cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/695945
Ottawa (June 14, 2023) - Today, 39 queer, trans, human rights, labour and educational organizations from across Canada have released an Open Letter to Defend 2SLGBTQIA+ Students in New Brunswick and call on Premier Higgs to reverse his attack on vulnerable students. Standing with students, parents and families, the letter calls on the Premier to reverse the weakened Policy 713, uphold human rights codes, and end the cruel campaign against 2SLGTBQIA+ New Brunswickers.
I’m so tired of talking about this. I feel so powerless, as a queer person. There’s no reasoning with these people. You can’t use logic to argue someone out of a viewpoint when they never used logic to get there in the first place.
Like what’s the point of being patient with bigots and trying to explain a queer perspective with empathy when they just invent and believe bullshit like “There’s litterboxes in schools for the furries!!1!”
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J’suis assez tanné.e de parler de ceci. J’me sens tellement impuissant.e comme personne queer. C’est impossible de raisonner avec ces gens. Utiliser la logique pour argumenter contre une position illogique c’est tellement futile.
Comme c’est quoi le but d’avoir de la patience et de l’empathie avec les gens intolérants lorsque ceux-ci se tournent de bord et inventent de la merde du style “Y mettent des litières dans les écoles pour les enfants qui pensent qui sont des chats!!1!”
These people have long passed the point of rationality. There is no arguing or trying to explain things to them. They’ve dug in their heels and have made this part of their personality.
The best thing to do is drown them out and focus on the majority that supports you and never stop being you. Be you, MORE
Be you, MORE
Oh I love that haha. And you make a great point there, it definitely has become a matter of personality and even community for these people. When there was a protest against drag story time in Moncton a few weeks back, I was there counter-protesting. One of the dudes protesting, who was livestreaming the whole thing on FB, had driven there from Miramichi on his birthday to go whine about drag performers reading to kids. Like how pathetic is that? It’s honestly sad.
It’s completely and totally pathetic but as you put it, it gives them a sense of community. There’s gotta be something else to create a community around though besides hating on minorities.
Oof, I almost feel bad for the guy (almost).
I may as well ask this here… I’m cis and straight and have never been to a pride parade, but I want to go this year to show solidarity and help it have the biggest crowd ever. I’m wondering though - should I walk in the actual parade or is it better to be a spectator?
Sorry I’ve taken a while to reply, I wanted to take the time to hopefully reflect and give you a better answer. I think it really depends on a lot of things; the specific parade and how it’s organized, if you’re planning on going alone vs accompanying queer friends and the level of support and solidarity you plan on showing.
Keep in mind, if you’d ask this to 100 queers and you’d probably get 102 different answers, this is just my personal take on it. But if you’re there with some queer friends, in a fun outfit, with “ALLY” written in makeup on your face, waving a rainbow flag or holding up a supportive sign, I don’t think anyone (or at least most) would be opposed to you walking in the parade.
If you’re there alone and just dressed in a polo shirt and cargo short, I’d personally recommend showing your support more from the sidelines. Pride is very community-centered, and unless you regularly interact with the community (going to drag shows with queer friends, for example) you might be perceived as a bit of an intruder.
A final note, this year’s been a rough one for queers. I know many drag performers in the province. Every single one has received death threats via social media multiple times in the past year. A few people I know have decided not to attend Pride this year, in fear of violence. If you do attend Pride, please wear something noticeable which will mark you as an ally. A rainbow shirt or hat or whatever, anything that a homophobe would never wear. It pains me to say this, seeing as you seem like a swell person who cares about the queer community, but if you were to go to Pride alone, presenting as unambiguously straight, some people would get anxious. They don’t know you’re an ally, they don’t know that you’ve taken the time to reflect on what your place in Pride as an ally should be, and that you’ve tried to get input from queer people. I’m not saying it’s right to be distrustful and fearful of straight people, but it is a super common trauma response in LGBTQ+ folks, which I feel should be kept in mind when in an environment like Pride which is explicitly for queer people.
Thank you so much for this extremely thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. FWIW I would be there with my wife and most likely some queer friends, but point well taken. I must however take offense at the implication that I would ever wear cargo shorts, especially in public!
Your last paragraph describes exactly why I want to go. I don’t want to see the queer community alone in this – I want to do my small part in making it clear than the “us vs them” divide is between the bigots and everyone else. Far too many of them seem to think they’re part of a silent majority, and the rest of us need to make it unequivocally clear that they are not.
