July 14, 2010 - Nice article in paper about PRIDE; however...

Today's Telegram newspaper has a nice article about the upcoming PRIDE week (and a half); however, it was placed in the lifestyle section of the paper.. With that in mind, i have sent in the following comments, which i hope they will post...


http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=346638&sc=85


This is a really good article that gives a nice overview of the PRIDE event and most of the issues.

Don't forget that one of the most controversial issues in the news lately was the Department of Justice's refusal to add gender identity into the newly-amended Human Rights Act. This topic will definitely be highlighted at the seminar as well as the flag raising.

And by the way, as nice as this article is, it really doesn't belong in the 'lifestyle' section of the paper. Nobody choses to be LGBTQ as a lifestyle. We are born the way we are born. We are human beings just like anyone else. We aren't just about sexual orientation and gender identity. We all eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom just like everyone else. We are all part of the community. We all go or went to school; we all try to find good jobs. We all strive for strong physical and mental health. Some of us love music, some of us love sports. Some of us run businesses, some of us work for the government.

As unique as I may be in the eyes of many, I consider myself a regular St. John's native that enjoys the very same things about this city that so many others do. I feed the ducks at Kent's Pond on a regular basis; I will be running the Tely 10; I swim at the Aquarena; I will be at the Teddy Bear's Picnic as a volunteer; I attend concerts at Mile One Centre; I shop at the Avalon Mall.

The only 'lifestyle choice' happening here is that the bulk of society continues to express hatred, discrimination and phobia towards LGBTQ people, including our Government by way of their refusal to update policies, procedures and legislations to conform with global best-practices. what separates me as a transperson is that I can't seem to get what I need out of our Health Care system and our Human Rights system, and I face discrimination and exclusion from society without just-cause. Anyway, PRIDE is for everyone, as this article says. For everyone out there who may feel afraid of the unknown. Please come out to these PRIDE events and mingle with members of the LGBTQ community. You will find out that most of us are kind human beings who love life and love our city.

Jennifer