Failure of good people to do something is what loses democracies and America's is right now hanging by its proverbial fingernails. The work done by the GOP to gain Evangelicals, racists and how they have bamboozled rural voters has turned into Frankenstein's monster and threatens to convert the country into an authoritarian nightmare.
This isn't hyperbole for if you had imagined back in 2016 where the country would be today, you might have been tempted to laugh and, as caustic a decision I thought the Trump election was, even I am surprised at how bad things have gotten.Here in Canada, Trudeau has run out of luck and popularity and one of the more rabid versions of the Conservative party threatens to unleash itself on the country. Yes, it is a much paler version of the Republicans but for a more progressive country like ours, it is the worst kind of cod liver oil. Soon, they too will be harassing transgender people and spreading their own brand of backward toxicity.
The very word conservative makes my stomach churn for, more often than I'd like, it is a synonym for idiot.
It's not soon, they have been harassing and threatening here already. The actions of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick governments are actual violence on trans kids, now Ontario is musing aloud about joining in. The man that accosted a 9 year old in BC is another, more obvious, but all kinds of 2SLGBTQ+ groups and facilities have been targeted with threats here. The actions of the CPC policy convention are absolutely violence, not physical, but definitely going to take their toll as they're clear threats of a deeply harmful future.
ReplyDeleteThe harassment and violence is here. It's not a future state, it's life now.
I'm wondering if it's not worse in the western provinces?
DeleteI think it's generally bad. Even in Ontario and Quebec, we're seeing this. McGill had planned to platform a bigot from the UK, for example. Between the media and Conservative governments and groups, the violence is pretty universal. I'm mostly talking mental and emotional violence at this point, but that toll is very high on many of us already.
DeleteI'm living with a constant fear now. There's no path back for me, there never was truly, but definitely not now and so I am now faced with a very uncertain future entirely contingent on the level of apathy of cis people who are apparently tired enough of Trudeau that they're perfectly okay with having my life destroyed. Even my own family is indifferent to that.
So, to me, the violence is here. Physical will follow, surely, but the type of violence that cuts most deeply is firmly entrenched in Canada now.
I am so sorry to hear that Joanne. I've been in Montreal for 50 years and I've never seen major trans issues as we are very progressive compared to say Alberta but I don't doubt that you are worried and you have every right to. I still think things will ultimately get better once the angry white man and TERFS run out of steam. It's not going to end next week though to be sure. I have friends whose children have transitioned and they are generally doing well. What province are you in?
DeleteAs far as family is concerned they never really do get it which is why we need to go our own way...
DeleteI'm in Ontario. Some of my family get it, but it's a lot of them that are just "we hate this guy because we hated his dad, sorry, nothing personal" and then they get offended when I tell them to exit my life. Well, I have no choice but to fight anyways and I will kick people from my life if I have to.
DeleteWe all seem to have problems with family. Would be shocking if it wasn't the case
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