School kids protest drag event in Canada - there is hope

Agree @ReadersD1gest !!!

They may well have been influenced by Christian nationalist type stuff. Although that also can include people who are just unfashionable patriotic these days. Anyone who isn't unremittingly internationalist and thinks ties to place are for the plebs tends to be looked down upon.

But why the assumption that they are racists?

Do the extreme far-right in America (can I say North or is that dodgy now) use the English language to communicate their aims?

You'd have to add English language - fine. But when you add using the English language to something emanating from North America; along with bibles = not fine.

Maybe that is where the confusion aspersions of far right associations of the Celtic cross has emanated. It is because, allegedly, the poor old Celtic Cross seems to have been put into an O of the English language. And, thus has become associated with the extreme far-right in North America.

Of course, I'm not saying all those who communicate using the English language (and provenance is North America) are racists. But of course it is another marker of those who are. I repeat, I'm not saying the English language is racist in and of itself!!

Is that about right?

"True North" is fine.
"Great white North" is fine.
Celtic crosses are utterly fine.
Red hats are fine.
Bibles are totally fine.

But when you put them all together, you get a whiff of something else.

The Irish weren't involved in WW2.

That's true. The students seem a varied, cheerful bunch, who are probably just marking the imbecile nonsense the school is putting them through. I'm talking about the guys in the red hats, who made the video. As someone upthread said, if you stop people commenting and call everything transphobia (I'm paraphrasing quite freely here) then you open the door to exploitation by those with other purposes.

The student protestors are more interesting than the group.

But I would be hesitant to draw some of the conclusions people here are. I would say they clearly seem to be nationalists, it's less clear that they are white supremacists based on what people have mentioned.

"True North" is part of the Canadian national anthem "the true North strong and free". The phrase "great white North" is common and the only time I've heard it with racial connotations was tongue in cheek, making fun of the whiteness of Canadians.

And Celtic crosses are common here, and people absolutely don't think they are "unconnected" to them. Most of our provinces have their own tartans, for example, there are Gaelic schools in some places. And almost everyone who lives here has ancestors that come from somewhere else, even a large portion of First Nations people.

Maybe they think that.

But they also might just be against sexualized material being presented to children, which seems pretty sensible really.

I bought a celtic Cross in the 1990s from a tourist shop at the bottom of Croagh Patrick, it was full of tourists and pilgrims not a Nazi in sight.

The fact that the far right have nicked the shape means nothing. Don't worry. Your cross is unsullied by any hint of right wing extremism. So is Joe Biden's.

I bought a celtic Cross in the 1990s from a tourist shop at the bottom of Croagh Patrick, it was full of tourists and pilgrims not a Nazi in sight.

The Celtic cross has been around longer than anyone knows. It means different things to different people, especially Celts. Biden has one on his Bible. But it has also, in this form, been used since WW2 as a symbol by extreme right wing groups. I'm just saying "True North" + Red Maga like hats + the phrase "great white North" + the plain celtic cross taken together = enough for me to say these guys are far right.

With some confidence.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the Celtic cross - it’s that certain white supremacist groups have adopted it as a symbol, just like there’s nothing wrong with Norse mythology but white supremacists appropriate it. In this case, where it’s not a historic or cultural group with Celtic roots, the poster was just saying that it’s likely that’s why they’re using the symbol, just like Soldiers of Odin isn’t a historical society exploring mythology. They weren’t saying that actual historical items or Irish people are default racist.

Steady on Cailleach, someone might think you're associated with a staunch Christian like me, if we're seen wearing the same symbol.

Actually, you've quite some cheek in trying to disparage the Celtic cross like that. It is a beautiful and unique remnant of a past spirituality. Originating from an Island people who have lost so much of their culture.

I'm fishing mine out tomorrow, and proudly displaying it. Doesn't matter I'm a complete heathen, any gobsh*te trying to disparage it like you will get told to do one.

*this mask

(Kinda goes without saying what sex is behind it)

Indeed.

It's a fucking scandal that those political parties who claim they do support women, can't seem to drag their eyes onto them long enough to even fucking focus.

I'd like to think it's a comprehension problem, but I think it's a 'I'm not wearing his mask anymore' problem.

Oh dear.

Many people who support transactivism do end up aligning themselves with rapists, cheats and those who agree with child abuse, but not quite as quickly as you have.

What is your problem with a Celtic cross? Cultural appropriation by people who are not from Insular Celtic backgrounds and countries?

I'm in Canada. This group does not support women.

Yes, I suspect there are a lot of students opposed to drag in schools that are just waiting for the opportunity to speak out without being a lone voice at risk of repercussions (and we've seen what TRA repercussions look like).

It doesn't mean they agree with every single other position of the group organising the protest.

There was a new traffic scheme protest in a town near me recently. The media went big on a prominent covid anti-vaxxer attending (one person) - it didn't mean that literally every person who went agreed with him, they just don't want the stupid traffic scheme.

I am sick of this idea that we're not allowed to participate in democracy - for to say we have to agree with EVERY SINGLE VIEW of any party / group before we discuss or engage with that group in any way is just that. Ant-democratic.

I’m going to take it as read that you won’t engage and back up your stupidity

xx

This woman is obviously a racist Nazi!

https://www.feministcurrent.com/2018/05/05/open-letter-left-regarding-silence/

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/activist-zeros-in-on-canadas-indigenous-women/

Thats a bold statement right there….

Well it’s hardly surprising it’s groups like this protesting, is it?

Women on the left have seen what happens when they say anything- their parties won’t defend them from abuse, often collude in it, demands are made to cancel them attempts to oust them from their parties are supported and they are assaulted and abused when they meet to talk.

None if that’s going to happen to any right wing pricks is it? Their supporters will agree and the TRAs and the balaclava trouble makers will leave them well alone.

No, there is little common ground here with feminists. Conservative/evangelical/far right etc groups are against gender ideology for different reasons from feminists. Just as back in the 70s right wing Christian’s we’re anti porn as were Women’s Libbers- for very different reasons.

If you look no deeper than the surface you’re going to draw incorrect conclusions. Supporters of the Left need to support a wider range of voices or the moderate view (and feminists ARE the moderate view, unlike cranks who have equally damaging ideas of what a man or a woman is) will be drowned out by the actually dangerous views.