Below, please find an open letter addressed from artists living in and/or hailing from Canada against anti-trans legislation, prepared and led by the Tegan and Sara Foundation.

We all deserve the freedom to be ourselves, to be safe and treated with dignity. 2SLGBTQIA+ people are our friends, family, neighbours and coworkers. But far right groups are tapping into fear and pitting us against each other so they can create a Canada where we’re afraid of difference. Right now, they’re using trans people as their punching bag, but the truth is that this community is their convenient scapegoat. Their agenda is the same it’s always been: for people in power to retain that power at the expense of the most marginalized among us.

For those outside of Canada, the country is often seen as a human rights haven. However, the reality is that Canada is not immune to the global attack on the trans community and their access to inclusive spaces, healthcare and freedoms. In Alberta, premier Danielle Smith has targeted transgender youth with proposed bans on hormonal treatment, puberty blockers and gender-confirmation surgery. Months before, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan announced that they will require parental consent before schools can honour the chosen names and pronouns of gender-diverse children under 16.

Everyone deserves access to crucial healthcare services that affirm them. Anyone holding a historically-excluded identity knows what it’s like to be treated differently because of who they are. The anti-trans policies taking root in Canada go beyond discrimination - they present a clear risk to the mental and physical well-being of trans individuals throughout the country.

As artists, we know the danger of a social and political environment that restricts expression, exploration, individuality and self-determination. We want to keep living in a world that celebrates the beauty of difference, because difference and art go hand in hand. We also believe in the power of using our voices for those who aren’t being heard. 

We, the undersigned artists from Canada, stand against these alarming and destructive policies, and call on the general public to turn their attention to a growing problem in our country. The government should never put themselves between parents, their kids, and evidence-based healthcare and supports. We are trending towards more harmful anti-trans legislation in Canada, and we call on our communities and local and national policymakers to put a stop to this concerning surge in anti-trans policy. 

Statement prepared by the Tegan and Sara Foundation Board of Directors with support from Fae Johnstone.

Signed,

A.Trozzo

Adam DiMarco

Aïcha Diop

Aidan Andrews

Aidan Knight

Aiden

Aileen Tolentino

Aimee Yoncé Shennel

Aisling Chin-Yee

AJ Simmons

Alan Doyle

Alanna Fennell

Alanis Morissette

Alex Klipper

Alexandra Caprara

Alexandra McDougall

Alexandra Stréliski

Alexandria Maillot

Alice Astrakianakis

Alicia Elliott

Alida Kinnie Starr (Kinnie Starr)

Alison Perdue

Alivia Sabatino

Allie X

Allison Russell

Allyson Mitchell

Althea Thauberger

Alysha Brilla

Alyshia Grace

Alyssa Reid

Amanda Rheaume

Amber Dawn

Amy Cole - The Rural Alberta Advantage

Andie Angelis

Andrea Ramautar

Andrew Bushell

Andrew Pelrine/Bunni Lapin

Andy Shauf

angelica schwartz

Angelphroot (Angelina Nayyar)

Anhi Tran

Ann-Marie MacDonald

Ann@lise (Annalise Guay)

ANNE ALIEN

Anne Murray

Antel Kollenberg, The IT Guy

Apollo Ghosts

Aquakultre (Lance Sampson)

Ariane Lessard

ariane roy

Arkells

Arthi Chandra

Ash Molloy

Ashley Lo Russo

August

August Klintberg

AuntBibby (Patty Locke)

Aurora Matrix (Anton Ling)

Austra (Katie Stelmanis)

AV & The Inner City (Jenn Dahlen)

Avan Jogia

Avery-Jean Brennan

Aysanabee

Babygirl

Backxwash (Ashanti Mutinta)

badbadnotgood (Leland Whitty)

Bailey Kate (Bailey Thorson)

Ballsy (Isabelle Banos)

Barbi Castelvi

Barenaked Ladies (Jim Creeggan)

Basia Bulat

Beau Cassidy

Begonia (Alexa Dirks)

Bells Larsen

Ben Shemie

Ben Whiteley

Ben Worcester

Berry Wet La Tina (William Franco)

Beverly Glenn Copeland & Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland

Bif Naked

BIG MILK

Bilal Baig

Billy Talent

Billy-Ray Belcourt

Blake Cullum - Astrology Girl

Blake Mawson

BLOND:ISH

blue monday/carmen pizarro

Bonjay (Alanna Stuart)

Brad Labelle

Brandi Sidoryk

Breagh Isabel

Brendan Grey (Super Duty Tough Work)

breton lalama

Brian Francis

Bridget Moser

Brooke Harris (NEAVV)

Brooklyn Doran

Bruce LaBruce

Bryan Adams

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Bryn

Cadence Weapon (Rollie Pemberton)

Cameron McIntosh (Kanekiel)

Camila Diaz-Varela

Camille Intson / Camie

Cara Luft (The Small Glories)

Carly Cook

Carly Rae Jepsen

Caroline Marie Brooks

Carson Bassett

Cartel Madras

Carter Felker

Cassie Mann

Cat McCluskey

Catalina Patino

Catherine Cormier

Catherine Hernandez

Caveboy (Mint Simon)

Cayce Fischer

Cendrine Tolomio/Photofrazzle

Celeigh Cardinal

Chad VanGaalen

Chance Hutchison

Charlotte Cornfield

Chase Joynt

Chelsea Preston

Chenelle Roberts

Cherie Dimaline

Chet Porter

Chinese Medicine (Juno Hailey)

Chris Hibbins

Chris Slorach

Christine Bougie

Christine Jackson

Christopher Sherwood

Christine Quintana

Chrome Harvest

Cicely Belle Blain

Claudia Kedney-Bolduc

Cobie Smulders

Colin Mochrie

Cœur de pirate (Beatrice Martin)

colleen coco collins

Connor James (June Body)

Cormac O'Brien

Cuff The Duke

Dallas Green (Alexisonfire, City and Colour)

Damian Abraham

Dan Mangan

Dana Cutts

Danica Sommer

Daniel Macivor

Daniel Maslany

Daniel Williston

Danny Ramadan

Darcy & Jer

Daryl Hannah

David Vertesi

Dawn Langstroth

Dayna Danger

Dear Rouge

Debra McGrath

Deepa Mehta

Deirdre Logue

Derek Walz

Devan

Devery Jacobs

Devours (Jeff Cancade)

Diana Krall

Dijah Payne (DijahSB)

Dizzy (Katie Munshaw)

DJ On

Dj Qing

Don Pyle

Donovan Martinez

Donovan Woods

Dr Peter Poulos/ PistL Productions

Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware

Dragonette (Martina Sorbara)

Drew & Linda Scott

Dwayne Gretzky

E-Prime

Elena Kellis

Éliane viens-Synnott

Elise Bauman

Elisha Cuthbert

Elliot Page

Elvis Costello

ElyOtto (Elliott Platt)

Elysse Cloma

Emma Della Rossa

Emilee Nimetz

Emily Austin

Emily Hampshire

Emily Sweeney

Emily Zerr

Eren Burton

Eric J. Breitenbach

Eric Johnson

Eric Lourenço (Status/Non Status, OMBIIGIZI)

Eric Svilpis

Erica Chan

Erica Fox

Erin Corbett

Erin Marie

Esra Firatli

Estella Kent-Pym / Lala GothicFish

Evan Morien

Eve Parker Finley

Fariha Roisin

Farzana Doctor

Fawzia Mirza

FEATURETTE (Lexie Jay, Jon Fedorsen, Marc Koecher)

Fefe Dobson

Feist (Leslie Feist)

Felix Cartel (Taelor Deitcher)

Field Guide (Dylan MacDonald)

Finnley O’Brien

Flwr Grl

Fortunate Ones

Fred Penner

Frequencies

Future Star

G.B. Jones

Gavin Howard

Gentleman Reg / Regina the Gentlelady (Reg Vermue)

George Pettit (Alexisonfire)

George Stroumboulopoulos

Georgia Harmer

Giles Roy

Gillian Nicola

Ginger Emery Quaint

goodheart

Grant Zubritsky

Greg Benedetto

GUTMACHINE (Jazz Cook)

Hannah

Hannah Georgas

Hannah Mariko Bell

Hannah Obanni

Hayden Desser

Heather Barr

Heather Rankin

Helen Young

Hollerado (Jake Boyd)

Hot Garbage

Housewife (Brighid Fry)

Hunter S

Hyaenas (Jen Foster and Jessie Robertson)

Ian Docherty (July Talk/Dwayne Gretzky/Disaster Pony)

Iohanne Wakal - Seidhhr

Ingrid Moore

Isaac Vallentin

iskwē

Ivan Coyote

J Stevens

Jackson Landry (Diner Drugs/sexdrivex)

Jaclyn Blumas - Doomsquad

Jade Ehlers

Jairus Sharif

James Daniel Baxter

Jamie Fine

Janet Porter

Jann Arden

Jarin Schexnider

Jarrett Evan Samson

Jason Collett

Jason Sikoak

Jasper Wrinch

Jasmyn

Jay Arner

Jeanine LeBlanc

Jen Twynn Payne

Jenn Grant

Jenn Stewart

Jenna Galluccio (Your Hunni)

Jennifer Daley

Jennifer LeBlanc

Jenny Palacios

Jessica Wong

Jesse Locke

Jessica Delisle

Jessie Robertson

Jill Barber

Jillian Tamaki

Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo)

Jivesh Parasram

Jo Passed (Jo Hirabayashi)

Joel Gray (Starpainter, Bailey Kate)

Joel Waddell

John Greyson

John Watson

Johnny Broadway / Aband*nthecar (John Luxford)

Jonah Falco

Jordan Hastings (Alexisonfire)

Jordan Tannahill

Joseph Garand (Girlfriend Material)

Joseph Topmiller

JP Hoe

JULES (Jules Ozon)

Jules Worth

Julia Dickens

Julia Little

Julia Wittmann

Julian Taylor

Julianna Riolino

Julie Doiron

Julie Fader

July Talk (Leah Fay Goldstein, Peter Dreimanis)

Justin Cober

Justin Hauck

k.d. lang

Kai Brooks

Kai Cheng Thom

Kali Horse

Kama La Mackerel

Kara Springer

Karin Saari

Karkwa

Karla Marx

Kate Cooper

Kateryna Mikkelsen (Sunflower Kat)

Kathy Zaborsky

Katie Tupper

Kay Higgins

Kayla Dunbar

Kendra Emmett

Kendra Lewis

Kenna Aviles-Betel

Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene)

Kiki LeFreak/Kiki Iversen

Kimberley Brower

Kimmortal (Kim Villagante)

Kiran Rai

Kirsten Kurvink Palm (Status/Non-Status)

Kitten Kaboodle

knitting

Kristine McCorkell

Kristy-Lee Audette of Rong

Kristyn Gelfand

Kyle Brownrigg

Kyle Loven

Kym Gouchie

Laila

Lamya Abraham

Larissa B

Laura Hickli

Laura Nanni

Laura Smith / Daggerss

Lauren Glazier

Lauren Han

Lauren S

Lauren Spencer Smith

Le Matos

Lee Newman

Leeroy Stagger

Leith Ross

Lena Montecalvo

Lennon Bradford (Ace Monstera)

Leo D.E Johnson

Lex Feathers

Liam Cole

LIDO PIMIENTA

Lights (Lights Poxleitner-Bokan)

Lilianne Cormier

Lindsay Ell

Lisa Cristinzo

Lisa LeBlanc

Liz Whitbread

Loel Campbell

LongTallMart (Jorie Doucette)

loser supreme (Sam Séguin)

Louise Burns

LU KALA

Lucas Silveira

Lucy DeCoutere

Lucy Niles

Luke Renshaw

Luna DuBois

Luna Nuhic

Mac DeMarco

Madeline Nielsen

Mae Martin

Margot Durling

Mariya Stokes

Mark Grundy (Heaven For Real)

Mark Rendall

Mark Suknanan p.k.a Priyanka

Marina López

Mark Andrew Hamilton

Marla Joy

Mary Harmer

Maryze

Mathieu Blanchard Sunglaciers

Matt Andersen

Matt Fasullo

Matt Wiewel

Matthew Lowe

Matti McLean

Maud Salvi

Max Hopkins

Maxime Hébert

Mecha Maiko (Hayley Stewart)

Meggie Lennon

Mel Lefebvre

Meg Garrioch/ghoongar

Meg Symsyk

memyself&vi (Victoria Dawson)

Metric

METZ

Mia Kelly

micha cárdenas

Michael Branham

Michael Crummey

Michael DeForge

Michael Malkin

Michael Rancic

Michelle McGeough

Mickey Hayward

Midnight Channel (Matty, Brandon, Stu, Drake, Gabby and Chris)

Miesha Louie, Miesha and The Spanks

Mike Trebilcock

Mileena

Milenko Ensh Vujosevic

Mishann Lau

Mishelle Cuttler

Moira & Claire

Mother Mother (Ryan, Molly, Jasmin, Ali and Mike)

Mustafa Rafiq

Nancy Kenny

Naomi Kavka

Natalee Caple

Natalie Panacci (Dilettante)

Natasha Restrepo

Neil Young

Nelly Furtado

New Chance (Victoria Cheong)

Nice Horse (Brandi Sidoryk and Katie R)

Nick Boegel

Nico Pante

Nicole Haber

Nicolette and the Nobodies (Nicolette Hoang)

Niko Stratis

nikta boroumand

Nolan Bassett

NON ULTRAS

Nova Lupton

Ocie Elliott

Ol Ben (Ben Wattie)

Olivia Cox (Waxlimbs, Leverette)

olivia GHOST passarella

Only A Visitor (Robyn Jacob)

Owen - Abrupt Decay/Admission of Guilt

Owen Pallett

Pantayo (Jo Delos Reyes, Michelle Cruz, Katrin Estacio)

Parlour Panther (Frankie Brave)

Patricia Rozema

Paul Langlois (The Tragically Hip; Paul Langlois Band)

Peach Pit

Peaches

Pepper Rose

Peter Kohut

Peter Mahoney (Workers Comp)

pHoenix Pagliacci

Phono Pony (Shay Hayashi)

Phouka

Pillow Fite

poolblood

PUP

Quiet Winter (Brandon Garay)

Rachel Bobbitt

Raffi

Rainbow Patrol (Richard, Jacqueline, Travis and Chris)

Raine Hamilton

Rahat Saini

Ralph (Raffaela Weyman)

Raylene Harewood

Rec Centre (Alex Hudson)

Rezz (Isabelle Rezazadeh)

Ria Mae

Rich Aucoin

Rio Mitchell

Rita Baga

Regan Schnare

Robert Ondzik

Rodney Diverlus

Ron Sexsmith

Rory Taillon

Rosalind Goodwin

Rose Cousins

Ruby Waters

Rufus Wainwright

Run Coyote

Ryan Hemsworth

Rylan Alfonso

Ryland James

Ryland Moranz

S. Chandra

Said the Whale (Tyler Bancroft)

Safia Nolin

Sally Lee, Long Branch

Sam Beilby

Sam Braithwaite

Sam Tudor

Sam Weber

Samantha Epp (ZENON)

Sara Porter

Sarah Harmer

Sarah McLachlan

Sarah Polley

Sarain Fox

Scott Button

Scott Munro (Preoccupations)

Scott Nolan

Scott White

Seamus Lynch DOORSTEP FIRE

Sedina Fiati - Ladee Snaxxx

Serena Ryder

Sferro (Eric Sferro)

Shad

Shanti Abbott (aka Puma June)

Sharon & Bram of Sharon, Lois & Bram

Shawn Everett

Shawnee Kish

Shazia Ahmad

Shelley Butler

Shemeeka McLean

Shyam Selvadurai

Siân Alcorn

Skie Denty

Slater Manzo

Slow Down Molasses

Sook-Yin Lee

Sophie Foster

Stacey MacNevin

Starpainter (Joel Stretch)

Stars (Amy Millan, Torquil Campbell)

Status/Non-Status

Stefana Fratila

Steph Braithwaite

Stephanie Montani

Stephen Eckert

Steven Lambke

Steven Lourenço

Stoness Verda

Sum 41 (Cone McCaslin, David Baksh/Dave Brownsound)

Sunny Drake

SuperKnova

Sure

T. Thomason

TALK (Nicholas Durocher)

Takayla McGhie ( TAKAAYLA)

Tanya Marquardt

Tanya Tagaq

Tara Kannangara

Taylor Janzen

Tea Fannie (Tiffannie Bruney)

Ted Gowans

Ted Turner, The Maladies of Adam Stokes, Snoqualmie

Tegan and Sara Quin

Teodor

Terence Cheng

The Beaches

The Bros Landreth (David Landreth)

The Burning Hell (Ariel Sharratt, Mathias Korn)

The Pack a.d. - Maya Miller and Becky Black

The Sheepdogs (Ryan Gullen)

The Strumbellas (Close Kicks)

Theo Jean Cuthand

Theodore Walker Robinson

Thomas McKay

Tia Belleisle

Tim Baker

TOBi (Oluwatobi Ajibolade)

Tokyo Police Club (Graham Wright, Greg Alsop)

Tomson Highway , writer/musician

Tranna Wintour

Trevor Blumas (E-Prime)

Trish Salah

Truss

TUSH (Kamilah Apong)

Tyler Lieb

Tynomi Banks

Tyson M

Vanessa Kwan

Venus Sherwood

Vic Byers (Gloin)

Victoria De Henau/Petite

Vivek Shraya

Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire)

Waubgeshig Rice

Wendy Crewson

Wild Rivers (Khalid Yassein)

William Prince

Win Bower

Wondagurl (Ebony Oshunrinde)

xeon aeon - Juniper Xeon

Yolanda Bonnell

Zach Marsh (AMAY, Scratchnasty)

Zachary Bennett

Zaki Ibrahim

Ziyan Hossain

Zoe McMillan

Zoe Whittall

36? (Taylor Cochrane, Justin Van Groningen, Mitch Cooper)

4BPM