LISA SALAZAR — BLOG

What’s so sickly wrong with the USA? Oh, where to start? Here’s a country that will gleefully eviscerate celebrities over a single tweet, a bad outfit, or a scandal, rendering their life’s work radioactive. They’ll cancel them so fast it’d make your head spin, declaring their movies, books, or businesses unworthy of public consumption because of “moral outrage.” But when it comes to electing a president? Suddenly, moral outrage takes a holiday. This is the same nation that proudly handed the nuclear codes to a man with the emotional maturity of a Twitter troll, who openly flaunted his narcissism, misogyny, and shady dealings like they were badges of honour. A man who’s been convicted of felonies, proven guilty of sexual misconduct, and brags about his corruption? Sure, let’s give him the keys to the country! Why not? And when this man lost the election in 2020, he couldn’t simply accept defeat with even a shred of dignity. No, he instigated an insurrection, rallied a mob to storm the C...

  I ask, with a touch of exasperation: why are Conservative politicians so focused on Trans and Non-Binary (TNB) people, who make up such a small percentage of the population? Is it to distract from a hidden agenda, where they hope to shift the focus away from their anti-socialist views on publicly-funded universal healthcare, the Canada Pension Plan, universal daycare, public education, implementing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and anything they see as a waste of taxpayers' money? Will they also find a way to restrict women's access to abortion and birth control, continuing a pattern of targeting vulnerable groups while framing it as a defence of traditional values? I come to these questions not as an outsider looking in, but as someone who has lived through systemic and personal challenges. My journey began long before my transition, rooted in a deep sense of not belonging. In 1980, I wrote a letter to my then-wife, confessing the struggle I...

It’s What Poilievre Won’t Say Troubles Me Most Sidestepping Accountability at the Costs of Trans Canadians  During an interview yesterday (January 22, 2025) on CTV News , Pierre Poilievre  delivered a masterclass in deflection, showcasing his “debating team” skill at avoiding complex issues by pivoting to well-rehearsed talking points. The reporter asked a straightforward question about a controversial Presidential Order signed by Donald Trump, which declared that only two sexes exist. The question: If Pierre Poilievre were to form a government, would he negotiate with the Americans to ensure the gender markers on Canadian travel documents are recognized, even when they differ from the sex assigned at birth? (Source:   https://youtu.be/lwfC9z4YWhs ) Poilievre’s responses were dismissive and evasive. His repeated quips, like “I’m not aware of any other genders” and “if you come up with another list, you’re welcome to do that,” trivialized the question. When pressed about a...

  I am reminded of my own experience as a transgender woman who grew up in a time when this kind of understanding and support simply did not exist. As a baby boomer, I spent decades living without a framework to comprehend my feelings, let alone access to any solutions. It was a life of suppression and repression, one that came with profound costs to my mental health. Yet, ironically, I would not change a thing. The fact that I survived and delayed my transition allowed me to father three amazing boys who have grown up to be wonderful human beings. For me, this journey, though fraught with challenges, also came with blessings I cherish deeply. And yet, here we are today—in a time when science and understanding about gender-affirming care have advanced—facing lawmakers who completely dismiss the evidence. We have grown weary of conservative leaders ignoring the data, dehumanizing trans youth, and leveraging fear and ignorance to strip away essential care. The hypocrisy is exhausting...

Let me count the ways. But First, a Bit of Transphobia’s Historical Context Transphobia is deeply rooted in history, shaped by cultural, religious, and political forces that have long marginalized those who challenge traditional norms. Anti-trans feminism and religious conservatism have often intersected to form a formidable front against transgender rights. In the late 20th century, feminist movements seeking to dismantle patriarchal structures inadvertently gave rise to factions that excluded trans women from their advocacy. These factions perpetuated the notion that trans women, by virtue of their assigned gender at birth, could never fully understand or embody womanhood while failing to recognize the traumatic effect of having been socialized as their wrong gender and then having to dismantle and deconstruct years of internalized transphobia resulting from it. At the same time, religious institutions reinforced the binary understanding of gender as divinely ordained. Any deviation ...