d a n i (taylor’s version) @dani_susanna Feb 6, 2024:
Signal boost for #ABSchoolWalkout
… Head over to Instagram and join the page if you are organizing. If you need some help with this, feel free to message on their and we’ll brainstorm to help you get started. Otherwise, simplicity is best. #ableg #abpoli #TransKidsMatter
Here is the Google form to register your walkout. We are hoping to get numbers and such so we can show how many students participated and where. This is also helpful for when or if we need to organize again
And lastly a message from my kiddo:
“The only direction we’re giving is to walkout at 10am, on Wednesday, February 7th for at least 30 minutes. As well as being respectful in our action. Each group should organize the time however they feel is best suited for their school.”
End of the update.
MUST WATCH:
The Forgotten Corner@ForgCornPod:
.@ABDanielleSmith told Hatters at a town hall last night that she has a trans minor in her life who is currently transitioning so she knows how hard it is for them. What a way to tell that kid you actually fucking hate them. Just an absolutely terrible human.
Giddy Horse@mygiddyhorse:
This is exactly why they are doing this, because they don’t agree with it. Trans people goes against their Christo-fascist beliefs. David Parker is a false prophet…
@cougsta:
Why do modern Conservatives hate children so much? They don’t even try to hide it.
You know that scene in The Handmaid’s Tale where June can’t use her bank card because all money must be under the control of men? Yeah, waiting for that announcement here in Berta…
When I think of the Alberta men that dropped in on me at my place, all huffy and puffy, to tell me women can’t own land. Yet, I am the only one that pays my taxes and weeds and tends the land.
@Seat6A:
Conservatives hate everyone. But kids can’t fight back.
GwP @email hidden; JavaScript is required@littleolmeyup:
Not that Conservatives hate kids; it’s just that Cons want complete control over the children so they can be raised as mini-me’s. Without original thoughts, just regurgitated right wing white man beliefs-generation after generation without deviation. A Far Right wet dream
Patti she/her@Patti_Rockgirl:
It’s astounding to me how conversations about gender identity can bring out so many knuckle draggers
Avnish Nanda@avnishnanda:
The widespread outrage that we are seeing in Alberta over @ABDanielleSmith
unprecedented attack against trans children is just the start. This is just the start, and it won’t start until these measures are rescinded
Dr James Makokis (nehiyô), MD, M.H.Sc, CCFP @DrMakokis:
“I want to affirm to my Indigenous patients, my non-Indigenous patients, my gender diverse patients, my trans patients that I will continue to practice gender affirming care on [reserved Lands] where we have our own jurisdiction and continue to prescribe these life saving medications that absolutely make a difference.” Treaty always trumps provincial jurisdiction. Treaties are international agreements, and the provinces were created much later. Our People have always been here. Tastawiyiniwak (Two spirit) people have always been here
This below is my favourite bit in lawyer Dennis Buchanan’s above excellent thoughtful common sense thread (the entire thread is worth your time):
So when doctors are telling us that Smith’s policies are going to harm kids…if you’re siding with Smith on that, is that because you think she knows more about children’s health than doctors do? Or because you’re okay with harming trans kids in the name of ideology?
Some are calling Mr. Buchanan a “groomer” in response to his wise thread. Others call drag queens reading to kids in libraries, and those supporting them, groomers too. That’s not grooming. I was groomed at ages 8 and 9, and raped by Christian married pedophiles (friends of the family and others in the community). The grooming was horrific, to make me not tell; it included threats that the same abuse would be done to my little brother if I told anyone.
Coeur de la Lionne@coeurdelalionne:
Was just saying to a friend that it won’t be long before the kids themselves protest the lack of safety in schools these UCP measures will inflict – where queer kids would be outed to parents, by teachers, before they’re ready to have those discussion with parents. Diabolical!
Markham Hislop@politicalham:
It’s pretty clear that @DavidJPba and crew are all about “freedom for me, but not for thee.”
It was never and still is not about freedom for all Canadians.
disordered@disorderedyyc:
And then there’s the current City of Calgary council.
I believe the percentage is 6.66%?
donna flick@Fujikatsan:
And then there’s those Christian pastors!
Jason Scott@JasonOnTheDrums:
I guarantee the number is WAYYYYY higher
Home was not a safe or healthy place for me. When I was eight, I was violently raped at home and then later in homes of friends of my parents/grandparents and relatives, always by married Christian men who used their religion to threaten and control me. Church was also an unsafe and unhealthy place for me as a child. School was my safe place and nurtured me and kept me alive; I couldn’t wait for summers and weekends to be over.
Alberta EMS War Room@AB_EMS_War_Room:
Legislation already exists that bottom surgery cannot be done on anyone under 18.
But our Premier decided to make it appear that this is new legislation. That her government has decided this. She sold it, and her base bought it.
Gaslighting
abhealth #abpoli
Jody Vance@jodyvance:
My Dad was a teacher. When he died, in 2021 of #Alzheimers – at his Celebration of Life HUNDREDS of people lined up to tell me how “without him I wouldn’t be who I am” or “I would be in jail”… “I’d be dead” They told me of broken homes and absent parents.. of people struggling.
Of how school was a safe place. Dad would arrive early…provide breakfast for those who had nothing. As the mother of a high schooler – I appreciate all teachers and counsellors who help guide my boy. Trusting educators is very important. Engage with teachers. Community
If my son felt he couldn’t talk to me -and obviously I would hope that would never be the case – I would want him to find a community leader, like a teacher, to be there to listen to him and help him seek out answers to his struggles. NO MATTER WHAT THISE MAY BE.
Sandy Garossino @Garossino:
I don’t understand why politicians are deciding who gets puberty blockers and not patients in consultation with parents and physicians?
The freedom people are awfully keen to boss their neighbours around.
FontyPython@FontyPythonBF:
It has always been about Freedom For Me and Not For Thee.
zalm:
The leader who doesn’t want to be told what to do, of the province that doesn’t want to be told what to do, wants to tell kids, their parents, and teachers what to do.
Is there anyone else in Alberta that sees the discontinuity here?
JCensored:
Freedom, for them, is the right to impose their ideology on everyone else.
Troy Pavlek@troypavlek:
Just personally got a phone survey. One question.
“Should parental rights and consent be required for a minor to undergo an abortion procedure in Alberta”
What comes next is already here. Someone’s polling it.
John Wright @BadLibrarian:
Not only is the poll objectionable, it’s irrelevant. A person’s health care is a private matter: my opinion and anyone else’s is irrelevant.
JMY @B3njam1n1962:
I got a call like that yesterday.
Mysterious robocall survey polling Albertans on parental consent for abortions by Mark Villani and Brendan Ellis, Feb 2, 2024, CTV News
Sarah Zagoda received a robocall asking Albertans about whether minors should need parental consent to get an abortion. (Source: @SarahZagoda/X)
A mysterious phone survey is making the rounds in Alberta, asking residents if minors should need parental consent to get an abortion – but it’s not clear who initiated the campaign.
Many Albertans started receiving the call on Thursday night.
“Minors do not however require the consent of their parents to get an abortion in Alberta, nor is it required for parents to even be notified about their minor child’s abortion,” part of the pre-recorded message said.
“What do you believe? Should parental rights include parental consent for a minor child seeking an abortion?”
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Sarah Zagoda was at home on Thursday night when she received the call. She said she is very concerned about the motive behind the survey.
“Pure shock, disgust, anger, fear,” Zagoda said.
“I can’t believe that they’re polling on this the day after such a heavy announcement was made by the government.”
The questions asked in the call also has Alberta reproductive rights advocates concerned.
“It frightens me because I assume it may be the next step and this government’s attempts to assert certain parental rights and prescribe children’s rights,” Betsy Jameson, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Calgary and human rights advocate, said.
“I think this is a very dangerous road to go down. And I’m frightened that it’s been tested.”
Alissa Golob, the executive director of RightNow, a pro-life political organization, said she thinks it makes sense to discuss parental consent for abortion alongside the proposed rules for transgender youth.
“I think that it’s just logically consistent to ask people where they stand on parental rights when it comes to abortion,” Golob said.
“Like if the current parental rights legislation says that a minor can have irreversible medical procedure without parental consent, then abortion should logically fall under that category.”
In an emailed statement Friday, the Government of Alberta said it is not behind the poll.It’s unwise to believe a word stated by TBA or UCP or Big Oil Dildo Danielle or her staff. I expect misogynistic robocall dude Pierre Picklehead, managed by misogynist extra vile Steve Harper, is behind the poll.
It added that there are no further policies regarding minors being considered in addition to the proposed rules for transgender youth(opens in a new tab) announced earlier this week.
The survey came from a number representing National Public Research Canada.
CTV News has been unable to confirm who was behind the survey, but it appears the automated voice on the call failed to identify themselves, breaching Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) rules.
According to the CRTC rules, robocalls must begin with a clear message identifying the person on whose behalf the telecommunication is made, and a brief description of its purpose.
“This identification message shall include an electronic mail address or postal mailing address and a local or toll-free telecommunications number at which a representative of the originator of the message can be reached,” the CRTC rule states.
More details to come…
NancyKat444@nancykat444:
Pandering to her base. Vile.
Marni Panas@marnipanas:
Welcome to Alberta. Where a plastic straw has more rights and protections than a #trans kid. #ableg
Mimi Williams (she/her)@MimiProbably:
They needed a bigger distraction than straws to divert people’s attention away from the utter collapse of health care, education and environmental protection.And to deflect from oil & gas frac’ing Alberta dry?
That they chose to attack vulnerable youth to do so is beyond evil.
#ABPoli #ABLeg
***
Danielle Smith Declares War on Trans Kids, Despite soft words, UCP is set to adopt harsh, othering and dangerous policies by David J. Climenhaga Today in The Tyee
Ex-Haney Guy:
Is there anything that the UCP’s hatred and meaness copied from the more vicious MAGA/Nazi/extremists that they won’t use? Alberta is becoming the laughing stock of Canada. The very attributes that makes other countries like Canadians for their lack of, Alberta is promoting. This is so madening, I can hardley stand it. Having friends and family that are of every mix; colour, sexuality, religious, political, none could accept this position. These are people, and anyone who says there’s a “queer agenda” , which does not exist, is just having a circle-jerk with other chicken-shit bullies. This is so un-Canadian, and cruel. And embarassingly ignorant.
***
Christina_Suz@Christina_Suz:
Haven’t we learned by now that Dani is a pathological Liar?
Doctors, nurses and medical groups urge province to walk back plans to limit gender-affirming care, Canadian Paediatric Society, Alberta Medical Association speak out by Jennifer Lee, Feb 2, 2024, CBC News
Sweeping changes to gender-affirming care, announced by the Alberta government this week, are sparking widespread backlash and condemnation from doctors, nurses and medical organizations, and calls are mounting for the province to reverse its decision.
Touting it as a move to protect children, Premier Danielle Smith positioned Alberta as the most restrictive in Canada and introduced a suite of policies impacting transgender youth this week, including a ban on the use of puberty blocking medication and hormone therapy in children under 16, for the purposes of gender affirmation.
While Smith also announced a prohibition on gender-affirming surgeries in children under 18, lower surgeries are already restricted to people over 18, and doctors say top surgeries are very rarely performed on older teens.
“This is a direct attack on trans youth,” said Dr. Ted Jablonski, a Calgary family physician who specializes in transgender care. “This is an assault on their medical care.”
Jablonski has been treating transgender Calgarians for more than two decades.
“I feel like we’ve stepped back in time,” he said.
“There’s no medical evidence to make any kind of restrictions. We have very good guidelines to manage trans youth.”
These guidelines include a detailed position statement published by the Canadian Paediatric Society and standards of care published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
The pediatrics section of the Alberta Medical Association issued a statement late Thursday, calling on the provincial government to back off of its plan.
“Children and youth have the right to the appropriate medical care, at the appropriate time, and this should not be denied to them,” the statement said.
“We urge the Premier, in the strongest terms, to reconsider the proposed changes for care of transgender youth.”
The Canadian Paediatric Society also condemned the plan and called on the premier to walk it back.
“We are deeply concerned that implementation of these policies will not only undermine the fundamental rights of transgender children and youth in Alberta, but will lead to significant negative health outcomes, including increased risk of suicide and self-harm,” the group said in a letter to Smith.
Facing a barrage of criticism, Smith defended her government’s plan at a news conference on Thursday.
“We want to make sure that children do not prematurely make decisions that are going to be irreversible and affect their ability to have sex and affect their ability to have children, until they’re of an age where they’re fully responsible for those decisions. That’s age 18,” she said.
Dr. Joe Raiche, a psychiatrist who works in the youth gender clinic at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, called the policies “shocking” and “devastating.”
“This does tremendous harm. It has the potential to cause an irreparable impact on lives of trans youth and families,” he said, adding no clinicians at the youth gender clinics in either Calgary or Edmonton were consulted on the policy.
Puberty blocking medication
One of Raiche’s biggest concern is the ban on puberty-suppressing medication in kids under 16.
“This would make Alberta having the most restrictive gender-affirming care across all of Canada,” he said in an interview with CBC News.
“The magnitude of the harm of having somebody go through puberty that’s not aligned with their gender identity … is just downright cruel,” he said.
The Canadian Paediatric Society notes hormone suppression is reversible and puberty continues once the treatment is stopped.
“It gives youth and their families a chance to pause, reflect [and] explore, without their body going through devastating changes that can be irreversibly and irredeemably harmful for them,” said Raiche.
According to the society, gender-affirming hormones, which the province also seeks to ban for kids under 16, are considered partially reversible. These medications are prescribed to “promote the development of physical features that are better aligned with an individual’s experienced gender.”
Mental health concerns
Doctors are warning the mental health implications of these changes will be significant and long-lasting.
According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, transgender youth have a higher risk of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide.
“Now we’re asking youth to endure more mental distress, more mental anguish,” said Raiche.
The AMA section of pediatrics said the move will increase the mental health needs, and burden, on the health system.
“The mental health of these children and youth will be markedly worse when denied care,” the statement said.
“These new medical restrictions single them out and reinforce stigma.”
Dr. Jake Donaldson, a Calgary-based family physician who treats gender diverse youth and adults, is worried about his patients
“Most studies, including here in Canada and here in Alberta, have shown that about 40 per cent of gender diverse individuals will try to kill themselves at some point if they are not in a supportive environment,” he said in an interview on CBC Radio’s Alberta at Noon.
“So it really can be a life-or-death situation for some of these kids.”
Medical autonomy
Calling it an assault on human rights, the United Nurses of Alberta also lambasted the policy, warning it amounts to political interference.
“To use medical treatment of young people as an excuse to mount a politically motivated attack on gender-affirming health care will put the lives of young people at risk, ultimately increase the costs of providing health care, and set a dangerous precedent that should concern us all,” the statement said.
“Political decisions to block one kind of medical treatment can easily lead to political decisions to block other kinds.”I expect abortion will be criminalized next (even if the mother’s life is at risk), then birth control, then women requesting condoms on during sex no matter how rampant STDs are, then, removing women’s right to say no to sex, vote, work, refuse marriage, etc., finally leading to decriminalizing rape (to keep Jordan Peterson and his vile incels, Hockey Gang Rape Canada, rape religions – notably catholic, and the legal-judicial industry happy).
Meme above: Danielle Smith saying “Look, I’m getting tired of having to say this. We consulted extensively about our new transgender policies. I talked with Jordan Peterson and Tucker Carlson and David Parker and Artur Pawlowski. The whole range of opinions!”
Jablonski agrees.
“I don’t think there’s any role for our premier to tell us what we should be doing medically,” he said.
According to Donaldson, the policy puts doctors in a position where they face violating the Hippocratic oath.
“I took an oath when I went through medical training that I’m not going to do any harm to individuals,” he said.
“If I sit back and do nothing … and force them to go through a transition that does not match their gender identity and live a life in a body that’s going to leave them as a target of hateful violence … that just breaks my heart. I don’t know if I can accept that.”