Dear Friends of FAIR, This week, we’d like to highlight the important work of our Canadian chapters, coordinated by Quaker chaplain Kate Johnson. FAIR Canada’s seven chapters have submitted statements and organized letter writing campaigns responding to important legislation with FAIR principles, created surveys on school board trustee candidates, and hosted regular guest speakers and gatherings where members can speak their mind freely without fear of reprisal.
Kudos for denouncing the Edmonton teacher who criticized Muslim students for not turning out for Pride events.
I am assuming that before FAIR did so it made sure that the teacher was speaking in her capacity as a teacher and in a forum where her expression of disapproval could reasonably be expected to have negative effects on the Muslim students or Muslims in general.
However, defenders of civil liberties and critics of gender-identity ideology must remain alert to the possibility that their activism in support of their causes could cause collateral damage, the most likely and obvious sort being a backlash against gay men and lesbians.
Some gays and lesbians, especially those of the queer persuasion, are fervent trans allies. That does not make them bad people. But, like just about every straight liberal in the land, they fail to see the harm that can come from gender-affirming care, the indoctrination of children into gender-identity ideology by their teachers and the assault on women and men's spaces by trans women and trans men, respectively.
On the other hand, many gay men (including me) and lesbians are gender critical and offended by the hijacking of Gay Pride by the trans and queer movements. I have a personal reason to be gender critical, having been just the sort of Barbie-doll loving, sports-negative little sissy boy 60 years ago who would be at great risk today of being turned into a little girl. Thank goodness I was born when I was. In any case, I hope that most well informed people of good faith understand that the Gay Rights movement of the 20th century was qualitatively different from trans activists' aggressive assaults on society today.
Unfortunately, the backlash against gays is already underway in some comment sections on Substack. There, homophobes motivated by religion or politics are writing hateful, moralizing screeds against gays in response to pieces that are critical of trans activism. We're told we're "perverts" and worse. There is no place for this in our society any more than there is for racism or antisemitism. If readers do not feel up to rebuking the authors of such hateful rhetoric directly (some are downright scary), they should at least give serious thought to reporting the comments to the substack's admins.
In closing, signs of violent intolerance can also be found in the real world. I recently saw a video on Twitter in which a little Muslim girl stomped a Pride flag repeatedly while adults looked on approvingly. I hope it is not necessary to explain to this readership why such an act is reprehensible. One could say that using a Muslim child as a political prop when she lacks an adult's emotional and intellectual perspectives on the world is as offensive as seating little kids in front of a drag queen for a story hour when they cannot place the performer in his larger cultural and political context. One could say that except it would not be true because in the former scenario children are being taught what at best could be called intolerance and, at worst, hate.
Why is it necessary to say "protected class" as used in the FAIR Canada statement? If indeed one espouses universal, individual rights then class (identity group) has nothing to do with anything. Moreover, who decides what a protected class is? Isn't this just another form of elitism, which then works to counter the espoused principles of individual rights? Having protected groups by direct implication means there are unprotected groups and therefore the former would then have some benefits or privileges not enjoyed by the latter. Treat people as individuals. It really is that simple.
It would be more effective to say, "If you don't agree with a special month, a celebration of religion, etc., you have the right to opt out based on your beliefs." Forcing beliefs or compelling speech is authoritarianism. How many people don't believe in every law passed in their country? I'd bet all people have at least 1 law they disagree with. So, according to this teacher, no one belongs anywhere. She crossed the line. Thankful she wasn't talking to my kid like that.
Kudos for denouncing the Edmonton teacher who criticized Muslim students for not turning out for Pride events.
I am assuming that before FAIR did so it made sure that the teacher was speaking in her capacity as a teacher and in a forum where her expression of disapproval could reasonably be expected to have negative effects on the Muslim students or Muslims in general.
However, defenders of civil liberties and critics of gender-identity ideology must remain alert to the possibility that their activism in support of their causes could cause collateral damage, the most likely and obvious sort being a backlash against gay men and lesbians.
Some gays and lesbians, especially those of the queer persuasion, are fervent trans allies. That does not make them bad people. But, like just about every straight liberal in the land, they fail to see the harm that can come from gender-affirming care, the indoctrination of children into gender-identity ideology by their teachers and the assault on women and men's spaces by trans women and trans men, respectively.
On the other hand, many gay men (including me) and lesbians are gender critical and offended by the hijacking of Gay Pride by the trans and queer movements. I have a personal reason to be gender critical, having been just the sort of Barbie-doll loving, sports-negative little sissy boy 60 years ago who would be at great risk today of being turned into a little girl. Thank goodness I was born when I was. In any case, I hope that most well informed people of good faith understand that the Gay Rights movement of the 20th century was qualitatively different from trans activists' aggressive assaults on society today.
Unfortunately, the backlash against gays is already underway in some comment sections on Substack. There, homophobes motivated by religion or politics are writing hateful, moralizing screeds against gays in response to pieces that are critical of trans activism. We're told we're "perverts" and worse. There is no place for this in our society any more than there is for racism or antisemitism. If readers do not feel up to rebuking the authors of such hateful rhetoric directly (some are downright scary), they should at least give serious thought to reporting the comments to the substack's admins.
In closing, signs of violent intolerance can also be found in the real world. I recently saw a video on Twitter in which a little Muslim girl stomped a Pride flag repeatedly while adults looked on approvingly. I hope it is not necessary to explain to this readership why such an act is reprehensible. One could say that using a Muslim child as a political prop when she lacks an adult's emotional and intellectual perspectives on the world is as offensive as seating little kids in front of a drag queen for a story hour when they cannot place the performer in his larger cultural and political context. One could say that except it would not be true because in the former scenario children are being taught what at best could be called intolerance and, at worst, hate.
When you say gay men and women of the queer persuasion what does that mean? I’m not being offensive but genuinely don’t know what that means.
Why is it necessary to say "protected class" as used in the FAIR Canada statement? If indeed one espouses universal, individual rights then class (identity group) has nothing to do with anything. Moreover, who decides what a protected class is? Isn't this just another form of elitism, which then works to counter the espoused principles of individual rights? Having protected groups by direct implication means there are unprotected groups and therefore the former would then have some benefits or privileges not enjoyed by the latter. Treat people as individuals. It really is that simple.
It would be more effective to say, "If you don't agree with a special month, a celebration of religion, etc., you have the right to opt out based on your beliefs." Forcing beliefs or compelling speech is authoritarianism. How many people don't believe in every law passed in their country? I'd bet all people have at least 1 law they disagree with. So, according to this teacher, no one belongs anywhere. She crossed the line. Thankful she wasn't talking to my kid like that.
Agree. Big Andrew Sullivan fan.
So happy to hear FAIR is active in Canada. Just signed up for my first FAIR ZOOM meeting.