More than 400 Canadian artists from the worlds of music, cinema and literature are denouncing what they call “alarming and destructive” anti-trans legislation in Canada in an open letter published Sunday by the pop duo Tegan and Sara.
The list of signatories includes actor Elliot Page, Great Big Sea singer Alan Doyle, actress Elisha Cuthbert, folk and rock music legend Neil Young, recent Grammy winner Allison Russell and Lois and Bram, of the former children’s performing trio Sharon, Lois&Bram.
Lisa LeBlanc, Alexandra Stréliski, the Karkwa group and Béatrice Martin, aka Coeur de pirate, also signed the letter.
“The anti-trans policies taking root in Canada go beyond discrimination: they pose a clear risk to the mental and physical well-being of trans people across the country,” the letter reads.
The letter denounces Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed policies regarding pronouns for gender-diverse children in schools, as well as new guidelines for hormone therapy and gender-affirming care.
It also says similar school pronoun policies in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan are examples of discriminatory laws targeting transgender youth.
Tegan and Sara received the Humanitarian Award at the Juno Awards last week. On the red carpet, the sisters voiced their concerns about government policies that target trans youth.
“We are currently seeing a wave of anti-trans laws across Canada and the United States,” said Sara Quin on March 24, moments before the awards ceremony.
“So we view our work as proactive to ensure that people understand that this is happening now. »
Tegan Quin said she would “encourage all governments and all adults who are obsessed with these things to focus on more urgent things,” listing climate change, the housing crisis and the sharp rise in opioid-related deaths.
The artists who signed the letter, including singer Anne Murray, director Deepa Mehta and author Michael Crummey, say they are opposed to these “alarming and destructive policies” and are calling on all levels of government to put an end to them.
Other signatories include Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Aysanabee, comedian Colin Mochrie and musical groups Feist, Tokyo Police Club, Metric and The Beaches.
The release of the open letter coincides with International Transgender Day of Visibility, which aims to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by the transgender community.
Tegan and Sara were recognized at the Juno Awards last week for their work with LGBTQ+ youth. The award was presented to them by Halifax-born actor Elliot Page.
“We are at a time in history where the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people are being revoked, restricted and eliminated around the world, and these effects are devastating,” said Elliot Page, before presenting the award to the duo.