As Canada nears a tipping point on hate, speaking out for trans equality is vital

A recent video of a man hurling transphobic abuse at a nine-year-old girl at a Kelowna track meet is just one of the recent examples of a surge of transphobia in Canada, writes Royal Roads President Philip Steenkamp in the Vancouver Sun.

The increase, he says, is due in large part to the “cynical exploitation of the fear of transgender people by right-wing American politicians and media networks.”

Here is an excerpt from his August 3 op-ed:

“Myths and misinformation have spread quickly, through a tangled infrastructure of fringe ‘news’ networks and websites, social media and Fox News personalities. And a mob mentality has taken hold, targeting even the most innocuous expressions of support for transgender rights. Witness the success that right-wing media, online mobs and belligerent individuals have had in pressuring corporate giants like Budweiser and Target to abandon, respectively, a partnership with a trans activist and a range of Pride-themed clothing.

“Will Canada go down this same path? We’re already seeing some of these views supported by elected politicians, school trustees and even a provincial government. And we have our own toxic alternative-to-reality media ecosystem to contend with, albeit nowhere near as well-developed as that in the U.S… yet.”

Read his full piece in the Vancouver Sun.