December 2, 2013 was a rather banal day for most people in Canada and around the world when Olympic diver Tom Daley decided to come out and declare that he’s in a committed relationship with a man. It’s not a newsworthy event for 99% of everyday citizens but for Tom this simple proclamation not only affected him but also those who are non-heterosexual, as we became saturated with the most intense homophobia uttered in recent years.
It’s 2013 and Canada has made vast progress in a very short amount of time. We have universal health care, technology is growing, our population is one of the most diverse in the world, we have more educated people than we know what to do with and LGBTQ people are legally free to be a part of mainstream society. Anyone in Canada can get married, share benefits with their partners or spouses and enjoy the privileges of being Canadian. This milestone was passed by the government of Canada in 2005. However, this past week we were reminded that even with all these new privileges gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual* and queer Canadians (and those around the world) are still considered second-class citizens.
For many youth, including myself, the harsh society of our parents and grandparents has changed significantly. While we are now a part of the privileged, mainstream society hasn’t completely caught up just yet. We live in a new era where we are bombarded with images of violence as entertainment, an infinite amount of reality TV, terrorism, televised war, natural disasters, all of which have become a part of everyday living. Yet we still seem to struggle with the concept that every individual should be treated with the same amount of respect and dignity.
According to a study done by the University of Winnipeg in 2011, homophobic comments are a common and accepted part of school life, even uttered by some teachers. Almost two out of three non-heterosexual students do not feel safe in their schools. Bullying is not a new thing and the media has certainly been featuring more and more of it in the past few years, but it isn’t getting any better for many LGBTQ youth despite what the popular “It Gets Better” campaign suggests. An estimated 10% of people aged 18-34 claim to be gay, bisexual, transsexual* or queer. This is 8% higher than their older cohorts.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau said it best in 1967 when he proclaimed “There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation,” while introducing the now infamous Omnibus Bill, which proposed to drastically change the Criminal Code of Canada following the Bathhouse raids in Toronto. While a powerful statement in 1967, it doesn’t translate too well in 2013. Today we are literally in everyone’s private homes via Facebook, twitter, television and the like. You may even believe that assimilation would be easier when you’re constantly surrounded by diverse groups of people and cultures. So, why is homophobia still so pervasive within our culture? Why is it making it so hard for many youth in Canada? Why can’t I go one day without hearing the word “faggot”? Or hearing how “gay” this is, or that is, or that person is. I recently heard someone say, “The new iPhone is so gay.” Good thing it was in Canada where it can marry one of its own.
It isn’t just the blatant homophobia either. The gay bashing is just the tip to the iceberg. Sure the number of youth being jumped, beaten up, and or killed has gone down, a new form has arisen. Because the government changed the laws to allow LGBTQ people to marry and have the same privileges, many heterosexuals have claimed that the fight is over and denied that homophobia even exists. However, this denial is just as dangerous and hurtful and seems to be becoming just as pervasive. Denying the very existence of homophobia within current culture, or the dramatic effects it has on the current demographic of youth, is very real and becoming a serious roadblock for further progression.
Canada is certainly one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to many things, including rights for non-heterosexual people. But just having rights alone doesn’t make life easier for the younger demographic of Canadians. Acceptance is something some people believe is only for the ones that conform to archaic rules and morels of a society that no longer exists. So, what can we do to make it easier? Speaking up and advocating for one another and not staying idle is a pretty good start.
The fight is far from over. Don’t be idle, challenge everyday vernacular, stand up for basic human rights. Don’t hate.