Empowerment through solidarity

December 14, 2016

One thing QMUNITY has noticed since the US election is a political and social climate where some people are expressing hate in ways that society has not seen in a long time. While freedom of expression is encouraged, hate speech, harassment, and discrimination are something entirely different. These expressions have direct impact on members of queer, trans and Two-Spirit communities.

Friends, families, and community members are affected, and each individual must work to end behaviour that is harmful and damaging. The impact of hate speech and discrimination goes beyond the suffering of the individual, and extends to negatively impact the health of the community as a whole.

In order to combat this, the City of Vancouver has proposed a 101 Days of Action Pledge, which promises:

• To speak out against hate and discrimination of any form in our community.
• To take part in a rally to be held on March 19, 2017, in observance of the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21st 2017.
• That during the 101 days between December 10th and March 21st, we commit to work towards furthering our understanding of each other, building bridges across communities, and listening to our fellow citizens with empathy and compassion. Each of us has a responsibility to stand in solidarity with vulnerable groups and to protect our values of a welcoming and inclusive community.

QMUNITY supports the City of Vancouver’s 101 Days of Action Pledge, and believes it is imperative to support each other not only within communities but between them. QMUNITY pledges to continue to work in solidarity and through coalitions to empower each other’s voices through education, safer space creation and work towards equality and respect.

Join QMUNITY and the City of Vancouver in working towards a better community here.