A community bands together to support trans rights
Lea Krusemeyer (she/her) // Staff Writer
Cameron Skorulski (He/Him) // Illustrator
With the recent protests against SOGI 123, opinions in Canada are divided, but the queer community of Vancouver is standing with its trans members. Though things began to look brighter for the trans community in Canada amist wider acceptance, recent developments show that we are in fact heading in a more conservative and divisive direction. When SOGI 123 was first introduced to schools in 2015/2016, it came with the intention of creating a safe space and a safe learning environment for all students across Canada. SOGI, which stands for Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity, is a set of tools teachers and schools can access in order to help diversify their teaching materials. This includes information on diverse gender identities as well as sexualities, and is designed to make Canadian schools a more welcoming place for all students. However, as long as there has been progress there has been backlash. With the introduction of SOGI 123 came a long wave of protests saying that children were being “indoctrinated and sexualized” in schools, according to standunited.bc.
Fast forward to Sept. 20, 2023, nationwide protests were organized by the far-right in order to protest SOGI 123. In B.C. those protests were organized by Stand United B.C., a conservative group claiming that the media is a virus in our society and has infiltrated the minds of people. In Vancouver, the people of Stand United B.C. and their supporters began gathering in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery around 11:30 a.m. and by noon they were already outnumbered. Against about 300 of them, stood about 1,000 people spreading messages of support for the rights of trans children within the school system. The queer community of Vancouver and its allies came together to support their trans family in what seems to be a never-ending fight. As I walked towards the protest I saw an ocean of flags raised into the sky.
I heard a voice on the Art Gallery steps saying “I am trying to be the safest place possible for as many people as possible.” Those words caught my attention because they sounded like they came from a place of pure love. As I turned around to see who was currently giving a speech, I sadly did not recognize the person and was unable to catch a name, though those words stuck with me nevertheless. This is what it is all about, creating safe environments for trans people overall, though specifically within the education system. Kids should be able to express who they are without fear of judgment and they should be surrounded by an environment that supports them and provides tools to develop proud and authentic adults.
Creating a safe and open-minded community is also something that Julie Vu takes very seriously. Julie, who some of you may know as PrincessJoules from YouTube, or as the first openly trans contestant on Big Brother Canada, has been a friend of mine for a while. I had the privilege of seeing her tirelessly fighting for the people of her community. While listening to those speeches given at the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery, I turned to Julie and asked her what she thought about the day’s events. “Transgender people have always been here. We will not back down and be told what to do with our bodies. The turnout is amazing and I am so happy I am not fighting alone. Our voices will be heard and our light will never be dimmed. Let’s stay strong and never forget to shine on.” As we were standing in the crowd, multiple people came up to us to thank her for her work in the community. Julie was one of the first people to document their transition on YouTube and as I realized, she really made an impact on the community. Having role models is something so vitally important for young people trying to figure out who they are. This brings me back to SOGI 123, which was designed to do exactly that. Give teachers tools to support and understand their students better.
Stand United B.C. claimed to be there because they wanted to secure the safety of their children, they proclaimed over and over again that they were only spreading love and came with peaceful intentions. My friend Paola thought otherwise. She told me that she was not sure if she should come because she was scared. When I asked her if she felt supported today, she said “Yes! But it is also scary to have to fight for rights we already had and now they want to take them away.” Stand United B.C. spreads a message of hate and their actions are harmful to kids, they do not protect the children. “They have the right to not agree but they don’t have the right to take our rights away,” said Paola in reflection of the claims and actions of Stand United B.C.
In times of crisis, the 2SLGBTQ+ community stands together because they have always been the only ones they could truly rely on. Queer people from all over B.C. came together in support, there were people talking about skipping work and skipping school in order to be there. “Today I left home feeling sad about what was happening. I left work early because my community, my friends, and my rights are more important than my paycheque,” said Ramses Ibanez. He has been a part of the queer community of Vancouver for years and said he felt protected when he heard his community scream and shout from blocks away when arriving at the protest. “We as a community will always have each other’s back,” standing together united as one.
We left the protest feeling grateful for our community though we do not forget that the reason for us coming together was having to fight for the simple right of trans existence. This fight is not over, but the community’s future has so much hope.