Carolyn Alden
Today, I am standing before you as a queer teen, proudly representing a strong and diverse community that has been too often marginalized and forced into silence. I want to speak to you about how important community support for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals like myself, and the others here, is. This support is not just an act of decency, but a source of hope and a courageous step towards a better, more loving, future.
To start, I’d like to say that there is no definite, clear-cut way to define being “queer.” There is no one acronym that represents everyone. Despite all the words in the English language, there still isn’t enough to accurately describe every member of our beautifully diverse community. We currently prefer to use “2SLGBTQ+” … but that’s still quite a mouthful. So, we will use the label “queer” as an overall term for today. This word used to be a derogatory slur, but we have reclaimed it and are now using it as a generic term for “a non-mainstream gender or sexual orientation.”
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before. Things “Go be gay over there” and “keep it out of our faces. But it’s important to realize that raising this flag isn’t just about showing off how queer a space is. It’s about letting the queer community and even others not a part of it that the space they’re currently residing in is safe and fully accepting of who they are. Coming together like this is a bigger achievement than most here may think. It wasn’t long ago when even the mere thought of something like this was pure fantasy, a distant dream. But yet here we are. Together, we stand tall and strong as we jovially prepare to raise our flag. A flag that celebrates love, identity, community, bravery, and pride
I know that this – what we’re doing here – can instill a lot of fear in people. The uneasiness that can be felt when being a part of or even just openly associating and supporting with the queer community can be paralyzing and make us not want to do it – make us want to hide our true selves. And with homophobia and transphobia still being common today, this fear that many feel is certainly understandable.
We still face adversity at school, at home, at work, and in the community. We face slurs and “jokes” on a daily basis. People tear down our posters at school. People still call the “f-slur” while we’re walking along the bike path. We are still the targets of hate-fueled violence. Early last month, at a Northern Ontario high school, a pride flag that was flying on the school’s flagpole was ripped down and burned, which was then followed by two homophobic letters delivered to the school. This exemplifies how hate is still overtly directed at us every day.
And sometimes the negativity is not as obvious. Being excluded, or not represented, is difficult. It instills in us this belief that we are an anomaly. Something “out of the norm”, that “isn’t supposed to be here” or that something is “wrong” with us. But this is so unbelievably untrue. We are strong, and we are beautiful and there is nothing wrong with us – we are not broken or sick. Even if we’re scared, we’re together, and we’re brave. Our bravery is born from our fear, and from our bravery we spark change.
So, to all those who doubt the importance of community support for queer individuals, I ask you to consider the transformative power it holds. It saves lives. It fosters resilience. It gives us hope that it will get better. If the little Township of Russell can make a statement like this about supporting its queer citizens, anyone can! Community support is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
Let us strive to build communities that reject prejudice and ignorance, that uplift and empower the most vulnerable among us. Let us create spaces where every queer individual can find acceptance, love, and affirmation. And let us remember that our collective strength lies in the power of unity, standing shoulder to shoulder as we fight for a more inclusive and equitable world.
Thank you.
Very disappointed that self-described “critical thinkers” would be on board with the unscientific notion that humans can change sex. Humans can be sexually attracted to people of their own or their opposite sex. They can also choose to adopt the stereotypical manners of dress, behaviour, appearance, and social roles that society has prescribed for the opposite sex. In short, men can be feminine and women can be masculine. But they cannot “transition” into the opposite sex, whether through cosmetic surgery, sex hormones, or other medical means. “Non-binary” has nothing to do with one’s sex. Every human who has ever lived on this planet has been either male or female, but NOT both or neither. Believing otherwise empowers nobody.
Gerd Kleinzach – I agree and think this is well said.