March 14th is pi day.
Pie = Deliciousness!
Pi = Ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The result: an infinite number, starting with 3.14.
PIE = One way of celebrating how inclusive we are to 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
Public. Intentional. Explicit.
Here at SSUC for the last 4 years, we have joined with Affirm United, our national affirming organization, in committing to concerted efforts to be public, intentional, and explicit (PIE) in our affirming journey.
This is more important now than ever.
Increasingly, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and freedoms are under attack in Canada. There has been an exponential rise in anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate-fueled movements, hate crimes, and hate speech across Canada. Anti-trans policies and policy proposals are emerging provincially and federally. There is also an alarming wave of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ demonstrations, vandalism, and assaults on affirming clergy and communities.
As a community, we have always worn our affirming commitments on our sleeve. We’re open about our radically inclusive message, our participation in pride events, the rainbows that, creating as safe a place as we can for all people to be together in community. What does it mean for us as individuals? I invite you to ponder what it means to you to be public, intentional, and explicit in your own support and advocacy of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and in particular right now, the increasingly marginalized trans community.
One idea: wearing symbols, queer/ally-friendly clothing or symbols shows that you’re a safe person. This shows your support to all who are looking for it (and you better believe that folks are ALWAYS looking for where support and safety are). In addition, these t-shirts, flags, ribbons, pronoun pins, window signs…whatever it is…will be great conversation starters with friends, neighbours, strangers. Pick up an inclusive pride or a pronoun pin at SSUC, or find ways to support local organizations with flags, clothing, signs, or other items of solidarity.
Another idea: writing letters to our Alberta MLA’s and to Premier Danielle Smith, letting this UCP government know the damage and danger they will create within marginalized communities – with queer children and youth already at risk. Let them know that in this complex world, there is no simplifying people into categories that can be made to fit in the traditional boxes of the past. In fact, what the pending legislation does is make the jobs of supportive and loving parents, teachers, medical and mental health communities MORE difficult. If you’re looking for a quick way to register your thoughts, or a template for your own letter to your elected officials, please visit https://transactionalberta.ca/
Two last suggestions: Everything happens within a context and a history. The queer community in Edmonton has a rich and storied past. Visit Edmonton Queer History Project or follow their accounts to learn amazing stories of local queer locations and people, and check out their walking tours and maps of interesting and historical queer locations in the city.
Speaking of context, Alberta’s history of suppression and exclusion of the queer community has a history too, which adds to the context of what is currently at work within the Alberta UCP government. For just a taste of this context, read the well-written letter to the Edmonton Journal from March 12, 2024, by Erin Gallagher-Cohoon and Kristopher Wells.
May our commitment to being Public, Intentional and Explicit about our commitment to the affirming journey at SSUC and within each of us not be limited to March 14th of every year. May it be a reminder that this is who we are each day of the year and in every act of support, care, solidarity and action.
