Obama openly supports gay marriage!!!!

News broke yesterday that Obama has announced that he officially supports gay marriage. Some people are calling this political suicide, as Obama has probably alienated most voters in red states. That being said, his announcement is a huge step in the right direction towards equality for all couples around the world. The United States is still one of the major superpowers, and they know it. So if this announcement was breaking news in Canada, imagine the reach that this message of acceptance will have worldwide. Half way around the world, I'm sure some people are talking about how the President of The United States of America is cool with gay marriage. If you compare global politics to a high school, then Obama is pretty much the popular jock who just stood up for the kid getting bullied. Once someone that people think is "cool" stands up for something unpopular, chances are others are going to start looking at their own homophobic beliefs and questioning them. If this works in a schoolyard setting, why can't it work on an international scale?

What I found to be the best part of this announcement (click here to watch it), is that Obama explains the process of how he came to the realization that banning gay/lesbian marriage is discrimination. He explains that although he believes everyone should be equal, like many moderates he didn't understand why civil unions were not satisfactory for gay and lesbian couples. Then, he says something that really sums up the entire reasoning for the whole gay marriage debate in a way that even the most ignorant people will understand. I'm paraphrasing, but basically Obama says this: I understand that the word "marriage" is really important to lots of people because of many reasons. That's why some people are threatened, because they don't want the tradition of marriage to be changed. But those are the EXACT same reasons that gays and lesbians are fighting for the right to marriage equality. They are teachers, firemen, soldiers, blue collar, white collar, everyday Americans too. Gays and lesbians don't grow up in some weirdo cult or on a deserted island. They grow up in the same society as everyone else, where girls and boys are taught that when you grow up, you are supposed to fall in love and get married and have babies and live happily ever after.  The word "marriage" and everything that comes with it (religious beliefs, tradition, commitment etc) means just as much to LGBT couples as it does to straight couples. If anything, LGBT couples probably take marriage a lot more seriously than many straight couples, because they fight so hard for the same rights and understand exactly why its important to their community.

Five years ago, if someone told me that the President of the United States was going to publicly announce support for gay marriage, I would have laughed in their face. I guess there might actually be some hope that the world is becoming a slightly happier, safer place for all people regardless of sexual orientation.

Taking Animal Rights International - TUAPA

I'm going to continue the dog theme from last week's post and tell you about the most amazing event that has happened to me in a long time. This past weekend, my boyfriend and I drove out to the Toronto airport where an adorable, sweet, bundle of love was waiting for us in the arrivals gate. We had decided months ago that we wanted to adopt a dog from Taiwan, and a lot of people thought we were crazy. But was it ever worth it, and the seemingly complicated process of bringing a dog from a foreign country was actually a breeze.

I found out about the Taichung Universal Animal Protection Association (TUAPA) through a classmate who recently returned from teaching english in Taiwan. She got involved with TUAPA while there and returned to Canada with three rescues. TUAPA is more of a sanctuary for dogs and cats then a traditional shelter. Currently TUAPA houses approximately 1000 cats and dogs and is a recognized charity running primarily off donations and adoption fees. The dogs run free during the day in a pack-like setting and the few volunteers they have try to give the dogs as much love as they can, although the dogs far outnumber the volunteers.

Living in Canada, where there are doggie spa's, pet psychics, pet acupuncture and massage therapists, dog bakeries etc., it's hard to imagine the life of a street dog in Taiwan. In Taiwan, most people do not spay or neuter there pets due to a stigma of  "turning your dog gay". For that reason, the government has struggled for years to control stray populations. It's not uncommon in Taiwan to see people poison dogs, shoot them like pigeons, or run them over with cars and passersby often do not even stop to take a second look at the hit dog. And unlike in Canada and the US where it is in vogue to adopt a dog instead of buying from a breeder, in many parts of the world people simply don't think like that. If they wanted to adopt a dog, they could just take one home from the street, so why would they bother paying for an adoption fee? Maybe the most horrifying threat that faces stray dogs in Taiwan is the fact that many people set bear-traps that snap shut on dogs' limbs, leaving many dogs with amputated limbs, missing ears, etc if they even survive the traps.

Clearly there is a huge problem in Taiwan and in many other countries around the globe with stray dogs. TUAPA was formed in 1994 to help address these problems by taking in hundreds of stray cats and dogs, spaying and neutering them, providing life saving health care and immunizations, and even rescueing pets from the local government kill-shelters. Since adoption rates with Taiwan are fairly low, TUAPA relies heavily on foreign adoption from Canada and the US. Of course, there are thousands of unwanted dogs waiting in shelters and foster homes in Canada, but there is arguably a greater need for protection in places like Taiwan. Many shelters in Canada have waiting lists for certain types of dogs (like small hypoallergenic dogs) and intense screening processes to ensure that the homes are suitable for the pets. TUAPA also wants to ensure the dogs find amazing forever homes, but they are more than willing to make the process as efficient and painless as possible for the dog and the adoptive family.

TUAPA chooses hundreds to make a list of the 50 most adoptable dogs suitable for the long "journey of love" to North America. These top fifty dogs are the sweetest, healthiest, and most likely to adjust to life in another country. You can choose from chihuahuas, poodles, great danes, and other purebred dogs as well as many more three legged, or one eared, mutts. They even have a youtube channel, run by volunteers where you can watch each dog interact with people and other dogs. For only a small donation of a few hundred dollars (they will pretty much accept any reasonable donation seeing as they truly want to find dogs forever homes and make room for new residents), the dog will be shipped with a volunteer passenger to the closest major city (Toronto, or Montreal etc). The dogs come spayed or neutered and up to date with all shots. My vet in Toronto was shocked to see how thorough the vetrinary care in Taiwan is. As the adopter, all you have to do is pick them up at the airport, where TUAPA volunteers will assist you with receiving the dogs. They come with a folder of medical records, a leash, collar, new blankets and you can even keep the crate if you wish (valued at approximately $200) or choose to donate it back to the organization. All in all, this organization does unreal work to make the world a more humane place for all animals.

One last thing. People kept telling me over the past couple weeks that "rescue dogs appreciate you more". I didn't really understand or believe these people, because all dogs as far as I'm concerned are loyal and loving to their families. But after having Wayne (that's him above!) for only 12 hours or so, I understood. The way he looks at me with those big brown eyes as he falls asleep on the couch half on top of me, I know that he is so happy to even have a warm place to call home and that he won't have to worry about scrounging for his next meal. Honestly, I think adopting a TUAPA dog is the best decision I've ever made.

***An english (and Canadian) version of the TUAPA website is in the works, and I'll post more information soon if anyone wants to get involved by donating, fostering or adopting ***

BSL - Bull Shit Legislation

Today in the Toronto Star, there is a heartwarming survival story of an Oshawa woman and her beloved dog. Essentially what happened was that Scarlett, the cutie pictured above with her owner, got loose and ran into her neighbors yard. The dog was believed to be a pitbull, and was apprehended by the Oshawa Animal Services. For the past year and half, the owner has been battling with the courts to get her dog back. This dog has absolutely no history of aggression, but because of the current Pit Bull ban in Ontario, dogs with pit-like traits are often exterminated.

This story has a happy ending, well, sort of. The owner claimed that the dog was not a pitbull at all, but a boxer/Rhodesian mix. Someone from the Canadian Kennel club had to testify that this dog was likely a boxer mix, and not a pit bull. So, finally, this pup is returning home.

But wait a second.... if this guy had testified that Scarlett was a pitbull, she would have been killed. For simply being born with certain physical characteristics. Most dog people know that really a pitbull is not that different from a boxer, American bull dog, or Staffordshire Terrier to name a few. So really now, why is it considered ok to euthanize an innocent pitbull, but not ok if it's a boxer or some other breed?

First of all, in Ontario, pit bulls are not even recognized as a specific breed but instead a type. Many people say that pitbulls are bred to kill or fight. This is simply not true at all. Pit bull terriers were originally bred in England as cattle dogs. They came over with settlers to the USA hundreds of years ago. In the USA and Canada, they became popular police and therapy dogs. They were known as excellent family pets, and because of their gentle disposition they were even given the nickname the "Nanny Dog".

But, as we all know, at some point some idiots started forcing dogs to fight to the death for their own entertainment (and to profit off betting on the dogs). Pitbulls became a favourite for these assholes. So, for a few decades now, the "nanny dog" has been horribly abused in the hands of sociopaths like Michael Vick. Some dog fighting rings have been busted, but who wins at the end of the day? Vick is still a free man making millions in the NFL, and the dogs caught up in this mess mostly get euthanized.

So today in Ontario, pit bulls are illegal due to ridiculous breed specific legislation. Even though experts agree that these dogs are not inherently "bad" or "aggressive" any more than all other terrier breeds, they continue to suffer, be taken from their owners, and many perfectly good dogs are killed for no reason. Unfortunately, this trend is catching on and many states and provinces are following Ontario and banning pit bulls. Personally, I believe making Pit bulls illegal because they are "aggresive" is like saying asians shouldn't drive because of their skin colour, or that black people shouldn't be trusted because they "steal". Dogs aren't born bad, same as people aren't born bad. They are a product of their environment: if they are abused, they will be abusive back. Why is there not harsher punishments for animal abusers? Why do we continue to blame the victims? It's complete bull shit.

My Beef With the Federal Budget

Alright. I'll try to keep this as brief as I can. So as many of us know, since the Harper government has a majority, we pretty much are forced to deal with the new federal budget. And after only a few days of the budget being released, already plans are in motion to implement the plethorum of cuts to federal spending. I understand that we are just recovering from a worldwide economic crisis, caused by criminal activities within the financial sector, but I won't get into that today. That being said, I find this budget EXTREMELY hypocritical to the so-called tenants of coservativism. Let me explain:

First of all, aren't conservative politicians supposed to be all about creating jobs? Let's see... 19 200 federal jobs cut. That is a lot of Canadians who planned a secure career in public service that now have to scramble to make other plans. Let's not forget that these cuts don't just affect the people getting canned, but their spouses, children, friends, retirement plans, etc. Yes, of course, they are all receiving some sort of severance package. But according to many public servants, the packages aren't as amazing as the media is making them out to be. For example, one man was supposed to retire in 18 months. The package he was offered gives him $400 LESS each month from his pension than he would otherwise be receiving. How are massive job cuts supposed to help Canadian families?

Secondly, aren't conservatives supposed to care about our service men and women? Is it not the responsiblity of our federal government to ensure that our veterans (many of who suffer from PTSD, ambutated limbs, etc) have access to the programs that will help them live normal lives again? I thought that's why the Veteran's Affairs department was created. But nope, instead of taking care of our veterans, the feds are cutting 261 jobs from Veteran's Affairs. Most of those jobs involve providing essential services to those who fought for our country. But I guess they don't matter to Harper. Not a priority.

Now on top of cutting funding for veterans, the conservatives are also getting rid of most of those "lefty" programs. Let's cut all environmental programs and any form of government outreach. Forget programs that engage youth with their own country and provide leadership skills (aka Katimavik). All the young people in the North that were excited to take part in Katimavik and help lift themselves out of the third world conditions they live in, well I guess they can go back to abusing drugs and alcohol to stay busy. The CBC is finally getting quality Canadian content on the map and becoming relatable to many age groups, but let's slash their funding too so that the only successful Canadian shows can be cancelled. Oh and who needs food inspectors anyways. Lysteria isn't that bad, is it? I guess we all forgot about that Maple Leaf disaster that happened a few years ago. And don't even get me started on the cuts to CIDA. Already this government has turned our aid budget into a subsidiary of the mining industry. Yes that's right: our tax dollars are going directly into the already deep pockets of  Barrack Gold and other multi-million dollar mining companies. But now, let's just slash any possible hopes that Canada will  continue to provide life-saving aid to the poorest people on the planet. I guess that's not important to Canadians anymore.

So ok: Conservatives are all about saving money and small government. Got it. But this is what I find profoundly hypocrital: in the midst of massive layoffs accross Canada affecting tens of thousands of Canadians, Harper is going ahead with plans to expand our existing prison system and build mega prisons. Of course, most of the Canadians living behind bars are there for non-violent crimes. Forget about rehabilitation, let's just lock up more petty criminals. It's not like our tax payer money goes to pay for each prisoners food, accomodation and entertainment. I guess it doesn't make sense to the feds to rehabilitate non-violent criminals so they can participate and contribute to our economy, instead of spending outrageous ammounts of our money keeping them locked up. I'm not talking about freeing Paul Binardo. I'm talking about the majority of criminals in jail for tax evasion or having (god forbid) dealt pot.

Moreover, Harper is going ahead with plans to buy top of the line F35 jets for a joint airstrike program with the states. Oh, and due to a small "accouting error" they actually cost at least $10 BILLION dollars more then Peter MacKay told us. And now we find out, that the conservatives knew since at least 2010 that they were lying about the pricetag on these luxury jets. My question is: why do we even need $25 billion dollar jets right now? Aren't we cutting 19,200 jobs? I understand we need to replace our ancient planes for the Air Force, but why are the only planes being considered the most expensive ones on the market? What war are we planning on fighting that require these planes? Couldn't that money be better spent supporting our veterans?

Anyways, I guess I wasn't as brief as I promised to be with this post. I just wish I could get into Stephen Harper's head for a few minutes and figure out what the hell he's trying to do with our beautiful, democratic country. Unless we all band together to get him out of Ottawa and put Rae or Mulcair or even May into power, what are the the conservatives going to cut next? Or waste our hard-earned money on next?

Pickton Survivor - A Symbol of our Justice System's Failure to Protect Women

In the news today there are reports that a woman who survived Robert Pickton's brutal attack will testify against him in court. This woman, who is being called "Ms Anderson" thought she had scored big when Pickton offered to pay her $100 to have sex with him at his farm. She turned up at a local hospital with several near-fatal stab wounds. This all happened in March 1997.

"Ms Anderson" wasn't the only women to escape the Pickton farm alive. Another woman was taken home by Pickton, handcuffed and then attacked. She managed to escape and ran down the street naked until she could wave down a car. She told the police what happened. Pickton also told the police of the event, but he claimed this woman attacked him when he picked up her poor soul on the side of the road. It turns out that this woman was a heroine addict, so the police did not investigate further or file charges against Pickton because they thought it would be unlikely that they would get a conviction. Pickton was only arrested in 2002. Imagine how many lives could have been saved.

How many beaten, bloodied prostitutes does it take to figure out that this guy was up to no good? Apparently in BC, the lives of these two women did not mean too much to police. They even knew where this guy lived and obviously knew he had a history of misogynistic violence!

As we all know, the DNA of 33 separate women was found at the Pickton farm. In 2007 at the beginning of this trial, Pickton admitted to an undercover police officer posing as a cell mate that he had killed 49 women, and was hoping to kill one more to make it an even 50. He reportedly fed their bodies to his pigs, and sold ground pork containing human remains to friends and neighbours.

I still can't believe that after dozens of women went missing in British Colombia, Canada, one of the most beautiful and supposedly safe places on the planet, this guy still walked free for years. Shockingly, there were at least two women who told police that this guy was kidnapping women and trying to kill them. It goes to show how little rights that women in the sex trade enjoy. Apparently, it's "not a big deal" if someone goes on a murdering spree, as long as the women are heroine addicts or prostitutes. What a sad commentary on the way our justice system treats women in Canada.

Aung San Suu Kyi Elected (again!) in Burma!

In my lifetime, I can honestly say I have never seen a crowd of smiling Burmese citizens in the news. I am so happy to write that Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has been elected democratically in Burma (aka Myanmar). If you didn't already know, Burma was under violent military dictatorship from 1962-2011 and brutal ongoing civil war. Last year, the military government was replaced by a civilian government, and hope for an end to the decades long civil war became prevalent.

Recently, I watched two amazing documentaries telling the stories of some of the people of Burma. The first which I saw at the TIFF Human Rights Watch Film Festival was Burma Soldier which followed the life and memoirs of Myo Myint, a former (you guessed it) soldier, political prisoner and peace activist. The second film I watched this weekend was Burma VJ. I will discuss that film further under "Documentary of the Week". I couldn't help but imagine how the Burmese citizens featured in these two powerful films are feeling today, as their hero Aung San Suu Kyi is finally being recognized as the official leader of Burma in a landslide victory for the opposition party.

Aung San Suu Kyi had already been elected democratically in the 1990 election, however her political enemies had her living on house arrest from 1989 up until November 13th 2010. It is so uplifting to see how a country so positively destroyed economically, emotionally and violently could do a complete 360. I can't imagine being born into a country where journalists are murdered for even taking a picture or delivering the news to the world. Hopefully the joy of the Burmese people will not be short-lived.

We have to remember: Peace and democracy are not to be taken for granted. People are dying all over the world even today for the opportunity for their children to vote and have a say in the affairs of their own countries. I hope the international press continues to follow this rare good news story.

Congratulations Aung San Suu Kyi! 

This is a monumental win for democracy and a step towards WORLD PEACE! 

Miss Universe Canada Contestant Kicked out for Being Transgendered

Today news broke that Vancouver resident Jenna Talackova, one of the finalists for Trump's Miss Universe Canada was disqualified. Why? Because she was born a biological male. Talackova had sexual reassignment surgery in 2010, and has not commented on being booted out of the competition because she wants to make an official statement through her lawyer at a later date. 

Clearly, this is a stunningly beautiful person. She likely has a strong character as going through the process of becoming a woman is not the easiest thing to do. Why shouldn't she have the same opportunities as other women to compete in this beauty pageant? Isn't that what beauty pageants are really all about? Beauty? Inside and out?

Some people might argue that being trans was not the reason she was kicked out, but an official from the pageant confirmed the bigotry, commenting: "She did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form." (Vancouver Sun)

I would really like to believe that Canada is one of the few places in the world where transgendered people can enjoy most (if not all) of the same human rights as the rest of us. Being trans does not diminish a person's character or merit. All Canadians should be outraged that this beautiful person is being discriminated against for simply being true to herself. What better role model for young women than a person who has been through the ringer and has come out the other side confident and proud of her own identity. Shame on Trump and shame on Miss Universe Canada.