While I was out canvassing last weekend a man asked what my stance on gay rights was. The question tripped me up for a second – I blurted out kind of awkwardly, “pro!”
He then introduced me to his husband, and we had a great conversation about the municipal matters that are important to them. I have been thinking about this exchange since then: What does is mean for a queer person to have to ascertain if a politician believes in their right to exist as full and equal citizens and members of society? What does it say about the state of queer rights if the question has to be asked at all?
Of course I shouldn’t have been surprised by his question. We know that anti-LGBTQ2s+ crimes are on the rise in Canada. The attacks on queer and trans rights in the United States has emboldened expressions of intolerance and hate on this side of the border.
As middle-aged white dude who grew up in rural southwestern Ontario, I knew so many people and dear friends who did not feel safe (and were not safe) coming out—the casual homophobia in those days was ubiquitous. By the 90s and 2000s, however, it felt like Canada had made huge advancements on gay rights (around marriage, marriage benefits, charter protections, military service and more). Gay/queer rights had been normalized as human rights. (Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not saying that the battle had been won - queer folks have always had to fight intolerance. But big strides had been made.)
It now feels like we are slipping backwards. The anti-LGBTQ2s+ rhetoric has certainly changed, and transphobia has become a trojan horse for new attacks on the LGBT2Q2S+ community. The hate behind the rhetoric has not changed.
It is important that we let our pride flags fly, and I am unequivocal in my message: I will always fight to protect and uphold laws and policies that recognize LGBTQ2S+ existence, freedom, and equality as inalienable and nonnegotiable. But it goes farther than that. Pride is important to me, because it is a moment to celebrate the spirit, tenacity, strength, creativity, generosity, and resolve of all the amazing people who make up the pride rainbow. To all my queer friends, colleagues, community members, students, family members, teachers and mentors, I celebrate you and thank you for your friendship, love, sass, and brilliance – you light the way.
Pride and Solidarity,
Tom