October 12, 2020

Today is National Coming Out Day!
Be that safe space for someone.

It is a beautiful and fabulous day for some. 
A day full of nerves and trepidation for others, or a day to quietly just be safely who you are.
Whatever this day is to you, please know you are an amazing human.

There isn’t one right way to come out, but however you come out, it is your choice. 
Never let anyone take that away or diminish your choices or who you are. Alway come out when it is safe for you.

Coming out is more accepted than it used to be. And it doesn't just happen once. You will get to come out to many people throughout your lifetime and you always should get to have the control of how you do this!
Coming out is harder during a pandemic.
The pandemic has meant being by yourself a lot and not being able to connect with your queer community quite as much. Try reaching out online a bit more. The queer community online is vast! 

What can caregivers, parents, educators, and businesses do to help our LGBTQ2S communities?!
Be supportive, affirming, positive, listen to your kids, friends, and family!
Use pronouns in your emails or social media. 

Don’t assume. PLEASE! Just don’t assume.

Put up posters, wear Pride pins, watch LGBTQ2S represented media, participate in rallies and parades, advocate for your community, start a GSA, volunteer! 
Have the conversations about what is happening on our news with the Black Lives Matters marches around the world, and why it’s happening. Conversation is important. 
When our kids, our friends, our neighbours see that everyone around us is open to conversation, they are more willing to trust and share with us.

Be that safe space for someone.

​Let’s talk about turtle socks, rainbow cards, weird plants, playing games, binge watching shows, friends & family. Love. Just love.

I KNOW it’s Mental Health and Wellness Day! But to me all that other stuff I mentioned is just as important because it has do with mental health. I’m imagining that we’ve all taken a bit of a roller coaster ride with our mental health this year. 
I am absolutely not ashamed to admit that I have cried. I have cried for reasons that I know why, and absolutely reasons that I don’t. I have cried angry tears, I have cried sad tears, and yes, I have absolutely cried happy tears.

2020 is just a year. It’s absolutely been a challenging year to our mental health and wellness. We will probably be seeing the effects of this for awhile. There will be missed school, delayed appointments, canceled medical appointments, extra tests for Covid, extra costs, not to mention an absolute devastating effect to the mental health of our educators, medical professionals, service providers, and everyone in the labour industry, as well as every parent and kiddo. 
The entire world needs to address the mental health aspect of a global pandemic.

On a lighter note back to turtle socks and rainbow cards!!
It’s hard not to be happy when you look down at your feet and you see little green turtles smiling up at you! Admittedly, I’m barely 5’2 inches so the turtles don’t have far to smile... but my friend bought these socks for me. Also one of my GSA kiddos brought me a rainbow card for my birthday.
These!!! Are the happy tears! That and binge watching Schitt’s Creek over and over with my kids while we cry together or She-Ra because seriously LGBTQ2S representation in our media absolutely MATTERS to our kids!! 
Or when my kiddo brings home a beautiful plant for me, and my partner googles the name of the plant and we all laugh in horror because the name of the plant is “Widows Thrill!” 
Or buying new games at the beginning of the pandemic because of quarantine but taking until OCTOBER to finally win one game against your teen. The jury is out on whether this is a sad tear, angry tear, or happy tear moment!! 😂

Friends, family... distance... hugs have been very few. 

Cry your sad tears, your angry tears, your tears of frustration, of loneliness. You have earned them.
But those happy tears. Live for the happy tears. Look for them. 
You have earned those too.

#WorldMentalHealthDay
#MentalHealthAwareness

Canadian Mental Health Association-Edmonton 
http://edmonton.cmha.ca
https://cmha.calgary.ab.ca
24 hour distress line: 
(780) 482-4357 - Edmonton 
(403) 297-1700 - Calgary 
When you see someone in distress, you can help before police or emergency services are needed by calling 211 and pressing 3 to dispatch the 24/7 Crisis Diversion Team.

Kid's Help Phone
https://kidshelpphone.ca/what-is-kids-help-phone
1-800-668-6868
Text CONNECT 686868
Kids Help Phone is always there for you. No matter what you want to talk about, we're here to listen. No judgment, totally private, 24/7.
Our service is completely anonymous and confidential - we don't trace calls, we don't have call display. You don't even have to tell us your name if you don't want to.

Translifeline
http://www.translifeline.org
The Hotline:
US: 1-877-565-8860
Canada: 1-877-330-6366
Need to talk? Call! Our peer support hotline is run by and for trans people.
Trans Lifeline is a national trans-led organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to the critical needs of our community with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education. Our vision is to fight the epidemic of trans suicide and improve overall life-outcomes of trans people by facilitating justice-oriented, collective community aid.

​Yes!!!
Our Spruce Grove GSA made it back inside for the VERY FIRST TIME since February 28th!!!
AND more importantly our kids NAILED the safety requirements!
Also thank you sincerely to Sara and Nigel who helped out tonight!

The kids made a ton phenomenal buttons (I swear they are all artist’s!) and we talked about everything from Coming Out Day on October 11th,  the Alberta GSA Conference, Queer birth parents and gender norms, pink frogs, and our favourite dinosaurs!
Also the upcoming Halloween party of course!

BTW, one of our kids brought a massive bag of Pride stuff to share!
Thank you SOOO MUCH!!!
🖤🤎❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Welcome back to our Spruce Grove GSA everyone!

Thank you all for being amazing and staying with us these last 7 months outside in Spruce Grove!
❤️🏳️‍🌈
Thank you to St. Andrew's United Church, Spruce Grove for being our home both inside and outside for coming up three years!
#safespace
#loveislove