Man, what the fuck is going on in Alberta? In an email to supporters sent late Sunday with the bland subject line, “A Wildrose Update,” Opposition Leader Brian Jean drops a bombshell with the revelation someone broke into the party’s Edmonton office several weeks ago, stole two laptop computers and tried
Continue readingAuthor: Siobhan
Against the Grain: The Vultures of False Equivalency Descend
I really shouldn’t be surprised that even the much beloved Humans of New York decided it was Trump supporters who needed to be humanized in the wake of at least ~700 hate crimes committed in the past 3 days targeting almost entirely minorities. Okay, so, I have some thoughts.
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Cis expectations: Or, why I stopped giving a fuck
I’ll start this by saying there are limitations to who it is safe for me to “not give a fuck” about. In principle, this includes people in positions of institutional authority (parents, legislators, police, schools, doctors, lawyers, judges, etc.) whose opinions can and do have a very real potential to
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Self care Saturday, Nov 26: Shiv as a cat gif p4
When people ask how Shiv’s dating life is going. Siobhan doing house chores. Siobhan’s outdoor training. -Shiv
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Vocabulary’s got nothin’ to do with it
Content Notice: Victim blaming, trans-antagonism, reclamation of t-word slur Perhaps it was good fortune that I caught a bug and started drowning in my lungs. I recognized earlier this week that I was very tense from working back-to-back for such a protracted period of time and even though I earmarked
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Bathroom Bill Senator Don Plett back at it again
Don Plett is the genius behind the previous Canadian government’s attempt to legislate on trans rights–he proposed the amendment to Bill C-279, which specifically excluded public accommodations and housing protections. An otherwise perfectly good bill was gutted thanks to him, leaving trans women stranded in a veritable minefield yet again. So,
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: On carrying the weight of the world
I’m tired, of a lot of different things. I’m tired of repeating myself when it comes to people expressing suspicion and denigration of trans identities. I’m tired of educating my “allies.” I’m tired of being told to hold their ignorance despite the pain it causes me, yet lamenting about their
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Self care Saturday, November 19: Taboo
I know it’s weird to consider volunteering self care but I am in dire need of a long term unplug. The entire US Election was a months-long trigger for all the nastiness that gets bottled up from a sexual assault, and then even more news hit my feed from abroad
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Thoughts from Vancouver: Stigma’s role in discrimination
In a little more than an hour, I will be participating in a consultation with Canadian Blood Services. They drew my ire after a stunt earlier this year in which their media correspondent made a number of stigmatizing and regrettable remarks about gay men and trans women. Without going into
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Transition Reactions p13: Legitimate academic inquiry
In my readings on feminism in Islam and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), there has been a consistent thread across all views within this specific area: Establish what work already exists before entering the discourse, lest you look like an utter nincompoop. It’s good advice generally for anyone
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: ARGH! That’s not what supporting trans people looks like!!
On today’s issue of “you’re doing it wrong,” WWE Superstar “Goldust” announces that their trans stepchild was attacked by young white men–and both his statements and the article covering them flip-flop back and forth on the pronouns! (emphasis mine) Goldust is furious after three unidentified men attacked his transgender stepson on Friday night.
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Burnt my toast again. Thanks Rachel Notley
It’s something of a trope here in Alberta to blame our Premier for stuff she couldn’t possibly be responsible for. Many of her critics will, in all seriousness, blame her for failings (perceived or real) for things not in provincial jurisdiction, like homelessness (which is municipal), refugee resettlement (which is federal),
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: A few Canadian candids captured during the results of the US Election
I was tuned in to CBC while the results were rolling in and shortly before Clinton’s campaign manager came onto the stage to send everyone home, Mark Critch (right hand side) popped up on the TV screen wearing this expression: Screencap from CBC There’s not much to laugh at regarding this
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Million-Woman March on Trump’s Inauguration
Washington, DC residents and folks who can get there, take note: There are some murmurings of a march on Trump’s inauguration in support of women’s rights, which the Republican platform is set to erode. According to preliminary plans posted on Facebook, the march will take place on Saturday, January 21,
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Rethinking attitudes about voting in democracies
“Voting is a chess move, not a Valentine.” -Rebecca Solnit So there’s still a lot of postmortems popping up concerning the US Election and one theme that is quite common among all of them is this notion that Clinton was unlikable. Setting aside the hazy malaise that expelled such conspiracy theories
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Five years later and they still haven’t read That Fucking Swedish Study
I couldn’t help but notice in the comments on BuzzFeed’s LGBTQ+ rights strategy in the United States that the mythical trans rapist trope came up yet again, citing what I’m starting to call That Fucking Swedish Study. The ire is not directed at the study itself, but dear dog is
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: I’ll just leave this here for the Trumpkins
Thanks The Recovering Conservative for bringing this to my attention. -Shiv
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: What happens in the US doesn’t stay in the US
The question of what America’s progressives are going to do next is a complex one. There are many US analysts attempting to dissect the bloated carcass of the 2016 election and for my part I’m probably going to take a while to really take stock in terms of action in
Continue readingAgainst the Grain: Self care Saturday, Nov 12: Siobhan as a cat .gif p3
Siobhan dealing with chasers Siobhan examining paystub after taxes Siobhan getting a text after 9 PM when she’s in bed -Shiv
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