Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I told my kids that I wanted to use Pink Shirt Day as an opportunity to say something at the Assembly about bullying, and I asked them what they thought I should say.
My 12yearold said, You need to catch bullying quickly. You can't let the situation repeat itself. It gets harder to stop the longer the behaviours continue. You cannot let it be normalized. You cannot let it be routine. Disrespect should never be routine. She is right. It gets easier to ignore when a behaviour becomes normal. And so days of recognition like Pink Shirt Day are good occasions for a checkin.
My 9yearold said, I know what Pink Shirt Day is to me and what I would say but it isn't really what I think you should be saying at the government. At first, I wanted to remind him that every voice and every experience matters. But I realized there's another side to what he was saying. Someone with the privilege of political leadership should use that opportunity to speak in a way that will help advance respect, dignity and equity. When leaders use bullying language or tone, it normalizes it, which brings me to the second half of what I wanted to say as the MLA for Yellowknife South on Pink Shirt Day.
Mr. Speaker, I have a constituent who lives in fear for her children because of the words being spoken by some political leadership in Canada about twospirit, transgender, and nonbinary youth, and their access to gender affirming care and for safe accepting spaces in schools where youth can access information free about their bodies and their sexual health. My constituent's family needs access to gender affirming care at time when there are political leaders in Canada speaking in a tone, manner, and content that is stereotyping, disrespectful, hurtful, and harmful.
One province's teachers association said this, quote: Transgender youth are five times more likely to think about suicide and nearly eight times more likely to attempt it than other children. We must be mindful of the vulnerability of these students and their need for safety, security and support.
Mr. Speaker, as a political representative for my constituents, including all 2SLGBTQIPA+ youth, adults and their families, I want them to know their political leaders will defend their right to access medical care and education with the same expectation and experience of dignity and respect as anyone else. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements.
