Together: Resisting, Supporting, Healing

On May 17^th and every day, we fight for justice as a global issue, resisting, supporting and healing together. Gains made in the fight for LGBTQ2+ rights over the past few decades are fragile, and the work towards an inclusive and equitable future continues.

Canada’s labour movement must be at the forefront of the fight to protect the rights of LGBTQ2+ communities. We cannot be strong as a labour movement unless we are strong in all our communities and in ourselves.

Globally, there is an increase in discrimination and violence towards LGTBQ2+ communities. From attempts to ban trans people from playing sports  and denying gender-affirming care  in the US, to the fight against police brutality and systemic discrimination in Nigeria, to anti-LGBTQ2+government measures in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania . Just recently, Alireza Fazeli Monfared was brutally murdered in Iran over his sexuality.

COVID-19 continues to expose the many systemic inequities and barriers faced by marginalized populations. Many members of LGBTQ2+ communities are experiencing a reduction in access to healthcare services, increased stigma, discrimination, violence, abuse, isolation and increased unemployment during this crisis. Indigenous, Black, and racialized LGBTQ2+ people, and those with disabilities, have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Canadians are not immune to homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. Advocacy and education around the rights of trans people remains a contentious issue as trans people continue to face increasing levels of discrimination and violence. Legal battles for access to gender-affirming care for teens and children in Canada remains an issue. The blood donation ban unfairly targets men who have sex with men, gender non-conforming people and transgender people. And despite this, the recent federal budget contained no funding to address issues of inequality for LGBTQ2+ people in Canada.

PSAC continues to fight for LGBTQ2+ rights and we have won some notable victories in recent years. We continue to advocate for more inclusive workplaces by bringing issues affecting LGBTQ2+ workers to the bargaining table, fighting to include HIV prevention medication and gender-affirming health care into extended health plans, advocating for gender inclusive washrooms in workplaces, and more.

May is the first month of PSAC’s ongoing Pride celebrations. Join us in support of LGBTQ2+ justice.

Get involved:

• Hear It! Stop It!: Speak out when you witness homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia
• Learn about what trans inclusion means
• Advocate for gender inclusive washrooms
• Find out more about building inclusive workplaces
• Support the fight against the discriminatory blood donation ban
• Find May 17 events near you

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

Bear Witness Day is a day both to show support for First Nations youth and to call on the federal government to address the longstanding discrimination faced by First Nations children.

While PSAC welcomes the commitments made in the 2021 budget, more federal funding is needed to close the socio-economic gap faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. First Nations children are frequently left waiting for services or worse yet, denied services that are available to other children. This includes adequate education, healthcare, childcare, recreation, culture and language services.

PSAC has been working to protect and defend the rights of all Indigenous Peoples in Canada for decades. They deserve full human rights, fundamental freedoms, and social infrastructure in their communities. The union represents many Indigenous members, including workers on First Nations reserves. At our last Triennial convention, delegates unanimously passed a resolution urging the union to support Bear Witness Day.

Bear Witness Day Background

On May 10, 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal directed the federal government to fully implement Jordan’s Principle, marking it as Bear Witness Day.

Jordan River Anderson was born in Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba with complex medical needs. He was placed in hospital in Winnipeg where he needlessly spent years waiting for the federal and provincial governments to decide who would pay for his home care. He died in hospital when he was five years old, having never spent a day in his family’s home. Cindy Blackstock and the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society have worked tirelessly to ensure that this would never happen to another Indigenous child.

The pandemic has further exposed the many systemic inequalities experienced by First Nations people. The situation for First Nations children is now even more dire. In January 2021, data showed that the rate of reported cases of COVID-19 in First Nations living on reserve was 40 per cent higher than the rate in the general population. The virus has also worsened the mental health crisis among First Nations youth.

This year, it is even more important to support First Nations communities as many struggle to recover from the pandemic and continue to face inadequate levels of funding for social services.

Show your support for First Nations children on May 10^th – Bear Witness Day:

• Take part in the  online screening  of Spirit Bear and Children Make History.
• Hang out with your bears or favorite stuffed animal at home. Ask loved ones in your home to participate too. You can let your neighbors know that you are participating in Bear Witness Day by placing your teddy bear or a drawing of a bear in your window.
• Host an online  teddy bear tea party  or bear birthday party to honor Jordan River Anderson and to learn about  Jordan’s Principle .
• Spread the word and post photos on social media using the hashtags #JordansPrinciple and #BearWitnessDay
• Learn about the importance of Jordan’s Principle by reading  Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action .
• Learn more about Spirit Bear and Jordan’s Principle by downloading and reading  Spirit Bear and Children Make History .
• Watch the documentary Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger  to learn more about Jordan’s Principle. This documentary is available to watch for free through the National Film Board.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

Asian Heritage Month is traditionally an opportunity for Canadians to recognize the incredible contributions and achievements of people of Asian descent who have helped shape Canada. Their contributions and challenges are often overlooked in the media, schools, and other mainstream institutions, even though they make up the largest racialized community in Canada.

This year’s celebration has been overshadowed by repeated – and often violent – anti-Asian racist incidents across Canada and the rest of the world during the pandemic.  Many racist attacks have been fuelled by longstanding racist stereotypes about people of Asian descent.

The horrific mass shooting in Atlanta this March is just the latest in a string of disturbing racially motivated violence in Canada and in the U.S.

In Canada specifically, there has been a sharp rise in anti-Asian hate over the past year, leaving many people afraid of doing everyday activities such as going to get groceries or even walking through the park. A new report by the Chinese Canadian National Council highlights 1,150 cases of racist attacks in Canada from March 10 to December 31, 2020. Even children and the elderly have been physically assaulted.

In Vancouver, incidents of anti-Asian hate crimes increased by over 700 per cent in 2020, while in Ottawa and Montreal, anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 600 and 400 per cent, respectively. Asian women—uniquely hypersexualized and marginalized—also continue to bear the brunt of this racism and misogyny, making them more vulnerable to violence.

The recent surge in Anti-Asian hate in Canada has given rise to demands from powerful voices from people of Asian descent for the federal government to take concrete and immediate action. PSAC joins them in calling on the government to:

• Strengthen the federal government’s anti-racism strategy to include and specifically address incidents of anti-Asian racism;
• Increase funding for the Anti-Racism Secretariat to make it permanent, independent and with a focus on anti-Asian racism;
• Develop a stronger mandate to collect race-based data that is intersectional and examines subgroups within the very diverse Asian communities;

• Eliminate employment barriers for people of Asian descent to get jobs or be promoted in the federal public service, including recognition of international qualifications.

We all have a role to play in the fight against anti-Asian racism and all other forms of racism in Canada. We must take action and challenge racism when we witness it in our communities, our workplaces, our union and at home. If you need support addressing racism in your workplace, reach out to your union representative.

Celebrate the voices of people of Asian Heritage

People of Asian descent are at the forefront of addressing anti-Asian racism, including collecting and documenting the incidents of Anti-Asian racism in Canada and providing support for those who experience it.

You can play a small but vital part in the path towards dismantling systemic racism by listening to the challenges faced by people of Asian descent in Canada during our upcoming webinar and learning more about their contributions through our digital history series that will be released throughout May.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.