So I got a message a few weeks ago from Stafford telling me about a book he's writing about the Transendence Movement and anarchism and it sounded great so I got him to go through my process and book an interview. The day that it came to talk to him I was a bit sick but I toughed it out and we made it through, had a great conversation, and happily promoted his book (which isn't quite finished but will be soon). I hope you enjoy this chat.
In the intro I talk about the recent policy by the Saskatchewan government on pronouns and names in public schools. For more from me on that subject check out my substack article.
Hey folks, welcome to the next interview episode of The Skeptical Leftist Podcast. It’s been awhile since I did an interview episode and I have a couple almost all set for you to see and hear. The last time I did a real intro was back in May so I’m a bit out of practice but I’m going to try and get this out. It’s been quite the summer but recently the province of Saskatchewan released a new policy around pronouns and gender transition for youth in public schools. As you would expect from a backwards conservative provincial government it’s all about including parents in any decisions to use different pronouns for youth or any name changes at school. So if your kid has a nickname they prefer with their friends then you may be informed or if your kid is trans and they want a name more commonly associated with someone of another gender then you will likely be informed. Even if you kid doesn’t want you to be. The defense of this nonsense is the typical fare, parental rights, kids don’t understand what’s real, it could be a phase, so on and so forth but really what it is is yet another conservative government placating their right wing bigoted base by passing a policy that will harm trans kids.
I should also mention the restrictions against planned parenthood handing out pamphlets or participating in the sex education programs of the province. A few months ago some reactionary parent saw a pamphlet at the school and declared on Twitter that kids were being groomed at schools. As a small province with a small minded government we apparently do things because a single reactionary parent makes up a narrative about a pamphlet. We can just ignore the benefits of proper sex education and the importance of a young person’s right to choose abortion or staying pregnant because we have a narrative about grooming with no evidence beyond a very chill pamphlet. It’s enough to make me hate this place even more than before.
If you are from Regina there will be a demonstration outside of the Legislature on September 2nd to protest the new policy.
I know a lot of people are transphobic these days. It’s like hatred of trans people is becoming more and more popular and all the rhetoric we see in the US has made its way into Canada. Not that we were ever truly innocent of transphobia, Jordan Peterson is Canadian after all and he’s like the grandpa of the modern transphobe movement. I don’t know what to say but I can offer any trans people who feel they’re in danger my support. Email me at mindofaskepticalleftist@gmail.com and I will reply and we can figure out the best way to get you help. I will even give you my personal cell number if you’re in danger and need to be extracted from the situation.
If any transphobes see this I suggest you learn to empathize with trans people and support choices that others make even if you don’t understand them. It costs nothing to mind your own business. Teachers aren’t turning kids trans, there isn’t an epidemic of kids transitioning, and talking about gender, gender dysphoria, transitioning, or the existence of non straight people doesn’t train your children to be or do those things, it just teaches them that the world isn’t as binary as you were taught and that’s a good thing.
I think that’s all I can say on the subject, make sure to support your local Pride orgs and anyone who is helping kids who are in the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
Now onto the pitch
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