Steinbach Pride touches on trans issues for 2024
Advertisement
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2024 (363 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Steinbach Pride is a draw every year for about 500 people, according to organizers, and this year was no different drawing a large crowd that showed its support of 2SLGTBQ people.
“It’s so important to just let the community know that – 2SLGTBQ+ community know that – there are so many of us here. There are so many supporters here in Steinbach and that there’s so much love for the community and that we can stay in Steinbach and be proud successful members of the community both Steinbach and 2SLGTBQ+,” said Pride board member Charli Champagne.
Speaking to the crowd was Shandi Strong, a 2SLGBTQ activist from Winnipeg who was named as the grand marshal in the Winnipeg Pride Parade and received the Trailblazer Award from the Manitoba LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and was also honoured by L’Oreal Canada as A Woman of Worth. She is a transgender woman.
“Today we need to fix the attitude created by the misinformation that exists so that 2SLGBTQ kids don’t grow up with the same barriers and stigmas faced by other marginalized groups,” she said.
Strong reported that 68 percent of trans kids report harassment in school and that not all cases get reported. Also, 47 percent of trans kids report thinking about suicide and 19 percent attempt it.
She added that no minor in Canada can have any form of gender affirming surgery. Any minor to receive puberty blocking medication needs parental consent and must undergo psychological assessments and receive a doctor’s approval and monitoring.
“Fact, there are very few trans people that ever regret their transition. Trans people are approximately 0.5 percent of the population and it’s approximately 0.5 percent of that that ever, ever regret it so we need to stop allowing that to be weaponized.”
One young person who was at Pride was 11-year-old Amy Misir. She said she came out to Pride to support people and to show love and acceptance.
“I decided to come today because I am part of Pride and I wanted to be here to see the whole experience and be with everyone who is also like this and we can celebrate it today.”
Another guest speaker at the event was MLA Logan Oxenham, who is Canada’s first transgender MLA and who introduced a bill last month that got passed by the legislature to acknowledge two-spirit and transgender people in Manitoba. That bill was opposed by Southeast MLAs Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach), Ron Schuler (Springfield-Ritchot), Konrad Narth (La Verendrye), and Josh Guenter (Borderland). They were the only Tories to vote against the bill. The sticking point was the wording over youth having agency over themselves and gender affirming care. Oxenham said the MLAs missed an opportunity when they cast their “No” votes.
“They missed an opportunity. An opportunity to acknowledge the humanity of trans people, but most of all they missed an opportunity to represent all of their constituents not just the cis heterosexual constituents, but all their constituents,” he said.
Volunteer Sayuri Nespoles said she sometimes feels as if politicians are using trans issues to get votes.
“Unfortunately, we’re used sometimes as a political weapon to get votes or stuff and that kind of hurts. Sometimes it’s like we’re not people we’re just things to be used. It’s good to have a place where you feel at home (as you do in Pride).”
Strong has a reminder to those who forget what Pride is all about.
“Remember today that Pride began as a protest – an uprising – and it morphed into a celebration. But whether we protest or we celebrate, we do it in defiance of hate.”
