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Calgary indie pop duo Tegan and Sara launched an open letter decrying “anti-trans laws” inside Alberta and throughout Canada, signed by greater than 400 artists from throughout the nation.
The Tegan and Sara Basis letter was launched on Sunday, coinciding with the Worldwide Transgender Day of Visibility, which honours the resilience and unbreakable spirit of transgender, Two-Spirit and non-binary individuals.
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Tegan and Sara had beforehand referred to as out the Alberta authorities insurance policies as an “assault” on the LGBTQ+ group throughout their acceptance speech on the Juno Awards final week.
“All of us deserve the liberty to be ourselves, to be secure and handled with dignity. 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals are our associates, household, neighbours and coworkers,” learn a bit of the letter. “Proper now, they’re utilizing trans individuals as their punching bag, however the reality is that this group is their handy scapegoat.”
The letter contains names of different Canadian artists like Neil Younger, ok.d. lang, Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen, Diana Krall, and lots of extra.
Taking goal on the proposed Alberta insurance policies and Premier Danielle Smith, the letter mentioned, “Smith has focused transgender youth with proposed bans on hormonal therapy, puberty blockers and gender-confirmation surgical procedure.”
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‘We’re trending in direction of extra dangerous anti-trans laws’
The Alberta authorities introduced the insurance policies earlier this 12 months, which embrace bans on gender reassignment surgical procedure for these aged below 17 and on hormone remedy for youngsters aged 15 and below, in addition to limits on sports activities participation for transgender athletes. Parental consent can even be required for a kid who needs to alter their title or pronoun in school.
In an announcement issued final week, Sam Blackett, the press secretary to Smith, mentioned, “The federal government is introducing these insurance policies throughout a number of ministries to protect the alternatives youngsters and youth have earlier than probably making life-altering and sometimes irreversible grownup selections.”
Blackett additionally mentioned the province was reaffirming its assist for the LGBTQ+ group by offering health-care entry and helps for transgender adults, and growing a counselling pilot mission to assist youth figuring out as transgender, and their households, work by way of tough points and selections.
Nevertheless, one other portion of the letter from the Tegan and Sara Basis learn, “We’re trending in direction of extra dangerous anti-trans laws in Canada, and we name on our communities and native and nationwide policymakers to place a cease to this regarding surge in anti-trans coverage.”
Docs have beforehand denounced the insurance policies, particularly denying individuals entry to puberty blockers, which delay the modifications brought on by puberty in youths experiencing gender dysphoria.
The federal government is about to desk laws on the proposed modifications this fall.
— With recordsdata from Hiren Mansukhani, Michael Rodriguez, and Postmedia
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