Speak up for love, life and decency

This past week we marked another year of anti-trans violence with the Trans Day of Remembrance on November 20. The year 2021 was the worst on record for lives lost to hateful bigots who take their anger with the world out on people they have no understanding of or empathy for. 

Perhaps you think I’m overly simplistic. I assure you that, having lived for many long years very close to christian white conservatives and anti-LGBTQ bigots (but I repeat myself), I am not exaggerating one bit. 

I still have fresh memories of being on television with a certified boob (I’m trying to be nice) who talked about “trannies” on mainstream Canadian airwaves. Not in the 1950s either — I’m not that old, dammit. That was barely a decade ago. I will not name him; you get bonus points if you guess who I’m talking about but it doesn’t matter as there are way too many haters like him.

That same person is now making a pest of himself targeting the teacher in Oakville who wears immense fake boobs. Yeah, you know the one. Whatever you think of those plastic melons, two things are clear: 1) It’s obviously some kind of sarcastic comment, and 2) this teacher is dealing with older high schoolers who are most likely sexually active themselves, not little kids. Spare me the pearl clutching. 

Also? If you look at that person wearing gigantic fake breasts that hang barely an inch above their waist and think “sex,” you’re the one with the problem. 

Anyway, back when this odious individual spoke of “trannies” on live television, I always made a point of shutting him down. You have no idea what you’re talking about, I told him. Have some empathy for people born in a body that doesn’t match who they are. Don’t ever use that word in my presence or I’ll shut you down again. 

He complained, of course. People like him always complain. Their fragility is the second most annoying thing about them. 

If you shook him awake in the middle of the night anytime this week, he’d swear the most dangerous thing to society today, especially to the children, is people like me who enable “fantasies” about gender and identities. 

He and those like him are entitled to their beliefs. But if they express them out loud, I will always be there to shut them down. Not because I have dictatorial ambitions, but because hate speech against trans people radicalizes bigots up to and including physical violence against trans people.

That’s the subject of this week’s column. I will never not speak up. I hope you’ll join me.