FIRST PERSON | I promised my American wife Canada was safe for queer couples. I'll vote to keep it that way | CBC News

CBC - 19/04
Kiva-Marie Belt and their wife have made their home in Canada, but have seen anti-transgender sentiment on the rise in the U.S. spilling over to this country. That’s why acceptance and inclusion of transgender people will be guiding their vote in the federal election.

This First Person article is the experience of Kiva-Marie Belt, a non-binary farmer who lives in Seafoam, N.S. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ. 

When I first invited my then-girlfriend (now wife) Julia to come visit me in Nova Scotia in 2019 from her home in the United States, I never once questioned whether Canada would be a safe place for 2SLGBTQ+ people like us.

I knew things weren't perfect for transgender folks here, but as a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen who keeps on the pulse on U.S. news, I knew it would definitely be better here than it was there. 

That's still the case, but my confidence in Canada remaining welcoming and safe has eroded. I've seen and felt an anti-transgender movement rising here, leading me to watch the forthcoming federal election with equal measures of hope and dread. 

  • Some 2SLGBTQ+ people in N.S. on edge as hateful rhetoric rises at home and abroad
  • More 2SLGBTQ+ Americans looking to move...
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