In last weeks print isue of the Coast someone suggested that a recent poster campaign in Halifax was normalising trans murder. So they had taken action against a company that has made enormous contributions to the life and culture of Halifax, gay and straight.
According to Unfinished Lives, a project in the U.S. run by Dr. Stephen Sprinkle who is a veteran gay activist, 142 transgendered people were killed worldwide over the last two years due to prejudice and violence. These deaths are an unacceptable tragedy, but fortunately not one occurred in Halifax or anywhere in Canada.
To suggest that hetero men in Halifax would murder transgendered people because of their sexual preference is hate speech, and no amount of jargon and self-promoting, false information will change that.
Setting up a facebook page that permits no discussion or dissenting opinion is the tactic of a high school bully and tearing down posters is petty vandalism. A real activist would simply have contacted the company with their concerns. Because of the enormous respect for the gay community in Halifax, the offending posters were, in fact, removed immediately.
Yes, the ad was offensive but condoning or inciting murder? Dangerous nonsense.—D. Evans
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2010.
Would love to have seen the letter that U. of O. sent to Anne Cunter. Probably read something like:
Dear Ms. Coulter: Canada is a land of peace, tolerance and respect for diversity, nowhere more so than on a university campus. So if you come up here and say the sort of things about Muslims, gays, wimmen and socialists that we regularly say about Americans, corporations, men and the State of Israel you will be in violation of our stringent hate speech laws. In addition you also have farty-pants and have probably been exposed to boy-cooties at some point in your life. – Cheers.
Misogyny is not okay, but Misandry is, sadly. It’s all about who spews it, and most women’s groups spew such misandric nonsense because we’re seen as the enemy.
But where would we be without hyperbole in the protest circles, right? They can’t be seen as just people trying to effect change in a fully normal way, or if they’re not alarmist, nobody hears their message right?
I wonder how many straight men were murdered in the same time period.
Pavillion, I wonder how many straight men were murdered BECAUSE they were straight in the same time. My guess is zero.
Some fymynyst “expert” stated a couple of years ago that most male-on-male crime was “Victim-Initiated”. Probably because of the way they were dressed, no doubt. But for my money the winner of the “Blind date with Rush Limbaugh” award goes to the fymynyst lawyer who opined that “For many men a false rape accusation can be a postive learning experience.”
but o.p., it has happened, and will continue to happen. as long as there are people who just cannot live and let live. do we stop fishing because fish feel pain, no, we don’t. and by the way, i have many transgendered friends, and most of them wouldn’t hurt a fly. even if being assaulted, they would not try to fight back, so, what does that make them, sissy, afraid, no, it makes them a hell of a lot better than most fucking straights could ever hope to be.
Two for two, LS. My turn to agree with you. I don’t have many transgendered friends, but I have one, and he is a better person than many I’ve ever known.
To the concerns voiced here, that’s all fine and dandy. But the matter really comes down to somebody being “desperate” enough to feel that a cheeky comment about the size of one’s adam’s apple directly relates to violence against transgendered folk.
You’re the one confusing gender identity with sexual orientation and saying “gay community” when you really mean trans folks. When you actually understand who you’re talking about, as well as their common experiences of transphobia (which includes an offense poster campaign), you can bitch about it.