Confronting Homophobia And Transphobia In Society: A Letter Of Support To The Minister Of Education For Alberta

When people like Bishop Henry, who is in a significant position of power chooses to ignore this fact or just doe not understand this fact, then the safety of society is put in jeopardy

p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }

Dear Minister Eggan,
 

As our Alberta government works towards implementing policies that the government hopes will  lead to a healthier society, some that I agree with and some that I don't, I want to support and stand proudly with you as you and the government face bigoted attacks by transphobic and ignorant people.

It takes courage for a government to implement policies that will respect diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. For too long, institutions, specifically the church and state, have foisted violent social norms upon society that make life dangerous for many people

Recently, we have heard a bigoted bishop from the Calgary catholic dioceses use biological determinism to promote the antiquated and violent idea that gender identity equates to what kind of genitalia you have. Not only does he believe in this type of biological determinism, he also displays the attributes of a biblical literalistic. Thankfully, as a result of the chisel of modernity bringing about better scientific understanding of the human condition, we now have an understanding of why it is we may choose to keep the golden rule found in Leviticus 19:18 while throwing out the homophobia of Leviticus 20:13. Most Christians, at least I hope, now understand that when we pick and choose biblical quotes, we do so  not because the guarantor of morality is  found in the piece of fiction known as the bible but because the guarantor of morality is to be found in the human reading the bible. Unfortunately there are still some people who either do not understand this fact or who choose to ignore it. When people like Bishop Henry, who is in a significant position of power, chooses to ignore this fact or  doe not understand this fact, then the safety of society is put in jeopardy

Don't get me wrong, we still have a long way to go when it comes to seeing a world where LGBTQ folk experience liberation but I believe the policies that protect LGBT folk that are created and hopefully implemented by governments will help liberate the LGBT community.

Because of antiquated ideas based on biological determinism that conflate how we look from the outside with how we feel and express ourselves, we have seen things like the barbaric cultural practice of infant gender assignment practiced on a daily basis. As a result of a single glance by the doctor after the birth of a baby, that baby is locked into a way of living that limits who and what that baby can become. Gender roles should not be determined by what your genitalia looks like. We should allow individuals to express themselves in the way that evolution has made them

Even though I fear this new NDP Government will not effectively address the economic exploitation faced by the working class in this province, I do want to thank you for doing your part to protect the lives of LGBT folk. I do wish to add that without understanding how economic exploitation and cultural oppression are intrinsically connected, one is not fully equipped to successfully address either. Addressing economic exploitation undermines cultural oppression and vice-versa, and by addressing both, to the extent that each of us are capable, I believe we will build the just and equitable society that we so desperately need. That being said, I hope the NDP government is capable of dealing with the growing economic disparity between Alberta's' proletariat and the bourgeoisie as courageously as they have been taking on transphobia and homophobia in our society.
 

Respectfully submitted, Aaron Doncaster

Over 60 actions organized internationally in response to... Jan 12

GROUNDWIRE OCTOBER 8 | MMIW HEARINGS AND VIGILS, MASS... Oct 16

GroundWire | Housing in the Budget, Fontaine Boushie... Mar 16

Activist Court Support: Kinder Morgan wants permanent ban... Mar 15