In the Wake of the U.S. Election

Reports & Statements
November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024 Dear friends, I spent yesterday like many of you - feeling, processing, and grieving. The outcome of Tuesday’s U.S. Presidential election brings with it confusion, fear, doubt and anger. We know that we must brace ourselves. We also know that we will continue to face our own defining moments, including in the forthcoming federal election. We have, and will continue to, witness calls to drive us apart. Calls to turn us away from those who are different from us or who don’t share our identities. Change doesn’t come if we are fighting each other. We have watched this unfold in attempts to legitimize multiple genocides. And, we see it in the attacks on our communities. Trans and gender-diverse people, particularly youth, are among those being vilified as scapegoats to justify increases in control, censorship, surveillance, and state-led violence. We know that until our entire community is safe, the rights we have fought so hard to protect are not safe, either. At YouthLine we have spoken up to defend the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ youth in schools. We will collectively work with others in our sector to organize for more and better choices in the federal election, and to help our communities mobilize and have their voices heard. Right now is the time we must come together. To learn about our gifts and challenges, to invest in relationships, to ask for support, and to create a different sort of world for ourselves. YouthLine, like many other organizations, is facing reduced levels of donations as people navigate the rising costs of living. This decrease in funds has a direct impact on our ability to support queer youth at a time when the world feels increasingly volatile and their identities are being used as political tools. If you support our work, and are able to give, please help us continue to be a voice for queer, trans, and 2-Spirit youth with a donation today. The only way to survive is by taking care of one another - Grace Lee Boggs Thank you, and remember that we’re here to listen at youthline.ca Lauren Pragg Executive Director LGBT YouthLine

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