It is Pride month, but here in Edmonton the coalition of LGBTQ+ groups is showing signs of strain. They were not able to reach consensus on key matters affecting the parade, so the parade was cancelled. As I understand it, the concerns had to do with police presence and participation, increased commercial and political representation, […]
This week is Pride Week at the University of Alberta. There will be events, shows, and a parade on campus. I hope it isn’t too cold for the parade! The city of Edmonton is recognizing this by lighting the High Level Bridge in rainbow colours. Edmonton has its Pride Week in warmer weather in June […]
You know how, when you need some gift-buying inspiration, you go to a favourite shopping website and click on the options? You can select gift ideas for men, women, kids, or a specific celebratory event. Well, the people who put the products under those categories have some really limited perceptions of gender. I have two […]
This week, I was with a group of women, and one of them introduced herself as Vivian. Someone said, “Oh, I thought you were called Vi,” and the woman replied “You can call me Vi, or Viv, or Vivian. Just don’t call me late for dinner.” It’s an old joke, and I’m sure she has […]
It’s Coming Out Day and I’m wondering about both the act of coming out and the use of the phrase “coming out”. A very dear transgender friend today said “Being an ally is not something you come out as, it’s just something you do,” and that’s what got me thinking. My first reaction to this, […]
I had a good time watching the Pride Parade on Saturday. It is always fun to watch, and the crowd is always good-natured. Edmonton turns out in huge numbers to watch the parade and join in the festivities, and this year there seemed to be even bigger crowds than usual. Thankfully, I had remembered to […]
My son, Jamie (aka Must Be Tuesday), has made a series of videos demonstrating his changing singing voice during his gender transition. The videos were intended to be informative and helpful to anyone contemplating a transition of their own, especially if they are singers. Until this weekend, they were available to anyone, even if you […]
Last Thursday, students at the University of California at Berkeley protested against a scheduled speech by Milo Yiannopoulus. Milo is a right-wing writer for the populist Breitbart News, and he has made a career out of provoking conflict. He thrives on it. Most recently he incited online abuse of the actress Leslie Jones. He has also been […]
Today I realized that some people view the people who joined the Women’s March as whiners and misandrists. They think we are sore losers, or people who didn’t vote and now regret it. They think we hate men. They don’t understand what has got us all so upset. This may be an answer for them. When […]
There was a deep-seated resistance tied to some happy moments in the past that I didn’t want to let go of. My therapist said something then that has stayed with me ever since. He said “You are one … Source: Real Stories, Real People: When Your Child’s Gender Changes, So Do You
A couple of months ago I began seeing a therapist. I wanted to change a habit, and so it made sense to me to find a hypnotherapist to help me do that. My reasoning was that if they could help people quit smoking, they could help me quit my habit. The habit that needed to […]
I did something a little out of the ordinary this week. I went to see a hypnotherapist. Yes, really I did. It relates to an ongoing dilemma that I have. Ever since my youngest child began the transition from female to male, I have found it really difficult to get the pronoun right. I have been […]
In Toronto, Canada this week we had an interesting kerfuffle. Two social/political action groups found themselves in a very public lovers’ spat. The LGBTQ community had invited the Black Lives Matter group to lead the Toronto Pride parade. It was intended as a gesture to recognize black LGBTQ people and their disproportionate experience of discrimination […]
From the moment a child is born, we want to reassure ourselves that our baby fits into our perceptions of what is considered normal. Normal numbers of fingers and toes, normal weight, normal health, and normal gender. The problem with that is that we have very narrow perceptions of what is normal. Last weekend, though, I was […]
When there is assonance in poetry, it means there is a resemblance in the sounds of two words, but only a partial rhyme; usually the vowels rhyme but not the final syllables. Examples are penitent and reticence, or time and light. When I tried to explain assonance to my children when they were young, one of them […]
Long Line-ups How many times have you been to a concert or play and, at the intermission, found a long lineup for the women’s washroom and a much shorter one for the men’s? We have all experienced that totally ridiculous segregation. On the other hand, at fairgrounds and outdoor festivals we all use the […]
Houston, you have a problem. You just voted to repeal an ordinance that would have banned discrimination on the basis of age, race, or sex, and I don’t think you know what you have done. You bought into the propaganda that made you afraid. You were lead to believe that predatory men dressed as women […]
I am listening to my son doing housework upstairs. It warms a mother’s heart. So does this week’s news about same-sex marriage in the United States. It has been a long time coming but heartwarming all the same. For too long, many parents have felt embarrassed, ashamed, or ambivalent about their gay and lesbian children’s sexual […]
Caitlyn Jenner was on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine last week and created her own Twitter account. She has also created a firestorm of interest in transgender issues. This has been coming for a long time, and most people have noticed Jenner’s appearance changing over the years. We didn’t think too much about it, […]
My roommate was catching up on one of the gazillion shows that she DVR’s and got excited when she saw two gay characters kissing. Gasp! Gay men kissing! On national TV! I was, admittedly, a bit curmudgeonly about this and said “What’s the big deal?” I have seen in the UK and Canada several TV […]
