LISA SALAZAR — BLOG

In 2015, The New York Times ran a groundbreaking editorial series, The Quest for Transgender Equality. It was bold, urgent, and unequivocal: trans people deserve dignity, legal protection, and full inclusion in society. As part of that series, the Times invited transgender people to share their experiences in Transgender Lives: Your Stories , an evolving collection of personal narratives that reflected the strength, diversity, and challenges of the trans community. I contributed to that series . Like so many others, I believed the Times was genuinely invested in telling our stories, in shifting public perception toward empathy and understanding. Back then, the paper seemed to recognize that trans rights were not just an abstract political issue but a deeply personal, lived reality. That was ten years ago. Last weekend, the Times ran another editorial on transgender rights. This time, it was in response to Donald Trump’s sweeping attacks on trans Americans — executive orders targeting h...

Ever since I started this blog in 2011, I have written several posts about how I, as a follower of Christ, was able to reconcile my faith with being transgender. I have elaborated on the theological arguments and rationale to clarify how this reconciliation occurred, thanks to what Jesus said about eunuchs. That's when the penny dropped, and I could accept myself. I won't repeat the story here; it's in my book if you'd care to read it.  The reason for revisiting this important topic is because of Trump's relentless attacks on trans people from the first day he took office for the second time. Please share with as many people as possible. Jesus on Trans Acceptance: Why Some Will Never Get It The expectation that all people will one day accept and affirm transgender individuals may be an unattainable goal. Even Jesus didn’t suggest that such universal acceptance was possible. In Matthew 19:11-12 , after discussing marriage and divorce, Jesus makes a seemingly unrelat...

I found a fascinating TED Talk by Mitchell Prinstein on how popularity and likability impact our lives. His research reveals that the most well-liked people aren’t necessarily the loudest, most dominant figures in the room. Instead, genuine popularity—the kind that sticks with us beyond high school—is built on reciprocity.  The truly well-liked people, like others, extend kindness and create connections. But then there’s another kind of popularity: perceived popularity—based on dominance, status, and intimidation rather than genuine affection. If you’re looking for the ultimate case study, just glance at Donald Trump. Trump has the Illusion of being popular. He loves to talk about his crowd sizes, poll numbers, and TV ratings. He’s obsessed with how many people “love” him. But here’s the thing—Trump isn’t liked in the way that Prinstein’s research describes. He isn’t beloved because he’s warm, kind, or generous. Instead, he thrives on a different appeal: power, fear, and tribal loy...

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 ...

This should be made into a large billboard. Well, colour me shocked. In the relentless crusade to "protect the children" from the supposed horrors of gender-affirming care, a new study calmly dismantles the argument like a toddler knocking over a Jenga tower. The study reveals that cisgender males overwhelmingly benefit from procedures that could be classified as gender-affirming care—80% of breast reductions among adults and a jaw-dropping 97% among minors are performed on cis males. But please, do go on about how we’re all rushing to perform irreversible surgeries on toddlers wielding glitter. The findings should give anyone, even a casual observer, pause. They show that among minors, these procedures are exceedingly rare, with zero instances in children under 12. Imagine that—a system with “stringent standards” doing exactly what it claims to do. Shocking! Meanwhile, while lawmakers froth at the mouth over a non-existent epidemic of gender-affirming surgeries for minors,...

Disgust is a deeply human emotion. At its core, it has helped us survive—steering our ancestors away from rotting food, diseased bodies, and potential threats. But as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio program  IDEAS  recently explored, disgust is more than a survival mechanism. It is also a double-edged sword, wielded by cultures, religions, and politics to define morality, enforce social norms, and exclude those deemed “other.” The  IDEAS  episode titled  Disgust: The Good and Evil  shed light on the complexity of disgust and its troubling potential to drive prejudice. Experts discussed how this visceral emotion, while rooted in evolutionary necessity, often misfires, turning instinct into irrationality. As a trans woman, I have experienced firsthand how disgust can be weaponized—how it fuels transphobia and justifies the dehumanization of people like me. This is not just a personal reflection but a societal challenge: to confront the ways...