First there was MP Bill Siksay, the sponsor of the bill eloquently handling his legislative business. After the Conservative opposition legislator had their say with the usual right wing scare tactics that they got straight from the GOP here, MP Megan Leslie from Halifax began reading statements from various transpeople across Canada including one from Mercedes Allen to ensure our voices were heard in the debate raging in the House of Commons about trans rights.
Oh by the way, did I mention that Siksay is gay and Leslie is an ally?
I was also heartened to see African Canadian Liberal MP Marlene Jennings from Quebec standing tall and smacking the lies of the Conservatives down. I chuckled as she pimp slapped them into oblivion with applicable sections of the Canadian Criminal Code that made a mockery of their fearmongering tactics they borrowed from their south of the border conservacousins.
What a difference, eh?
Compare and contrast that with the gay legislators in Congress, and especially one Barney Frank. He's spent more time fighting us than he has including us, and I was reminded of that odious point when the Conservative MP's arguing against Bill C-389 pulled out Barney's gift that keeps on giving to the right wing, the 'bathroom argument'.
Yep, it's gone international. Gee thanks, Barney.
The vote on the bill will happen between 5:30-6:00 PM EST and it will be close. But what I have seen and been impressed by is just how serious the Canadian GLB community is when it comes to supporting their trans allies. I also got to see in this debate and in all the activity around Bill C-389 just how badly the GLB community in the United States pales in comparison to them when it comes to being fierce advocates on our behalf in our respective national legislative chambers we currently have no voices in on both sides of the border.
Canadian GLB peeps not only talk the talk and do it quite well, they walk the walk as well. I even stumbled across a Canadian union website yesterday that urged its members to call their MP's and urge them to support Bill C-389. It's glaringly obvious to this American transperson and many of us on this side of the border we share.
We're envious, and wish that our GL peeps and allies would exert one tenth of the effort that we've seen expended on behalf of our Canadian trans cousins for Bill C-389's passage.
