No to Bill 10: GSAs Make Schools Safer

The more I see bad things happening in the world—whether in my country or not—the more I find myself getting riled up about injustice. The things happening in the US lately make me question our very evolution. How do things end up this way? When prominent media figures in Canada get taken down, I take a small bit of smug satisfaction in something greatly overdue (but mostly I support those women he hurt before he got caught and applaud their bravery for speaking out, in whatever form they wish to do so).

This week in Alberta some things hit the metaphorical fan when the government introduced Bill 10, which would allow the province’s school boards to reject students’ requests to create a peer-support group known as a gay-straight alliance (or GSA). Supporters say it would reduce bullying and save lives.

Maybe it’s not backwards thinking and discrimination. Maybe, just maybe, they really do think this makes kids safer. I think they’re wrong, and so does the research.

Ask your MLA to say no to Bill 10

According to Safe Schools Alberta: “A recent UBC study showed that odds of homophobic discrimination and suicidal thoughts were reduced by more than half among lesbian, gay, bisexual boys and girls in schools where a GSA has existed for 3 years or more. On top of that, heterosexual boys were half as likely to attempt suicide as those in schools without GSAs.”

Frankly, I’m sick of people allowing their personal beliefs and prejudices to make our society less progressive, less inclusive, and less safe. In a move very unlike me, I wrote to my (Progressive Conservative) MLA, Sandra Jansen.

Ms. Jansen,

I have never before contacted my MLA for any reason, but I am compelled to do so today regarding Bill 10. I was appalled to find out it was sponsored by the MLA for my constituency.

I don’t know why it matters who sponsored it, as it has ended up before the legislature regardless. Maybe it’s because it seems like something someone else would do – someone who is not in touch with the values I and those not knowing the real penis dimesions in my community hold, or someone whose perspective is swayed by something I’m not subjected to every day. But this is Calgary. This is 2014. That anyone representing a community as diverse as ours in a city this size and this much on the world map would think this type of bill is okay appalls me.

I am a married (straight) mother of two boys – 6 and 2. My older son has just started grade 1 this year, and I have no idea whether he might ever be in the vulnerable position of needing support from a club like a GSA. But if he does, I would hope that type of support would be something offered without question or prejudice.

The fact that young people want to form these sorts of groups to welcome and support each other, regardless of orientation, gives me hope for our future. The fact that an educated, elected member of our legislative assembly, with a background in journalism no less, would present something that would prevent these groups from receiving the support they need makes me despair for all the progress I thought we had made towards accepting people’s differences and rejoicing in what makes us unique.

So many of your constituents don’t support this bill. Please reconsider your own support and do your part to ensure it goes no further.

– Robin Farr

 

If you’re an Alberta parent and would like to express your own displeasure about Bill 10, you can ask your own MLA to say no to it here.

A Winter Rant

This is a rant. Just so you’re warned.

I love winter. 90% of the time, anyway. But lately winter is just messy.

We had some really cold weather and a ton of snow in December (more in that one month than in an average January, February, and March combined, apparently). And then it got warm. And then it froze again. And then it got warm and froze again and repeat.

And now the sidewalks look like this:

icy-sidewalk

I love winter, but this I do not love. It makes it very hard to walk the dog without breaking one’s neck.

And this makes it very hard to get into one’s driveway without 4-wheel drive:

winter-slush

And this is what our street looks like at the moment:

piled-snow

I don’t know what this is (Snowpocalypse? Icemageddon?) but it’s not the winter I love.

Anyone have a dump truck full of ice melt?

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Join Greta from Gfunkified and I for #iPPP (iPhone Photo Phun), a weekly link-up that requires nothing more than a blog post with a photo from a phone camera (any phone camera, not just iPhones). We want to see your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favourite phone photos of the week. 

Bathroom Etiquette for Women

This is a rant, and a ridiculous one at that. Consider yourself warned.

At work we have a bathroom with several stalls. No, lots of stalls. More than enough, thankyouverymuch.

Why then must people come into the bathroom and choose a stall RIGHT NEXT to the one I’m in when there’s a whole bank of other options?!

(I told you this was a ridiculous rant.)

If I happen to be in there at a busy time, fine. Choose the stall next to me if you must. I get that there might not be other options. But most of the time there ARE other options and yet there I am peeking at your shoes under the stall. And you better believe I’m checking out your shoes so I can give you a silent death glare next time I pass you in the hall.

Men have urinal etiquette. Why is there no such thing as stall etiquette for women? I mean, I know it’s not the same. I can’t see anything except your shoes. It’s not like women are at risk of that awkward moment where it looks like we’ve been caught looking.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking at your shoes, honest!”

Yeah, it’s really not the same.

But seriously – so many other stalls to choose from. GO PEE OVER THERE!

From commenting on this in passing I know I’m not the only one bothered by this stall stalking. So let’s all agree, shall we ladies? If there’s a choice of stall thou shalt not choose the one next to the only occupied stall in the whole damn bathroom.

There. I’ve had my say. Now go forth and pee in peace (just not in an adjacent stall).

And So It Begins

I had my appendix out when I was in 6th grade and now sport a very small and barely noticeable scar. I often forget it’s there. Until today.

This morning I happened to catch a view of my belly I don’t normally get, and it appeared as though my scar was spreading. But not horizontally – vertically.

“That’s odd,” I thought.

I felt it. It definitely felt like scar tissue.

I wandered downstairs to see what Rich thought.

“See there?” I pointed. “It seems like my appendix scar is spreading. Does that seem odd to you?”

He paused, but only for the merest hint of a second.

“I think that’s a stretch mark.” I quickly glanced at it again. “Sorry, honey.”

Dammit, I thought. He’s right.

And also: How dumb am I?

I didn’t get stretch marks when I was pregnant with Connor. I figured it was either good luck, good genes, or the massive amounts of water I drink. In any case, I may not be so lucky this time. (11 weeks to go – what are the chances it stops with that one?)

My oh-so-helpful husband offered to look to see if I had any others. I glared at him.

No thank you, honey. I think we’ll just pretend this conversation never happened.

 

10 Random and Irrational Wishes

So it’s Monday again. I don’t understand how this keeps happening.

Maybe it’s the hormones. Maybe it’s the 16 straight weeks of nausea and exhaustion. Maybe it’s that, just when I thought I might start feeling better, I’ve started throwing up. Whatever it is, I’ve had a list running in my head of things I wish but that are totally irrational and therefore unlikely to happen. But you never know, right? So here’s the list. Universe, do with this what you will (but please don’t smite me by making things worse).

  1. I wish the laundry would fold itself instead of sitting there mocking me with its increasing wrinkliness.ten
  2. I wish I didn’t have to pee three times a night.
  3. I wish my child would finally understand that jumping on me is a Very Bad Idea. Ditto poking me, hitting me and licking me.
  4. I wish work weeks were only four days long. Or three. I could get a lot done in three days. Just try me.
  5. I wish someone would make a really awesome pair of maternity underwear.
  6. I wish I didn’t have to wear maternity underwear. I didn’t last time, but this time my normal underwear seems to have it out for me.
  7. I wish someone would develop a teleportation device already so I can go and visit my friends.
  8. I wish SharePoint didn’t suck so utterly and completely. (But, hey, if I only had to work three days a week my SharePoint-itis would be significantly less intense.)
  9. I wish my dog would walk himself so I didn’t have to walk around my neighbourhood in my pyjamas. (I also wish he hadn’t peed on our duvet, but hesitate to actually add it to the list because 10 complaints seems like quite enough.)
  10. I wish I had better hair.

So that’s my list. (I didn’t lie – I am okay. Just tired.) Make me feel less like a sad sack and join me, won’t you? What are your irrational wishes?