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Abigail Curlew: International Day for Tolerance
This article was authored by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation 2019 Scholar Abigail Curlew
Political efforts threaten to undermine fundamental trans rights
Whenever I mention the many forms of oppression, stigmatization, and marginalization that many two-spirited, non-binary, and transgender folks face across North America and Europe, I’m often met with skepticism. I’m told that it’s 2019, and surely trans people couldn’t possibly have it that bad. It’s this disbelief that makes our struggles invisible, even while they are featured on front page newsfeeds across the globe.
Today is International Day for Tolerance, and I challenge you to consider the dangerous political trends that have captured the everyday lives of trans folks across the United States and Canada. Though these trends may be jarring and frightening, it’s important that we acknowledge the facts and face them down.
Last October, news broke with The New York Times that the Trump administration was considering narrowing the definition of gender to “a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth”. The HHS Civil Rights Office, under the influence of Trump-appointee Roger Severino, was seeking to erase trans people from federal legislation to actively exclude us from civil rights protections. This new shift in federal policy occurred alongside the infamous trans ban in the US military, potentially impacting the lives of between 2150 to 15000 transgender service members.
More recently, the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice has instructed Justices on the Supreme Court to set a new legal precedent that would allow for the active discrimination and segregation of transgender people in relation to employment. Following up on their earlier efforts to define transgender people out of legal existence, the DOJ has argued that civil rights only protects discrimination under “biological sex”.
There are great efforts at play to legally eradicate us from being recognized as persons under the law, and thus push many of us back into the closets or into hiding.
Canada isn’t immune to these emerging anti-trans political trends. Notably, the Ontario Progressive Conservatives passed a motion at their party convention that would direct the party to ban mentions of “gender identity” from public education. Their reasoning was that trans identity is a “liberal ideology” and a “social experiment” that are not appropriate for children. Furthermore, recent research is showing that Canadian trans folks face so much day-to-day harassment that many of us are afraid to leave our homes.
Recognition is the first step towards building a more tolerant society. We need to recognize the political machine currently working to undermine the basic human rights of trans folks. Many of us are fearful that our society is about to turn on us, but the wider cisgender public have largely not tuned in to our struggles.
As engaged scholars and leaders, we have access to countless pedagogical tools and philosophies to teach people empathy and tolerance. It is important that we use these tools to challenge this growing discontent around the existence of trans people. After recognition comes the hard work of fostering empathy with the explicit goal of undoing hatred, prejudice, and discrimination.
International Day for Tolerance provides us with an opportunity to spark conversations about how to care for transgender people in a society that is becoming increasingly hostile towards us. It is an opportunity to ignite the political spirits of those around you to step up to politicians and have them recognize that their discriminatory practices will not be welcome in this country.
Political efforts threaten to undermine fundamental trans rights
Whenever I mention the many forms of oppression, stigmatization, and marginalization that many two-spirited, non-binary, and transgender folks face across North America and Europe, I’m often met with skepticism. I’m told that it’s 2019, and surely trans people couldn’t possibly have it that bad. It’s this disbelief that makes our struggles invisible, even while they are featured on front page newsfeeds across the globe.
Today is International Day for Tolerance, and I challenge you to consider the dangerous political trends that have captured the everyday lives of trans folks across the United States and Canada. Though these trends may be jarring and frightening, it’s important that we acknowledge the facts and face them down.
Last October, news broke with The New York Times that the Trump administration was considering narrowing the definition of gender to “a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth”. The HHS Civil Rights Office, under the influence of Trump-appointee Roger Severino, was seeking to erase trans people from federal legislation to actively exclude us from civil rights protections. This new shift in federal policy occurred alongside the infamous trans ban in the US military, potentially impacting the lives of between 2150 to 15000 transgender service members.
More recently, the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice has instructed Justices on the Supreme Court to set a new legal precedent that would allow for the active discrimination and segregation of transgender people in relation to employment. Following up on their earlier efforts to define transgender people out of legal existence, the DOJ has argued that civil rights only protects discrimination under “biological sex”.
There are great efforts at play to legally eradicate us from being recognized as persons under the law, and thus push many of us back into the closets or into hiding.
Canada isn’t immune to these emerging anti-trans political trends. Notably, the Ontario Progressive Conservatives passed a motion at their party convention that would direct the party to ban mentions of “gender identity” from public education. Their reasoning was that trans identity is a “liberal ideology” and a “social experiment” that are not appropriate for children. Furthermore, recent research is showing that Canadian trans folks face so much day-to-day harassment that many of us are afraid to leave our homes.
Recognition is the first step towards building a more tolerant society. We need to recognize the political machine currently working to undermine the basic human rights of trans folks. Many of us are fearful that our society is about to turn on us, but the wider cisgender public have largely not tuned in to our struggles.
As engaged scholars and leaders, we have access to countless pedagogical tools and philosophies to teach people empathy and tolerance. It is important that we use these tools to challenge this growing discontent around the existence of trans people. After recognition comes the hard work of fostering empathy with the explicit goal of undoing hatred, prejudice, and discrimination.
International Day for Tolerance provides us with an opportunity to spark conversations about how to care for transgender people in a society that is becoming increasingly hostile towards us. It is an opportunity to ignite the political spirits of those around you to step up to politicians and have them recognize that their discriminatory practices will not be welcome in this country.
The 2020 Scholarship competition
We empower Scholars to have meaningful impact in their communities and institutions
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation 2020 Scholarship competition is now underway.
More than a scholarship, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s program is a gateway for bold and innovative thinkers who seek meaningful impact in their communities and institutions.
From November 15th, 2019 until January 22nd 2020, PhD students in the Humanities and Social Sciences – in Canada and abroad – may begin applying to be part of a unique three-year program providing generous financial support for research, and the opportunity to develop new skills as engaged leaders. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholars also benefit from participating in a vibrant community of Scholars, Mentors, Fellows and alumni.
We are seeking Scholars who wish to commit to a three-year program featuring the Foundation’s Institutes of Engaged Leadership, providing unconventional learning experiences that foster skills to help translate their expertise into meaningful action in Canada and the world.
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation 2020 Scholarship competition is now underway.
More than a scholarship, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s program is a gateway for bold and innovative thinkers who seek meaningful impact in their communities and institutions.
From November 15th, 2019 until January 22nd 2020, PhD students in the Humanities and Social Sciences – in Canada and abroad – may begin applying to be part of a unique three-year program providing generous financial support for research, and the opportunity to develop new skills as engaged leaders. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholars also benefit from participating in a vibrant community of Scholars, Mentors, Fellows and alumni.
We are seeking Scholars who wish to commit to a three-year program featuring the Foundation’s Institutes of Engaged Leadership, providing unconventional learning experiences that foster skills to help translate their expertise into meaningful action in Canada and the world.
Happy Holidays!
Foundation offices closed until January 6th, 2020
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday period. Please note the Foundation offices will be closed from December 23rd, 2019 until January 6th, 2020.
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday period. Please note the Foundation offices will be closed from December 23rd, 2019 until January 6th, 2020.
Our Four Themes
From the beginning, the Foundation decided to centre our actions on four major themes that reflect central questions in the life and works of Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World and People and their Natural Environment.
Launching our Strategic Plan
Between September 2018 and March 2019, the Foundation team undertook an unprecedented strategic planning exercise: The Future Forums. Thanks to this series of consultation workshops which took place across Canada, we gathered viewpoints from our own community and Canadians from universities, the public and private sectors, and from communities which often find themselves excluded from the collective national conversation.
On January 17th, 2020, we unveiled the contents of our Strategic Plan through perspectives that were shared by members of our community whose fields of expertise match some of the main themes that serve as the bedrock of our plan:
•Jamie Snook, 2017 Scholar (Regional Representation)
•Poonam Puri, 2016 Fellow (Inclusive Excellence)
•Robert Steiner, 2019 Mentor (Engaged Leadership)
•Graham Fraser, 2018 Mentor (BilingualismPlus)
•Caroline LeBlanc, 2019 Scholar (Volunteerism and Community Engagement)
On January 17th, 2020, we unveiled the contents of our Strategic Plan through perspectives that were shared by members of our community whose fields of expertise match some of the main themes that serve as the bedrock of our plan:
•Jamie Snook, 2017 Scholar (Regional Representation)
•Poonam Puri, 2016 Fellow (Inclusive Excellence)
•Robert Steiner, 2019 Mentor (Engaged Leadership)
•Graham Fraser, 2018 Mentor (BilingualismPlus)
•Caroline LeBlanc, 2019 Scholar (Volunteerism and Community Engagement)
Black History Month through the eyes of the Foundation community
As Black History Month draws to a close, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is sharing insights from three members of our community whose contributions have helped to build and tell this story.
Jamie Snook: Enhancing Fisheries Co-Management in the Eastern Arctic
March 3rd is World Wildlife Day. In this spirit, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is sharing an article co-authored by 2017 Scholar Jamie Snook published in Northern Public Affairs entitled “Enhancing Fisheries Co-Management in the Eastern Arctic.” The article was informed by a gathering of three Eastern Arctic co-management boards to discuss commercial fisheries and how decision-making responsibility is organized.
Jamie Snook is the executive director of the Torngat Joint Fisheries Board. The article argues for a need to co-operate across land claim regions, working together for shared species and learn from each other in order to improve how land claims are implemented.
You can read the article here.
Jamie Snook is the executive director of the Torngat Joint Fisheries Board. The article argues for a need to co-operate across land claim regions, working together for shared species and learn from each other in order to improve how land claims are implemented.
You can read the article here.
Lucas Crawford: The Crumple and the Scrape
Our 2007 Scholar Lucas Crawford has published an article in Places Journal titled “The Crumple and the Scrape.” In the article, Crawford explores how the language of architectural criticism influences the ways that we discuss the design of built space, asking, “what bodies do we build into our designs and our criticism?"
“Texture is every bit as political as color, as thoroughly imbricated in gender and sexual norms. It slides, if slyly, into our designs, vocabularies and tastes. Texture and gender are mutually defining.”
You can read the full article here.
Lucas Crawford is currently an Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick.
“Texture is every bit as political as color, as thoroughly imbricated in gender and sexual norms. It slides, if slyly, into our designs, vocabularies and tastes. Texture and gender are mutually defining.”
You can read the full article here.
Lucas Crawford is currently an Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick.
International Women’s Day: Pascale Fournier
International Women’s Day: Pascale Fournier
International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
"My grandmother played a significant role in my life and enabled me to have a voice. Grand-maman Lamothe, the feminist, the friend, the confidant, the mentor. She was a compassionate leader whose journey was to bring meaningful impact to the world.”
International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
"My grandmother played a significant role in my life and enabled me to have a voice. Grand-maman Lamothe, the feminist, the friend, the confidant, the mentor. She was a compassionate leader whose journey was to bring meaningful impact to the world.”
Leadership Development
Encouraging scholars to take the time to listen and understand, as a necessary prelude towards effective action. Fellows and mentors are chosen with a view to having them organise Institutes of engaged leadership in the course of a scientific cycle. They will organise the content of each institute. Fellows and Mentors from each cohort must attend at least one Institute of Engaged Leadership.