05/17/2024
🏳️🌈Leave No One Behind: Equality, Freedom and Justice for All🏳️⚧️
I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to say today, this important day for q***r folks. An important day for the world. As a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, my personal experience growing up was in an environment—particularly at school—where it was not okay to be gay. It was not okay to be “other”. Something was wrong with you if you weren’t “normal”. If you strayed from cis-gendered heteronormative behaviours, you were mocked, teased, ridiculed, bullied, and even hated. Hated by your peers, hated by adults.
Even though these harmful behaviours weren’t present within my family, I still internalized that homophobia. I told myself that it wasn’t okay. I told myself to be “normal”. I told myself that I was straight. But sexual orientation isn’t something that can just be chosen. Same with gender. It just “is”.
I hear about 2SLGBTQIA+ teenagers today who are accepted by their peers. Who are protected by their teachers and school administrators. Who are protected by adults within the community, some of whom are also q***r, and many as allies. It brings tears to my eyes to see this growth, and to know that the youth today experience less hate and more love.
But notice that I said ‘less hate’, because there’s still a very long way to go. We are not out of the woods, yet. There are still 2SLGBTQIA+ youth who are suffering—particularly trans youth. And despite all of the growth, hate still remains.
Our trans, 2-Spirit, and non-binary community members still face an extreme amount of “in your face” hate. The kind of hate that prohibits healthy day-to-day living. Where finding jobs and housing is difficult. Where taking a simple ride on a city bus becomes a nightmare. Where walking outside becomes dangerous. Where youth cannot be themselves at home because they’ll be kicked out.
Today I ask that you reflect on how you have stood up to protect q***r and gender diverse folks. Ask yourself, “what can I do better?”. Because at the end of the day, it will take a concerted effort from everyone to eliminate hate.
- Cindy Foster, Executive Director
Regenesis Centre for Recovery