For Immediate Release
OTTAWA/FREDERICTON, September 3, 2024 – Today, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights kicks off Get Offline and Talk, a non-partisan, bilingual public awareness campaign to tackle growing polarization in New Brunswick. During a time of increasing threats to transgender and gender-diverse youth and pushback against sex-ed in schools in the province, Get Offline and Talk seeks to fight back with hope and empathy for each other.
The campaign aims to reduce polarization and misinformation in our communities by encouraging in-person conversations with people in our lives about issues that matter to us. "Research shows that just 15 minutes of conversation can create significant change that is extremely durable and lasting,” says Frédérique Chabot, acting executive director for Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights.
New Brunswick’s revisions to Policy 713 are contextualized within a larger trend across Canada targeting how students learn about gender diversity and sexual health. Several provinces are rolling back protections for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in schools and limiting access to comprehensive sexuality education by making it opt-in, creating bureaucratic barriers for approving sex-ed materials, and barring sexual health centers from entering schools.
“The polarization over Policy 713 puts queer youth in the middle of ideological battles, deepening their marginalization. At Alter Acadie, we refuse to debate acquired human rights—a tactic used by our Premier to deflect attention from the province's real issues.” says Alex Arseneau, executive director at Alter Acadie. “We're taking this to court to protect hard-won rights, grounding our advocacy in facts and a commitment to an inclusive society.”
Get Offline and Talk is being launched at a critical time, as attacks on transgender rights and sex-ed continue to intensify in Canada and globally. We believe that sharing personal stories or anecdotes to establish common ground will build empathy with individuals who may reconsider their views and potentially shift their stance on an issue.
It’s time to step outside, connect on a human level, and discover the transformative power of vulnerable conversation. Learn more about Get Offline and Talk and how meaningful conversations can create empathy and humanity for more hopeful future.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Quinn Lazenby
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
613-241-4474 x 13200
Dominique Tremblay
Alter Acadie
communication@alteracadienb.ca
Notes to Editors:
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ACTION CANADA FOR SEXUAL HEALTH & RIGHTS is a progressive, pro-choice charitable organization committed to advancing and upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and globally. For more information about Action Canada, please visit www.actioncanadashr.org
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ALTER ACADIE is a provincial organization based in New Brunswick, dedicated to rooting queer identity and expression in Acadie and rurality. We are a political lobbying group and spokesperson for the Franco-Queer community in New Brunswick. For more information about Alter Acadie, please visit www.alteracadienb.ca
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GET OFFLINE AND TALK campaign website can be found at www.getofflineandtalk.ca
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Canada-wide polling done by Action Canada on Pollara.com revealed that:
- 84% of Canadians—an overwhelming majority–agree that comprehensive sexuality education is part of overall health and wellbeing.
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69% of Canadians agree that improving access to sexuality education is important for governments to focus on in the coming years.