Local group calling for more action against strong racist, transphobic and xenophobic undercurrents in Canada
Posted Feb 25, 2022 04:11:00 PM.
Rainbow Community Council in Waterloo Region is calling on residents to continue the fight against strong racist, transphobic and xenophobic behavior.
An open letter, shared on social media, the group noted a significant upsurge in very explicit racism incidents and transphobic attacks in Canada and locally.
“There has been a growing recognition of how people are being overtly racist. As a result, there have been conversations about being more aware and that these are not isolated incidents,” said Charlie Davis, co-chair of the Rainbow Community Council.
“The person coming to the school board and bringing up transphobic comments is part of the same undercurrents that the white nationalist with the trucker convoy have. So these are all the connections, and it's connected to the growing upsurge of white supremacy,” Davis said.
A teacher was removed from a public school board meeting in January for making comments considered transphobic.
Davis adds that racialized comments are being dismissed at the individual level and are not recognized systemic.
“I hear racialized people talk about the most that white people need to recognize white supremacy is a white problem. As a white person myself, we are the ones that created white supremacy. We are the ones that perpetuate it on racialized people.
Davis also noted it is not just racialized people and leaders who need to pick up this fight. “The only way we can dismantle white supremacy is if white allies also do the work.”
He said white supremacy and transphobia play a role together, “So it's looking at how to dismantle these things from the inside out.”
Davis notes many have been advocating for change for decades. However, now that levels of government locally and the public school board are willing to listen, there have been an increased calls on racialized community leaders to provide input to local EDI efforts. Those who have been fighting for so long are now taking on extra emotional labour while struggling to muster the energy to keep fighting.
“There has been a growing number of conversations around equity diversity and inclusion within the region. As a result, we have had the City of Waterloo and Kitchener create different positions. On the surface, it seems like we have made great progress, but there hasn't been evidence that this has led to any systemic changes.”
“There have been social media posts I have seen talking about recognizing the fact that the trucker convoy went on for close to three weeks. If that group was racialized, they would not let that go on for that long.”
He noted it's now time for the focus to switch and get people to pick up the mantle and recognize that our realized community leaders have been fighting for so long. It's time for someone else to pick up the fight.
“Looking at these movements through an intersectional lens is extremely important. You cannot separate homophobia and transphobia from white supremacy. To combat them, you must combat them as being intertwined as well as at the systemic level.”
There has been a significant upsurge in strong racist, transphobic and xenophobic undercurrents in Canada. It is not just the responsibility of our racialized community leaders to take up this fight. White allies, cis allies and those with power – this is our fight too. pic.twitter.com/bKUx7RCGkn
— Rainbow Community Council (@council_rainbow) February 22, 2022
