Inclusion and the Myth of Apolitical Science

July 13, 2021

SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity)

July 20, 2021

SOGI Resources

• Glossary of Terms (HRC)

Question from the audience: “Clarify the use of the term ‘pride’.”

Pride and pride month are associated with the Stonewall riots of June 1969. Pride began as struggles and protests. While Stonewall is commonly referred to as the start of the movement, the LGBTQ2S+ struggle goes even further back.

The LGBTQ2S+ community has historically faced violence, discrimination, and disenfranchisement based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, etc. For LGBTQ2S+ BIPOC, the issue is twofold. In the face of historic injustices, pride is a celebration of who you are, without shame or hiding, as the community has been forced to do in many ways for so long. Pride is also a call to action to address systemic barriers against LGBTQ2S+ people and make society more inclusive. Keep in mind that pride can mean different things or be defined differently depending on the individual.

Pride in contemporary day is largely about immersion and acceptance. Our society understands in a general way that LGBTQ people exist and recognizes that we have some degrees of equality, but that it's still a work in progress to obtain legal protections across the board. For many of us, "Pride Month" means celebrating and accepting who we are and living freely and openly.

— Marissa Higgins, “This Is Why It's Called Pride” (Bustle)

More info:

• “5 Ways Countries Can Promote Transgender Rights as Human Rights.” (Global Citizen)

• “Canada's LGBTQ population now 1 million — but hate crimes are rising too: Statistics Canada.” (CBC)

• “Discrimination against two-spirit indigenous people linked to suicide crisis.” (CTV)

• ““More Exposed And Less Protected” In Canada: Systemic Racism And COVID-19” (VAW)

• “QTBIPOC Mental Health and Well-Being.” (HRC)

• “Why Do We Need Pride?” (Pride)

Question from the audience: “What does TERF mean?”

TERF stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminism/feminists. Basically, TERFs do not believe that trans men are "really" men, or that trans women are "really" women. They tend to (unintentionally or intentionally) reduce people and their gender identities to their genitalia and end up reinforcing the gender binary. As we know, sex=/=gender. We can't conflate the two. TERFism posits that expanding the term woman or womanhood to include trans women infringes upon the rights and safety of cis women ("real women", in their eyes). TERFism falls back on gender essentialism (again, unintentionally or intentionally), which is something that feminism overall, and advocates of the LGBTQ2S+ community in general, have historically fought against.

More info:

• A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth from The Trevor Project

• “Feminism That Excludes Trans Women Is Bigoted, Not Radical.” (The Swaddle)

• “Feminist solidarity empowers everyone. The movement must be trans-inclusive.” (The Guardian)

• “The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained.” (Vox)

• “Trans rights have been pitted against feminism but we're not enemies.” (The Guardian)

• “Trans women pose no threat to cis women, but we pose a threat to them if we make them outcasts.” (The Guardian)