This Wednesday, September 20, far-right, conservative and anti-trans groups are organizing protests against teaching 2SLGBTQIA+ content in schools. These protests are being organized under the hashtag #1MillionMarch4Children.

The protests also support recent legislation passed in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick which demand that teachers advise parents if their children request to be called by a different name or pronoun. While these groups claim to be in support of ‘parental rights’, the protests are actually anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate rallies which aim to eliminate Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum and policies from Canadian schools

Politicians across Canada and the Conservative party in particular, continue to threaten the human rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people by failing to support 2SLGBTQIA+ positive legislation. Sadly, these politicians are actively enabling these anti-2SLGBTQIA+ protests to occur in 80 locations across Canada, with large events planned in major cities. PSAC strongly condemns any and all bigotry and violence that threatens the fundamental human rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people

September 20 will be a challenging and scary day for 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples and their communities. PSAC joins in solidarity with you.

PSAC urges all members and allies to:

• Join union members, leaders, and allies at one of the many grassroots counter-protests being organized in communities where protests are scheduled to be held. Check with your Federation of Labour or nearest Canadian Labour Congress District Labour Council for more information.
• If you wish to be involved in efforts to counter any potential changes in government policy in Ontario, add your organization to Momentum Canada’s list of allies and participate.
• Join the rally against anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate in Ottawa.
• Refer to the Pride Defence Guide for safety tips and ideas.
• Amplify and support local, provincial and national allies who are leading the pushback against this growing hate movement, including  Egale, Momentum Canada, and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
• Encourage your Member of Parliament and provincial, territorial, and municipal political leaders to condemn these protests.

These groups will not stop at targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Recent incidents of violence and harassment across Canada make the real impact of this kind of hate starkly clear. Trans bodies and lives are on the line, and it’s up to all of us to take a stand.

An injury to one truly is an injury to all.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

At the 2022 PSAC National Triennial Convention, delegates voted to build a more inclusive, equitable, and representative union by updating our use of the acronym LGBTQ2+ to 2SLGBTQIA+. This change is the result of PSAC’s ongoing commitment to promote equity for all our membres, especially those who have been marginalized.

Resolution CS-045 updates Section 15, Subsection (1) of the PSAC Constitution to be more inclusive of our gender non-conforming members. Enshrining this change in the Constitution is also a tangible acknowledgement of PSAC’s commitment towards reconciliation.

Including Two-Spirit at the beginning of the acronym honours Indigenous peoples’ ways of loving, learning, and building community across Turtle Island (North America) from time immemorial. With 2S at the beginning, this acronym further acknowledges the fact that Indigenous peoples were the first to build communities that honoured sexual and gender diversity on this land.

2SLGBTQIA+ definitions

2S – Two-Spirit: A culturally specific term used by some Indigenous people to indicate a person whose gender identity, spiritual identity, and/or sexual orientation comprises both masculine and feminine spirits or neither.

L – Lesbian: Refers to a woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to other women.

G – Gay: Refers to people who are emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to people of the same gender.

B – Bisexual or Bi: Refers to a person who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to more than one gender, but not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree.

T – Transgender or Trans: An umbrella term to describe a wide range of people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differ from the sex they were assigned at birth and/or the societal and cultural expectations of their assigned sex.

Q – Queer: An umbrella term used by some members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to describe sexual orientations, or gender identities that exist outside of heterosexuality or the gender binary.

I – Intersex: Refers to a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit into the typical masculine/feminine binary.

A – Asexual or Ace: Refers to individuals who do not experience sexual attraction or have low interest in sexual activity.

+: The ‘+’ sign is an inclusive way to reflect sexual orientations, romantic orientations and gender expressions, such as pansexual, aromantic, agender, and non-binary, among many others.

The language used to describe identities, including romantic and sexual orientations is always changing. When referring to a person’s identity, it is important to respect the words and meanings they use to describe themselves.

Read PSAC’s Gender Inclusive Toolkit

People in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities live at the intersection of multiple identities. PSAC seeks to honour this rich diversity, and, as a national union, we are committed to ensuring that all members are included, valued, and respected.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.