Education is empowerment

One of the purposes of The Rainbow Crosswalk is to provide education and facts that are based in science and help to clear out the muck of misinformation that exists today. We know there is rising hate today, and that hate has been built for decades on fear and inaccurate information.

We understand sometimes people may be told information that is not accurate, but it is believed and then passed on. Emotions can become heightened and people can become defensive and resistant to hearing different thoughts, opinions and facts. This is where fact based information and rational dialogue is needed most.

If you are reading this and you have questions about some of the information you have been given, take your time with our information, use rational questioning, and you don't need to share this with anyone right now. Let it sit with you. This is about you, your learning and your growth. You can always contact us and ask questions. We are not here to attack you or degrade you. We want to have a respectful dialogue, that is how change happens.

Why the 2SLGBTQIA+ population is being targeted by so many people and groups.

Our community was not always the centre of hate. The more open we are, the more rights we have, the more visible we become, we become an easy target by others because we are a small portion of the population that does not fit in with antiquated ideals and beliefs. It challenges people who groups that do not want change, they want everything to stay as it is, but progress can not be stopped. According to a Statistics Canada report , "An estimated 1 million people in Canada are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or of another sexual orientation than heterosexual - representing 4% of the Canadian population aged 15 years and older. Dec 1, 2022

Being a small percent of the population usually means that group can't really fight back. Targeting small groups is a common practice that has and is being employed by far-right white supremacy/fascist groups and far-right Christian Supremacy groups. Both Canada and the United States, were founded by Europeans who use this white supremacy as the basis of the settler and colonizing governance and it has dominated the culture, politics, educational and financial structures ever since. The remnants of this white nationalism and christian supremacy is woven into our daily lives and it is being threatened by the unravelling reality of our history and the want and desire to progress our society forward and away from hate and exclusion.

There is a dance of ups and down, rise and fall, hate and love. Neither goes away, the far right and the far left. However, there is a middle ground, where both right and left thinking people, political groups and society can live in peace.

In the current age, in 2008 with the recession, Canada began to see the rise of the far right based groups. Whenever there seems to be a glitch in our extreme vulture-like capitalist society, the balance tips and the pendulum swings again.

https://nbmediacoop.org/2021/01/23/new-brunswicks-alt-right-history-is-anything-but-new/

New Brunswick is no different, there are similar issues here. New Brunswick residents tend to forget, or do not know, the history that still shapes today's mindset of many of the residents who can trace their roots back to colonialism or too that mindset. Then, there are the several decades of Klu Klux Klan (KKK) membership that saw government officials, like Mayors, and MPs, among the membership of at least 12 chapters including Fredericton, Woodstock, Debec Junction, Sussex, McAdam, and Canterbury. There is a history of hate against Indigenous First Nations, French Acadian, African slaves and former slaves who arrived with the Loyalists, Catholics and immigrants.

There are some links below that have some very interesting points that may seem to be present in today's current political world.

https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/Acadiensis/article/view/28985/1882521856

https://nbmediacoop.org/2021/01/23/new-brunswicks-alt-right-history-is-anything-but-new/

https://byblacks.com/opinion/item/3568-letters-from-the-kkk-a-deep-dive-into-new-brunswick-s-archives-gives-a-chilling-glimpse-into-the-history-of-racism-in-canada

Sex Assignments at Birth