Absolutely.
I have been disappointed to see the trajectory of Canada's Conservative Party in recent years.
I remember Michelle Rempel Garner, I think it was, and the deputy leader, Melissa Lantsman, who have both been proponents of bringing the Conservative Party into the 21st century and shedding this legacy of homophobia and transphobia, and I miss those days.
I remember seeing that evolution when the opposition to marriage equality was removed from the Conservative Party policy book. I looked on with dread when, at their last convention, we saw two anti-trans policies pass with overwhelming support and no Conservative members of Parliament were speaking out in opposition. We've seen no Conservative speak out with Premier Smith denying health care access to trans kids and their families, with her government literally putting itself between parents and the health care their kids need.
The impact is, as you know, folks living in fear, and the reinforcement of stigma and shame. Many generations of queer and trans people grew up in schools and communities that taught us to hate ourselves. It's only in the last decade that we've seen this shift, but now this period of backlash is recreating that environment of stigma, of hostility. I can't stop thinking about the mom in Alberta who might have to leave her province to get her kid access to health care. I can't help but think about the kid in Saskatchewan who simply wants to be themself and is hearing a schoolyard bully parrot the language of their premier in order to mistreat and bully that child.
I hope that the Conservative Party comes into 2024 and stops taking issue with my community, who simply want to be ourselves, to contribute to society and make Canada a country where freedom includes everybody.