Over 400 Canadian musicians and artists sign letter opposing 'anti-trans legislation in Canada'—there isn't any

Led by lesbian pop music duo Tegan and Sara Quin last week, more than 400 Canadian musicians and artists signed an open letter denouncing "anti-trans legislation in Canada." Signees included Alanis Morissette, Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang, and Elliot (formerly Ellen) Page. The duo credits transgender identified male, Fae Johnstone—known best for harassing and vilifying women who don't share his political views—for helping to write their statement. 

The letter was released on Transgender Day of Visibility, which, as it happens, fell on Easter Sunday and led to many vivid arguments over the sanctity of the Christian holiday versus the solipsism of the "trans community." (But that's an entirely different story.) In their letter, the Quin sisters call out Alberta premier Danielle Smith, who recently tabled legislation that seeks to place evidence-based limits on the medical transition of children, as well as changes in the provinces of New Brunswick and Saskatchewan that do not allow public schools to socially transition minors without parental knowledge or consent. 

​​

Seems reasonable, doesn't it? Not to Tegan and Sara, who were apparently so devastated that they used their eponymous foundation to release a panic-stricken letter that grossly misrepresents reality. To the lesbian duo, protecting youth from irreversible medical harms is actually an act of "far right groups tapping into fear and pitting us against each other" and "using trans people as their punching bag." 

Their appeals to emotion would not be complete without a vague conspiracy theory: "Their agenda is the same as it's always been: for people in power to retain that power at the expense of the most marginalized among us." Curiously, the sisters seem to have forgotten that Justin Trudeau—our Prince of Woke, who'll take any opportunity he can to give in to the demands of trans activists, even if that means transferring male rapists into female prisons—has been our ruler for the past eight years and 151 days. Who are "the people in power," Tegan and Sara? Are they in the room with us right now?

The sisters go on: "The government should never put themselves between parents, their kids, and evidence-based healthcare and supports." On this point I could not agree more. As it happens, the Canadian government has indeed put themselves between parents and kids, and evidence-based healthcare—many times. 

For instance: In British Columbia, a father was jailed after opposing the medical transition of his underage daughter, who ended up receiving testosterone despite his insistence that she was unable to give informed consent; in 2022, Canada amended their Criminal Code and made it illegal for parents or health care providers to not immediately affirm anyone's stated gender, no matter how young—under threat of prison time; Justin Trudeau's government supports public school policies that enable teachers to hide the social transition of their students—as young as four—from their parents; and the majority of our provinces teach SOGI (sexual orientation, gender identity) curricula that indoctrinates children with the pseudo-religious belief that they could have been "born in the wrong body." Tegan and Sara are right: it would be swell if the government would stop coming between parents and children, and evidence-based care. 

As for the hundreds of other musicians and artists who signed the Quins' letter, it's possible—surely due, in large part, to the Canadian mainstream media blackout on the gender affirming care scandal for minors—that many of these people simply have no idea what they're signing off on. The open letter aligns with the tone (rabid, unhinged) that media has used when reporting on premier Smith et al. Perhaps they just don't know any better.

What celebrity or wannabe-one would turn down the opportunity to sign an open letter denouncing discriminatory and hateful legislation? None, of course. Some may have even signed as protection from the cancellation mob. For instance, Buffy Sainte-Marie, likely Canada's most well-known "indigenous" artist, is battling public accusations that she faked her indigenous heritage. To Sainte-Marie, signing Tegan and Sara's letter appears to be an attempt to un-tarnish her reputation. 

Whatever their reasons, these 400-plus artists are dead wrong about Canada having instituted any "anti-trans" legislation. What we're seeing, instead, is a country slowly waking up to the harms of gender ideology and making steps towards redressing its well-documented risks and harms.