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Winding up the "way-back" machine; I harken back to taking some employer paid-for courses at Ryerson College and staying in the city for a time. A group of us had heard about a routine Halloween evening parade along Queen St. in Toronto so decided to go and view the proceedings - WOW, what an eye opener - is the only way I would describe that event.
Apparently back then (60's/70's) that was the one night whereupon the legality of men dressing in drag and being, shall we say "underdressed", was completely legal and thusly immune from some form of police abuse.
Yes it was shocking to see the degree of nudity allowed/displayed and yes there were entire families there lining the sidewalks. There was more than one Rolls Royce convertible with top down occupied by a number of glam - yep, I'll even use the word gorgeous, occupants. Some were strutting their stuff on the sidewalks behind the spectators and you can imagine comments flowing both ways with ribald ripostes causing frequent laughter and comedic relief. BUT; not something underage kids should have been exposed to - indicating a lack of parenting skills upon the viewers more than an indictment of the participants.
We all came away with a shocked awareness of having being in no way aware of that growing segment of our society to the extent we saw that evening.
In summation; my wife expressed her chagrin at not having the hairdressing and make-up skills those folks very obviously excelled at.
Perhaps then it's just that as LGBTQ etc. has become more "mainstreamed" (both naturally as mores have changed but also a bit forcefully as some are pushing the envelope), it could just be that a wider range of people are paying more attention to what goes on at these parades.
Millennials and Gen Z have to rely on inheriting wealth in order to become middle-class. Something is wrong with that picture.
It creates a majority of non-wealthy-parents millennial and immigrants stuck at the bottom, and the lucky-inheritors at the top, and a big gap in the middle.
I think Acajack mentioned Brazil in another post.
I take PDW’s complaints about stuck at the bottom with a grain of salt since they haven’t explained what they have done to get off the bottom. Examples:
- What specific training or education did they take to prepare themselves for a good job in the labor market? If those choices were unsuccessful, did they pivot and acquire marketable skills, even if it meant going to school at night or taking a less desirable job to acquire those skills?
- If they live in a very expensive housing market like Toronto and really really want a own a house, have they actively investigated moving to a less expensive housing market? Have they considered a second job for a few years to sock away some savings?
If they are unhappy with their current job, what have they actively done to find a new one? What job interviews have they had lately?
What are their lifestyle choices that affect their ability to save money? How often do they go out to dine or order takeout instead of cooking at home? Do they drive a car or take public transit? Do they go on expensive vacations? How often do they buy a new mobile phone and other electronic devices and are the purchases really necessary? My mobile phone is 9 years old.
When you look at baby boomers, you see the life they are living now, not how they lived in the first decades of their working life which helped them get to there.
When I was a kid, vacation meant the family renting a cottage with no plumbing for a week or two. Camping was also a cheap option. No flying. Sometimes there were car trips to the next province where we stayed with relatives. No hotels.
When I was at university in Winnipeg, I knew my best chances for a good job were in a larger job market. I snagged a job in Montreal and moved there, where I didn’t know a soul. It seemed such a long way from family and friends. I rented apartments for the first seven years. I joined the company pension plan. I wanted a new car but was determined not to go into debt so I took public transportation everywhere. It took 5 years of saving before I had enough cash to buy the car I wanted.
I am skeptical of anyone who wallows in victimhood in life, blaming others for the results of their own choices or grabbing on to conspiracy theories. Are they excuses to avoid taking any action themselves to improve their situation?
A victimhood mentality, wallowing in self-pity, has become fashionable. Victims have become heroes, which seems very odd to me. When I was growing up, heroes were those who helped victims.
Perhaps then it's just that as LGBTQ etc. has become more "mainstreamed" (both naturally as mores have changed but also a bit forcefully as some are pushing the envelope), it could just be that a wider range of people are paying more attention to what goes on at these parades.
As I mentioned - it is a mistake to look at a Parade event and connect that to the wider community as a whole. Look at each individual concern by its merits - not by seeing people twerking naked at a parade. This is not a good platform to base a discussion on the LGBTQ plus community as a whole or the issues it faces.
In many ways the movement is still in its infancy, because people are still judging it based on limited exposure to real members of it and instead, are drawing a conclusion from an event and allowing an event to anchor their opinions of the community. I could list off a whole bunch of parades and events that mainly straight people partake in and you'd not want those to form the basis of opinion about the straight community as a whole.
Things like electronics, international travel and eating out have become much more affordable relative to incomes over the years. Houses are different because their prices have been on runaway exponential growth for decades. The higher interest rates of the 1980s/90s have been more than overridden today with increases in monthly mortgage payments. If you make less than 200k a year, you essentially have to finance the majority of a house purchase (north of $500k minimum for a 1 bedroom condo or fixer upper) yourself. There’s no solutions available. Get lucky gambling or on the stock market? Lottery? The bank with give you a mortgage for only what 1/3 of your income over 25 years plus interest will be. I’m not sure if you have grandchildren but talking to them about these issues might bring some insight to the current struggles for the younger generation in Canada
Oh I have no doubt about that and actually referred to that in one of my responses to him - Montreal is well known globally as a premier destination for LGBTQ plus individuals. It is home to one of the largest gay villiages in the world and has a massive community there.
This is true. Quebec is historically very tolerant and accepting of this group. This is part of the reason why so many people are losing patience as the group becomes more and more extreme and lacking in self-awareness.
Things like electronics, international travel and eating out have become much more affordable relative to incomes over the years. Houses are different because their prices have been on runaway exponential growth for decades. The higher interest rates of the 1980s/90s have been more than overridden today with increases in monthly mortgage payments. If you make less than 200k a year, you essentially have to finance the majority of a house purchase (north of $500k minimum for a 1 bedroom condo or fixer upper) yourself. There’s no solutions available. Get lucky gambling or on the stock market? Lottery? The bank with give you a mortgage for only what 1/3 of your income over 25 years plus interest will be. I’m not sure if you have grandchildren but talking to them about these issues might bring some insight to the current struggles for the younger generation in Canada
Bull****! You choose to live in a very expensive housing market. As I pointed out in an earlier post, the average price of a house in Winnipeg in April was $351,100. That means there are plenty of houses available for less than that.
I’m sure there are plenty of reasons for you to decide to live where you do. At least be honest - it is a choice you made to do so. Don’t blame others for the results of your own choices. You could afford a house - you just want other things more and you can’t have both.
When I was selling my hose in Calgary, I was trying to decide whether to move back to Winnipeg where I grew up or Toronto which I loved and where I had lived for several years. Winnipeg won because of family and cheaper housing.
I should say that I was referring to the gay rights movement of just a couple of years ago, before this newfound push started - a lot of which isn't really related to "gay rights" (as in LGB) rights anyway.
Yes, many aspects of the "push" are being questioned in Quebec just like they are in many other places.
True.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
But the fundamentals of gay rights (marriage, spousal benefits, adoption, child-raising, anti-discrimination, etc.) are hardly challenged by anyone in Quebec these days.
On those fronts, as I said it's one of the most open places in Canada-USA.
At what point is Quebec's tolerance being taken advantage of?
At my school, there are LGBTQPIA2+ flags everywhere and it is promoted like a religion.
Everyone has a pronoun, and you have to remember each and every persons pronoun. For example, I may demand to be called zhe/zir/zhis (in English) instead of he/him/his.
If you get it wrong, you are at risk of serious disciplinary action. There is currently a guy in my class who identifies as having multiple souls. Both a male soul and a female soul. This is the "2" in the "LGBTQPIA2+" symbol. I know that because we had to have a long discussion about it. We all must play along the game otherwise you are a bigot. This guy is maybe ~30 years old. He needs help, not gaslighting.
This isn't someone here and another rarity over there. When you have 10-20% of the student body doing this, it makes higher education like a joke.
Its completely ridiculous, and I refuse to do this. A lot of younger people are getting tired of this and we are talking about it.
This is true. Quebec is historically very tolerant and accepting of this group. This is part of the reason why so many people are losing patience as the group becomes more and more extreme and lacking in self-awareness.
You have successfully thrown this thread into a garbled mess.
Bull****! You choose to live in a very expensive housing market. As I pointed out in an earlier post, the average price of a house in Winnipeg in April was $351,100. That means there are plenty of houses available for less than that.
I’m sure there are plenty of reasons for you to decide to live where you do. At least be honest - it is a choice you made to do so. Don’t blame others for the results of your own choices. You could afford a house - you just want other things more and you can’t have both.
When I was selling my hose in Calgary, I was trying to decide whether to move back to Winnipeg where I grew up or Toronto where I had lived for several years. Winnipeg won because of family and cheaper housing.
Cdnirene,
The per capita income (PPP) in Manitoba is $40,000 USD/year. The home price is $621,447 USD (or $351,100 CAD).
That makes the home price 15 times greater than the typical income.
Also, Winnipeg is very economically depressed. It isn't like there are many jobs to begin with outside of the Toronto/Vancouver area and the few that are available are tough to get hired with.
I'm glad I live in Quebec.
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