On Canada Project
Wed, September 20, 2023
It’s scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too
On Canada Project is a social advocacy group made up of neighbourhood nerds who are here to dismantle the status quo and champion change in our lives.
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Last month, the Canadian federal government issued a safety warning for Queer folks traveling to certain parts of the USA.
Look we get why the Feds would issue an advisory- just look at this map of America.
Reminder, The Liberals hold a minority government in Canada. In our opinion, Liberals allyship with the Queer and Trans community isn’t as progressive as what this moment requires, but it is still more than what we could expect from Conservatives and Right-Wing politicians in Canada.
But here’s the thing - things are scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too.
The Saskatchewan government prioritized "parental rights" over the human rights of students in new legislation this year.
This new parental inclusion policy effectively requires schools to out kids under 16 to their parents before changing the students' pronouns at school.
Let’s get on the same page - “Parental Rights” is a dog whistle for anti-human rights.On Canada Project
"Dog whistles" in politics refer to coded language. Politicians use dog whistles to communicate messages that appeal to particular constituents without alienating others. By using coded language, they can signal positions on controversial topics without making overt statements that might draw public scrutiny or backlash.
Some of the reasons why politicians use dog whistle politics include plausible deniability, testing the waters, divide and conquer techniques, and mobilizing their base.
The complexity lies in the term's ability to be all things to all people, thereby enabling the politician to broaden their appeal while also activating a base that may have more exclusionary beliefs.
So it’s great that we’re issuing a travel advisory to protect Canadians traveling to the USA, but what is Canada doing to protect people living in Canada?
Canada has a next-level PR game, and our leaders use it to deflect criticism on the world stage all the time - just think about our country’s ‘multicultural, diverse’ branding vs the actual lived experiences of migrants and BIPOC in Canada.
And using “parental rights” to soften the blow of policies and beliefs that are decidedly anti-queer and anti-trans is no different than how U.S. states are saying the quiet part out loud with ‘Dont Say Gay’ bills and barring gender-affirming healthcare.
The far-right in Canada is using the language of “parental rights” intentionally, to covertly cover up their crimes against basic human rights.
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