Gender identity or expression was finally added to Canada’s human rights law in 2017 after decades of legal battles and advocacy. We find ourselves once again facing a growing anti-trans campaign in Canada this week. It’s time for everyone to please lend a hand…again.
I am a transgender mom raising two teenagers in Vancouver while working in Tech Management. Many of my own friends are Trans or Queer of course, as are a number of my children’s friends.
I previously served as a DPAC chair in the Vancouver Board of Education and as Vice President of a major provincial political party. I am also the founder of the Morgane Oger Foundation, which advocates for human rights in Canada using education, advocacy, and law.
As the upcoming One Million Person March 4 Children approaches, I feel a need to address the concerns that fuel this latest iteration of “I’m not a bigot but…’ concern-trolling transphobia whose recycled demands include the all-too familiar “common sense” reflection that society should exclude transgender people from a number of aspects of everyday life to “protect” sports, women, children, and everything that just makes sense.
I am deeply concerned about such attempts to undermine the hard-won equality rights of transgender Canadians, some of which date to over two decades ago.
As Canadians, we pride ourselves on being a diverse and inclusive nation where everyone should feel safe and respected, with equal protections from discrimination. However, it is disheartening to witness this latest resurgence of baseless fears and outright hatred targeting transgender individuals and others in our community.
The fear and distress such movements cause those being targeted is very real, and the lack of action by Canadian law enforcement in response to a movement inciting violence against a vulnerable group is deeply troubling.
“Hands Off Our Kids” movements like this latest one threaten the unity and inclusivity that Canada represents, fostering mistrust and divisions through cynical misinformation and disheartening misconceptions. Already for the last twelve months? transgender women, queer artists, and LGBT advocates were repeadely accused of inappropriate motives by, a dnarrative that is both distressing and contrary to the Canadian values of respect and inclusivity.
While personal views on gender identity are both acceptable and protected, it is crucial to remember that Canadian laws protect the rights of all citizens to live free from discrimination or violence spurred by others’ personal views.
Unfortunately, some individuals continue to advocate for excluding the existence of transgender people from our educational curriculum, contradicting the spirit of Canadian multiculturalism. Embracing diverse cultures and identities strengthens our community rather than diminishing it. It also prepares our children for when they have to work well alongside people with different experiences and different biases.
It is essential to approach differences with empathy and understanding. Fostering respectful dialogue and consensus is always better than protecting existing rights through the courts. Pathologizing, vilifying, or demonizing people for being part of a recognizable group is a crime. Advertising or encouraging explicitly prohibited discrimination is unlawful throughout Canada.
All together, we share a collective duty to promote critical engagement with political dialogue to help prevent potential bias-driven crimes. I sincerely believe everyone understands the broader implications of hate propaganda and its potential to incite violence against marginalized groups. That’s why I urge anti-SOGI protesters to reassess their actions and consider their wider impact on our community and children.
Demanding state discrimination targeting people because they are different or do not share your values was never the answer to addressing parental difficulties in maintaining a meaningful and trusting dialogue with their own children. Instead, let’s work together for a Canada defined by respect and inclusivity, where every individual is valued for their intrinsic worth and their contributions to society, regardless of personal characteristics.
Warm regards,
Morgane Oger
Morgane Oger 
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