Yesterday (March 31) was International Transgender Day of Visibility, and to mark the occasion, Tegan and Sara have published an open letter against anti-trans legislation in Canada signed by over 400 artists.
The latest initiative from the Tegan and Sara Foundation sees the duo pick up where they left off in their JUNO Humanitarian Award acceptance speech, where they drew attention to recently proposed anti-trans legislation in their home province of Alberta — policies including age-based bans on gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy, and limiting the participation of trans athletes in sports. They also point to New Brunswick and Saskatchewan's recent infringement on the freedoms of gender-diverse youth to use chosen names and pronouns at school without parental consent.
More than 400 artists living in or hailing from Canada have signed the letter, including Neil Young, Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sarah McLachlan, Mac DeMarco, Anne Murray, Elliot Page, k.d. lang, Feist, Mae Martin, Diana Krall, Arkells, Mother Mother, PUP, Allison Russell, Backxwash, and many more, including Jann Arden, a recent vocal advocate for Alberta political reform.
"Far-right groups are tapping into fear and pitting us against each other so they can create a Canada where we're afraid of difference," the Quins wrote in the letter. "Right now, they're using trans people as their punching bag, but the truth is that this community is their convenient scapegoat. Their agenda is the same it's always been: for people in power to retain that power at the expense of the most marginalized among us."
Read the full letter below, and see the full list of undersigned artists here.
We all deserve the freedom to be ourselves, to be safe and treated with dignity. 2SLGBTQIA+ people are our friends, family, neighbours and coworkers. But far-right groups are tapping into fear and pitting us against each other so they can create a Canada where we're afraid of difference. Right now, they're using trans people as their punching bag, but the truth is that this community is their convenient scapegoat. Their agenda is the same it's always been: for people in power to retain that power at the expense of the most marginalized among us.
For those outside of Canada, the country is often seen as a human rights haven. However, the reality is that Canada is not immune to the global attack on the trans community and their access to inclusive spaces, healthcare and freedoms. In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith has targeted transgender youth with proposed bans on hormonal treatment, puberty blockers and gender-confirmation surgery. Months before, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan announced that they will require parental consent before schools can honour the chosen names and pronouns of gender-diverse children under 16.
Everyone deserves access to crucial healthcare services that affirm them. Anyone holding a historically excluded identity knows what it's like to be treated differently because of who they are. The anti-trans policies taking root in Canada go beyond discrimination — they present a clear risk to the mental and physical well-being of trans individuals throughout the country.
As artists, we know the danger of a social and political environment that restricts expression, exploration, individuality and self-determination. We want to keep living in a world that celebrates the beauty of difference, because difference and art go hand in hand. We also believe in the power of using our voices for those who aren't being heard.
We, the undersigned artists from Canada, stand against these alarming and destructive policies, and call on the general public to turn their attention to a growing problem in our country. The government should never put themselves between parents, their kids, and evidence-based healthcare and supports. We are trending towards more harmful anti-trans legislation in Canada, and we call on our communities and local and national policymakers to put a stop to this concerning surge in anti-trans policy.
