Driving to work on Saturday and Sunday I tune to CBC to get an idea of what is going on in Alberta and the world. On Sunday though I was quite perplexed. The topic was – I think – bear safety.
Bear safety, especially during spring, is a relevant topic in many parts of Alberta as human and wild habitats are now entangled. Reminding humans not to be stupid around bears saves human and bear lives. I was expecting a rundown of the basic tips for not being an idiot around bears. Something like this (also found on CBC).
You know, relevant fact based information that will useful most people. But that didn’t happen.
Instead, I was introduced to ‘indigenous ways’ of coexisting with bears, and how important it was to work with indigenous Canadians. The news piece featured a short interview with an individual who said that coexisting with bears was the indigenous way of life and it was culturally important feature of their heritage.
What I took from the piece was that it was important to, in an ‘indigenous way’ coexist with bears – because Indigenous Canadian Culture…
What was missing from the news story was any sort of factual information on keeping yourself safe during the annual spring bear awakening season(!). I’m pretty sure the phrase ‘indigenous ways of knowing” was repeated at least three times during the piece, and I thought to myself, “What additional knowledge is being added to the topic of bear safety?”.
I’m guessing the answer is pretty close to zero. Biologists have done a fairly good job at studying, recording, and making knowledgeable observations about bear behaviour why not share some of those with the public? But no, our national broadcaster decided to make the story about (undefined) mystical ways of knowing how to coexist with bears.
I know mornings can be a slow news time, but maybe CBC, just maybe make your news stories contain well, news?
We must guard against this sort of degenerate mob justice. See the entire article here.
“When talking to people about the state of universities in Canada, many deny the negative impact of “woke-ism.” My current “lived experience” in a province with a reputation for supporting free speech, however, indicates otherwise. It was challenging sacred cows associated with the “woke” character of Indigenization, trans activism and “anti-racist” initiatives, in fact, that led to my firing from my tenured position at Mount Royal University in December 2021.
For those unfamiliar with the word, “woke-ism” (spelled wokism in this publication) is the colloquial term for the postmodern tactic of reducing scientific objectivity to subjective authoritarianism, imposing its arbitrary interpretation of what is acceptable. Also referred to as “reified postmodernism” by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, the authors of the hilarious but revealing “grievance studies hoax,” this reactionary response to the intellectual progress driven by the Enlightenment tries to prevent certain ideas from being discussed under the auspices that the identities of oppressed groups must be “made real.”
Collision course: Frances Widdowson’s run-in with wokism got her fired from Mount Royal University in Calgary but she was still not prepared for the unruly mob of protest she faced in Lethbridge.
If, for example, a trans activist believes that they are completely debilitated as a result of “misgendering fatigue,” or if an Indigenous person is convinced that 215 students were murdered and dumped in a mass grave in a Kamloops Indian Residential School apple orchard, these views must not be contradicted because it is argued that such disagreement will “deny the humanity” of those who are oppressed, and disempower them. This, we are told, constitutes “hate speech” and “discrimination.”
Despite my costly collision with wokism at Mount Royal University in Calgary, I was still not prepared for what was to transpire at the University of Lethbridge earlier this month. I had been invited by philosophy professor Paul Viminitz to give a talk, to be entitled “How ‘Woke-ism’ Threatens Academic Freedom.” I was about to experience the fury of current wokism. UofL President Mike Mahon originally stated that the talk would be allowed to proceed because of the institution’s policy on freedom of expression. Woke faculty and students responded with intensifying pressure, leading Mahon to cancel my appearance a few days later.
Cancelled: University of Lethbridge (UofL) President Mike Mahon initially cited freedom of expression as the reason why Widdowson’s lecture should proceed; under pressure, he changed course and shut it down. (Source of photos: University of Lethbridge)
I remained adamant that I should go to the university to challenge Mahon’s assault on academic values (and repudiation of his institution’s freedom of expression policy). So on February 1 I arrived at the university to give my talk in a “Speakers’ Corner” type of format. But as I walked out of the elevator of University Hall and into The Atrium – a large public space on campus – I was amazed to see a crowd of about 700 people filling the main floor and upper level. While some in the audience had come to hear me speak, and a number were just curious onlookers, many were openly hostile to my presence, some brandishing signs declaring “RACISM IS NOT FREE SPEECH.”
Well here we be in 2022 and for some reason the news media seems to have forgotten some very basic facts about the human species. Humans are exclusively a sexually dimorphic species – that is males produce small motile gametes and have their physiology arranged around that aspect of reproduction while females produce large immobile games and also have their physiology arranged around that same biological aspect.
Jessica Robb, the author of this propaganda piece on the CTV website either does not know the differences between the sexes or is unwilling to state them. We certainly cannot have factual information intruding on a news article – heavens, that might just incur critical thought, and we all know that’s not encouraged these days.
So instead of presenting the situation with arguments from both sides of the issue we have to suffer through a woe soaked piece that entails how hard it is coerce the rest of society conform to the dictates of mental illness and what hardship this ‘struggle’ happens to be. The amount of bullshit per square centimeter in this article has sent the Red Pen of Justice a-quivering in anticipation of a thorough Fisking of gender identity and the vortex of bullshite that surrounds it.
And here… we… go.
“Advocates are calling an email sent by United Conservative Party leadership candidate Brian Jean as transphobic and dangerous for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.”
Ah, jebus lord on a cracker! Bringing out the big bullshite right out of the gate. Apparently sending an email containing truthful statements about the reality we all share is both “transphobic” and “dangerous“. One of the fun games to play when you see the word “transphobic” being sprinkled into a conversation is to get the individual to define exactly what transphobia is and how it applies in the context of the situation. Because more often than not something being “transphobic” simply means that argument /situation/context “X” is something the person in question doesn’t agree with, but has no cogent argument to tell you persuasively why statement “X” is wrong.
“Jean’s campaign sent an email Friday morning to supporters that challenged letting transgender and non-binary athletes compete in sports using their preferred identity.
“There should be two categories in sport,” the email read. “One for biological men, and one for biological women. Going through puberty as a male makes changes to your body that are permanent and cannot be denied.
“This should not be a controversial thing for a common sense person to say,” it added.”
Men should compete with men and women should compete with women. This is the commonest of senses dictated by the reality we all share. Nothing controversial to see here unless you under the auspices that human beings can somehow change their sex category because they “feel” like it.
[…]
“Anna Murphy, a community advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ and women’s issues, said his transphobic comments were not only “unacceptable” themselves, but disappointing to be used as a way to fundraise.”
Parse this sentence. The statement that men should compete against men and women versus women has been deemed “transphobic”. Here we see how the gender-religious work their word games – denouncing anything their religion doesn’t like automatically is transphobic.
“We are not just going to talk about it, but we are going to fundraise off of rolling back your protection,” Murphy said. “What Mr. Jean is doing is dehumanizing and completely coming at this from the base of complete intolerance and ignorance. It is hurtful.”
Rolling back protections? What? How can stating basic biological facts be ‘rolling back’ protections? Furthermore correctly stating that categorization in sports is necessary in the interests of fairness and safety for its participants is neither dehumanizing nor intolerant – rather it is an *entirely sensical and ethical* notion.
And of course it is ‘hurtful’. Because when you behave like a vulnerable narcissist everything is an attack. It also a ploy to play on your empathy which allows them to maintain their bullshit point of view while you have to change yours in a attempt to ‘be kind’ and ‘show compassion’. It just one ploy among many deployed by the gender religious to avoid critique and discussion.
“You have to imagine that you are getting an email that your identity, that your existence is invalid,” Murphy added.
Welcome to the next ploy. Validation and Existence. This ploy is on page one of the gender religious handbook. It is (yet) another rhetorical subterfuge to avoid honest discussion and debate.
Here is how to avoid being invalidated by a nasty fact based email from Brian Jean.
1. Scroll down to email in your email client.
2. Use your mouse to find the trashcan icon.
3. Press the trashcan icon.
4. Celebrate the fact you’ve dealt with a statement you disagree with like a normal well adjusted adult.
These people…
No one is obligated to validate you or any of your bullshit queer identities. Making others responsible for your feelings is recipe for a mental health disaster. The rest of society seems mostly quite able to handle life without being held by the hand and given validation cookies whenever they have a sad. If you are this mentally broke – seek qualified professional help – because the problem is most likely *you* and not the people around you (see vulnerable narcissism).
“April Friesen, Trans Equality Society of Alberta president, told CTV News Edmonton that the email showed he doesn’t care about vulnerable trans youth and adults who already face barriers to acceptance.”
Imagine actually believing that human beings can change their sex. It is up there with the Flat-Earthers. The belief in gender-magic SHOULD be a barrier to acceptance in greater society. We need public policy grounded in factual, objective reality, not the subjective gender-whims of small minority whose voice is currently being unreasonably amplified in society. Please, in your private life, do what you will, identify how you would like. No one cares. The expectations of others to take on the tenets of your gender religion are unrealistic and unacceptable. So no, Mr.Man your gender feelings do not make you female, not ever. Stating that opinion is neither hateful nor is it bigoted – it comports with the material reality we all share.
“He’s not having real empathy here for the people who are affected by it, and he’s showing that he doesn’t understand the science because the science is not with him on what he is saying,” Friesen said.”
Disagreement (or stating facts for that matter) does not preclude empathy. See what is going on here – ‘If you disagree with my feelings on this matter the problem is *you* and you being *mean*; regardless of the objective truth status of the claim being made. Facts really do not matter to the gender-religious, especially ones that contradict their gender edicts.
“He’s engaged in all this disinformation and arming all these people with all this stuff that isn’t true, and they’re now going out into the world and acting on it.”
James Lindsey created a Law for this – The Iron Law of Woke Projection. And indeed, it never misses. Gender acolytes are notorious for their poor grasp of what the actual science is on relevant matters and for muddling the waters in the name of their ideology. There is no reputable scientific paper stating that humans can change sex – yet the transactivists (aka the gender religious) just keep doing what they do (confabulating on a grand-scale and cry-bullying their way into positions of institutional power).
Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair for the public understanding of sexual and gender minority youth, said that Jean of all people should know that gender identity and expression have been protected by the province’s human rights legislation for nearly a decade.
Kristopher Wells should know that gender identity runs headlong into problems when faced with the realities of the biological implications of sex. Gender is mostly a social construct and its dictates change with the context and society it happens to exist in. Sex is firmly rooted in objective reality and *must* be deferred to when making important decisions in society.
“(He is) making an issue where there is no issue,” Wells added. “Trans young people have been able to participate in sports in this province and in this country for many years without the kinds of incidents or hysteria that Brian Jean’s email claims will happen.”
“Brain Jean is just really opening an issue that has long been settled in Canada through policy and the governing bodies of sport.”
Calling Bullshit on this Kristopher. Children have always been welcome to fairly compete in the correct sex category. There has been no public discussion on whether children can participate in the sex category they feel they are as opposed to what they are in reality. That sort of debate would bring with it public inquiry and force discussion about the bullshit that is gender identity and the fatuous claims it makes. There has been no discussion and you know that Kristopher because if exposed to the light of day and actual critical analysis your ‘case’ would fall apart like the rotten house of cards it is.
“Wells, also an associate professor at MacEwan University, says Jean’s remarks can help legitimize harmful rhetoric and reintroduce stereotypes.”
Woke Projection never misses. At the very core of the gender ideology religion is the notion that there exists the notion of “Feeling Like a Woman” or “Feeling Like A Man”. How they characterize these “feelings” is to reiterate the gender stereotypes (you know the ones actual Feminists have been fighting against) and say because I emulate these gender stereotypes that – in reality – makes (insert magical gender-wizardering sounds here) me that gender.
Transgender ideology – the woke religion – is hair on fire super-crazy-regressive nonsense. You are not a woman because you like cooking, wearing dresses, and nurturing. Just like you are not a man because you like sports, wearing suits, and being emotionally distant. These are just arbitrary features we’ve assigned to people who happen to be female or male. All it takes to be a woman is to be an adult human female the same with being a man, all it takes is being an adult human male. No gender-anything required. Let’s represent what I just said in picture format.
“This is about trying to score cheap political points at the expense of vulnerable people,” Wells said. “It has real consequences because it legitimizes discrimination and, in some cases, violence.”
No, this is about stating objective facts about the reality we all share. If certain people do not like or want to share that reality, then indeed it is their problem and thus, the rest of society should not have to reorder itself around a fatuous set of ideas that do not comport with material reality.
Acknowledging objective categories for the sake of fair play and safety isn’t “discrimination”. Again, witness the ‘if you don’t agree with me you are causing violence’ ploy. It is exhausting having to deal with hyperbolic emotional coercion.
“It’s blatantly false. It’s disingenuous,” the professor added. “These kinds of comments are harmful and have no place in Alberta politics.”
The good professor here demonstrates that even with a degree it is entirely possible to have your head up your ass and make erroneous straight faced statements like this one – stating that categorizing sports via biological sex is a false and disingenuous notion.
That degree you have shows that you once maybe had use of intellectual rigour and standards – try and find those things again try again soon.
“For Murphy, who identifies as a transgender woman, the real consequences are on kids who are growing up and learning about or questioning their gender identity.
“I remember what it is like to be them,” Murphy said. “I’ve got the scars to prove it.”
Childhood and growing up isn’t easy for everyone in society. We all are shaped by our experiences. What makes childhood more difficult is having adults trying to take advantage of your insecurities and groom you into a regressive way of thinking and dealing with the world.
“It’s important that we challenge that ignorance,” she added. “So ultimately, we can become better neighbours with one another in the community that we all have to inhabit.”
Bullshit. If coexistence and integration were the actual goals of the trandgender/queer movement we would not be having this discussion. When the mottos of your movement include “No Debate” and “Acceptance without Exception” it becomes very clear that you do NOT want to be part of existing society, but rather you to burn down the present society and then cobble together a ‘better’ one it with your values centred in it.
Not. Going. To. Happen.
The transgender religion and its denial of reality (of sex and of categories), the policing of others thoughts, and the erasure of women as a class in society will not be tolerated.
When you are ready to actually integrate into our liberal society that values freedom of thought and free speech and the exchange (and critique) of ideas I’ll be the first to warmly welcome you into the fold.
Hey folks, I’m just here watching the NDP continue to betray women and their hard fought for rights in society. Janis Irwin, of course is at the forefront of deciding that we should be including men in female sports, spaces, and services? Why? Because these men have special gender feelings that tell them that are women.
Read judiciously. Take some time and see what is being said in the message.
So do you see the absolute TRANSPHOBIC HATRED there. The notion that biological sex is real and that it is important in sports (and to be frank, every-fucking-where else) to maintain fairness and safety.
Make careful notes here folks as this is the exact bullshit routine every faux-progressive shitter performs when faced with any sort of criticism or inquiry about their position. There are no counterpoints, there are no rebuttals, and no arguments just wild baseless accusations. This just happens to be an member of the legislative assembly here in Alberta and sadly the fact free hyperbole is par for the course.
It’s a farcical disgrace.
More to the point there is a person with political power that uses this sort of hyperbolic rhetoric to advance a platform and ideology that actively harms women and their rights in society.
Scary stuff. It is unsurprising that the Alberta NDP is losing female support as they support the erosion of female rights and safety in society.
Talk to your political representatives and find out if they support this attack on female boundaries in society and be wary if they cannot define what a woman is.
“A food company in Canmore is facing a backlash over a transphobic response to a donation request by Canmore Pride.
As the Canmore Pride Society prepares for its second annual celebration, the volunteer-led group has been reaching out to local businesses to ask for sponsorships. The group’s co-chair, K Kealey, sent an email to Valbella Gourmet Foods to ask for donations for an upcoming BBQ and was shocked by the response.
The response was signed by Jeff von Rotz, whose email signature identified him as the deli’s owner. He started the email with a dig at Kealey’s single-letter name, then continued with transphobic and homophobic remarks.
“I’m sorry to say but you could not pay me to sponsor anything to do with child grooming tranny’s [sic].
“Please keep these sick people away from the children of this community, you should be disgusted with yourselves.”
He added that he’s sure there would be “some woke organization mentally ill enough to help” the group with their event, but it “isn’t Valbella’s.”
We should be clear here. This is not the most appropriate way to respond to a request for a donation from a special interest group. It isn’t a professional business appropriate response and should not have been sent out. A simple “no thank you” would have been entirely sufficient.
People feel strongly about issues and those emotions and impulses should not automatically be transferred to electronic media where they live forever. Stuff happens. However, lets take a look at the response.
“Kealey, who identifies by the pronouns they and them, said they were disappointed and hurt by the response.”
Welcome to society. The expectation not be offended and have your feelings hurt is an unrealistic and unhealthy belief.
“I shared the email because I was concerned about the safety of my own community and, as a trans person myself, I was thinking I didn’t want to go into that place or if I would be safe there anymore,” Kealey said Wednesday.
The bad man said words? And you are that fragile that you’d feel “unsafe” entering the store? This is classic vulnerable narcissism in action – pity me and (or I will make you pay for!) my bruised feelings…
Of course, if it ended there it would have been fine. Perhaps an adult conversation could have taken place and an apology elicited for the rude behaviour.
Ooooooooooor, we can take it the media and start a shit-show.
“We think we deserve spaces where people can go and be safe, and not only be safe but be fully accepted,” they said. “There are so many great people out here and they deserve better and deserve to exist in spaces as who they are and feel embraced for that.”
No one in society gets to be fully accepted automatically. And we really need to connect the dots between a heated email about donations and then somehow not being able to buy deli meat safely? It doesn’t compute outside the realm of those who are always on the lookout to be offended.
“Chantal von Rotz — Jeff’s sister and the daughter of the company’s founders, Walter and Leonie von Rotz — said in a post online Tuesday that Jeff has been removed from the company and its operations.
“The owners and leadership of Valbella Gourmet Foods express its deepest apologies to the Canmore LGBTQ+ community for an intolerant email that was sent (Tuesday) by one of our former team members,” said Chantal.
She said his words do not reflect the opinions of the Valbella team and that the company strives to make its workplace inclusive.”
Whoops – there is the damage control in action. The knee must be bent fully to the needs of fragile people with access to media and social media.
“We hope to soon be able to work with experts from the LGBTQ+ community to implement new training and education,” said Chantal. “Our priority is regaining the community’s trust.”
Valbella Gourmet Foods was founded by the von Rotzes in 1978 and has grown into a 40,000-square-foot production plant.
Chantal said a thorough review of internal policies is underway and the company will implement new equity, diversity and inclusion policy to make sure employees feel supported”
It won’t be enough. It is never enough. If the vulnerable narcissists want you cancelled, you will be cancelled. Better to stick up for your beliefs and tell them to go to hell, at least you will have your character and integrity intact.
“Several businesses that worked with Valbella Gourmet Foods have posted statements that they will no longer be doing business with the Canmore deli. The page on Valbella’s website listing its retail partners has been removed.
The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity said in a statement that it will remove all Valbella products from company operations and has ceased all business relations.
The Fairmont Hotels at Jasper Park Lodge and Banff Springs said it will no longer work with or purchase from Valbella. Blush Lane and SPUD posted statements saying they have discontinued their relationships with Valbella.
Dan Berezan, founder and CEO of online Alberta farmer’s market Cultivatr, said in a statement his company has immediately suspended selling products from Valbella. The Canmore business was a vendor on the website.
“At Cultivatr, we have no place for hate of any kind,” said Berezan. “We have received tremendous support from the LBGTQIA2S+ community and we want you to know that we appreciate you and we support you right back.”
ACME Meat Market promised to halt future purchases of Valbella products and will donate any existing stock. And Monki Bistro said it will remove all Valbella products from the restaurant.
Canmore Folk Festival said it has returned a donation from Valbella in full.
After taking a day to determine how to respond, Sunterra Market released a statement Wednesday that it will also cease all business relationships with Valbella.
“Some may see the time we took to have these conversations as a concern. Please know this was done solely to consider all those affected by our decisions,” said the market.
“We believe Sunterra’s choice to cut ties with the company will have a significant impact on their 50 team members and their families.”
How did this Woke shit get so deeply embedded in our society? It is because stepping out of line has drastic real life consequences as illustrated here. The consequences are completely out of whack for the real offense/harm done. Do the employee’s at Valbella deserve to have their jobs put in jeopardy because some fired off a poorly worded email? (No, of course not. But those other companies do think that their virtue signalling is more important than the Valbella employee’s livelihoods.)
Apparently the answer is yes. This will continue until enough people say no to the bullying and coercion that some factions of the rainbow community seem to wield. Also, it isn’t helpful that the news media amplifies this sort of hyperbolic sob story that somehow lends credence to the overreaction that started this whole kerfuffle.
So yeah, a terrible email, but does the business deserve to be shut down/lose significant revenue because someone was offended? Probably not, if you value a reasonably tolerant and reasonably free society.
I was recently texted by my local NDP office with regards to getting a sign for the upcoming Alberta provincial election. This is how it went:
So no, you cannot count on my vote because you are participating in the erasure of females in our society. Allow me to provide a non-circular reality based definition of the word ‘woman’. A women is an adult human female.
Play stupid identity politics games, win stupid prizes.
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