in need of a working system for everyone. In the case of our kids, where is the mental health support? Trying to come out the other side of a poorly dealt with pandemic and listening to the adults in the room act like a bunch of ignorant twats about their futures has done a number on all kids. This puts LGBTQA+ kids at a much higher risk for substance abuse, physical abuse and mental health issues. 

Your child has the right to have their basic needs to be met. There are many children, if forced to come out to their parents with out the safety of community support will end up homeless, denied the very basics they have the right to, because the family situation is not accepting. 

Your child has the right to have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Denying them the autonomy of self denies this fundamental right. If their fullest potential includes a name change? So what. Yeah Danielle or should I say Marlaina, I am talking to you. This right is THIER fullest potential, not what the parent thinks it is, not what some stupid politician thinks it should be either. 

Oh but these kids will regret their decisions. Uhhh ok, please see the above is regards to their right to health care. It is a myth that permanent surgical changes can be made before the age of consent and ample psychological counselling. But…puberty blockers. If you took a moment to actually read a little research on puberty blockers they have been used safely for decades to slow puberty for many reasons not just transition. But my cousins hairdresser’s, gardener’s kid totally regretted transitioning and they will regret it in the future. In a review of 27 studies involving 8000 teens and adults who have transitioned roughly about 1% had some regrets over their decisions https://www.voanews.com/a/how-common-is-transgender-treatment-regret-detransitioning-/6993101.html

In relation to big irreversible life decisions more people regret becoming parents. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/your-future-self/202310/if-you-regret-parenthood-researchers-say-youre-not-alone#:~:text=The%20team%20of%20researchers%20who,of%20parents%20have%20this%20feeling.

But it goes against what God intended, God does not make mistakes. All I will say on this is God has no place in government. Pray to whom ever you like, and that higher power may be the be all end all for you- but you can not infer that for anyone else. 

So those of you supporting this shit show of a government I ask you why? They hate forward education and science. Healthcare is quickly becoming a myth under their leadership. They do not support anything that will build a future for our kids. They will keep their rich friends comfortable while we all pay the cost. Never assume they care about you, you are probably in the wrong tax bracket or demographic. The way we care for our most vulnerable will determine the success of our survival into the next century. 

Lest We Forget

Today is November 11th. The day we use to observe the sacrifice that those that came before us gave, so we can live the life we have. I see continual posts of remembrance. Some very personal, sincere and with great understanding of the meaning. 

These Soldiers gave their lives, the ones that came home were changed, the families left behind were forever changed too.

But have we forgotten?

How do we honour them?

We bitch about the simple act of having to wear masks to protect each other DURING A PANDEMIC. 

We whine it isn’t comfortable, it’s stepping on my rights, the economy is more important, most people recover………

Covid is extremely dangerous for the elderly. You know those 639,900 still alive veterans (average age 95) we are honouring today?! The ones who fought to ensure our rights and freedoms. Whose families learned to live with less, because it was the right thing to do. The same families who took care of their neighbours in their times of need because it was the right thing to do. The same ones we are cavalierly marching toward death because they are old. The ones who are in underfunded care homes that are at high risk for outbreaks. The ones who are given so little financial assistance to live on from the Government and Country they once proudly represented around the world. 

How do we honour what they fought for?

They fought evil regimes that were killing people because of colour, religion, race, sexual orientation. 

So we have elected a provincial government that is determined to breed the kind of ignorance these elders tried to dismantle. 

A provincial government that wants to put at risk communities further at risk because they can. Because it is all about the economy that benefits the few, not the wellbeing of the majority.

Trying to take away safe spaces for our LGBTQ youth. 

Closing programs that were created to help people that have mental health needs, addiction illnesses, chronic illnesses, access to safe and timely health care. Whitewashing the history we teach and dismantling the education system that had potential to create forward critical thinkers that could make the world a safer, better place.

They skew the meaning of ‘freedom’ to allow hateful speech and actions to prevail, they sellout the ideals we think we uphold to the highest bidder.

I see the posts these “leaders” made today, thanking all that came before for their sacrifice, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I want to honour what these people fought for. Not just for one day, not idly repeating ‘lest we forget’ and promptly forgetting. I want to uphold their ideals. I want to improve upon them. I want my daughter to understand these sacrifices are not just stories, that what they fought for meant and still means something. 

That ALL of us, regardless of gender, colour, race, religion, ability, deserve to be supported, deserve to find our place in society. 

So I will continue to make noise to help: 

Get clean water to our Indigenous Peoples

Lift up POC and call out the injustices I see there.

Ensure our LGBTQ community have safe spaces and are welcome everywhere

Mental illness be normalized and those who have it are not shamed but supported with what they need

That our education and healthcare systems are supported and accessible to all.

Ensure systemic racism and sexism are rooted out, and change the system.

This is my plan to continue to honour those that came before me. I will continue to learn, I will continue to fight, I will continue to raise my voice for those that can’t, I will continue to try to do better to create the country they envisioned, the one they sacrificed so much for. And for as long as the need is there I will wear my mask.