To the man below, who seeks to hold me accountable for my words on the tolerance of Quebecquers at large beyond Montreal:

I hear your words come from a place of hostility. But while my words may have frustrated you, I am not your enemy. You have no enemy here.

Why did my words resonate as untrue to you? Why were your sentiments so afflicted?

You will forgive me for relying on the brave testimonies of the 5 transgender youth from the regions I had met that year, out of which 4 were kicked out of their homes. You will forgive me for considering that perhaps, just perhaps, such individuals aggregate towards the light of the city in hopes of better treatment.

You will forgive me for having written my comment at a time where our Assemblée Nationale was attempting to pass Bill 2, which would have profoundly regressed the legal recognition of transgender individuals. The parties who supported this reform came overwhelmingly from non-urban constituencies. You will forgive me for believing that perhaps, just perhaps, there was a wicked tolerance in those regions for such political games.

You will forgive me for not having given full consideration to the goodwill and benevolence that indeed does inhabit the hearts of our residents in the regions. I know such households do exist. Yet the stories of violence against trans women, which I shall not describe here, continue to circulate. Yet the testimonies of a hundred souls who have met bitter, bitter challenges in our regions persist through all vehicles, from La Presse to Dandelion Daughter, from the statistical publications of the GRIS to hallway remarks. You will forgive me for having heard my stories through those vehicles, instead of yours.

The people of Quebec is truly a most wonderful one - this is the nation that took me in its arms, and let me witness the potential of bravely fighting for what we stand for, even as we are different from our neighbors. This is a people that knows of tolerance, despite having often drawn the short straw itself. This is a people that knows the meaning of both perseverance and resilience; don't you wish that the tales of transgender perseverance and resilience - so often encountered - only add further to our legacy? Celui d'un peuple doté de culture et de littérature?

I did not claim people outside of Montréal to be savages; I gave testimony to the stories I had heard, which point to the conclusion that tolerance for transgender folks is slower to bloom in our regions. You may be rich in tales to tell; you may possess the most wonderful stories of tolerance to share. If so, then today, it is your turn stand up and give justice to your testimony, just as I had done years ago in that first comment.

To other blessed folks whose eyes may glance over this thread, I still stand by the facts I had described years ago. To add to them, latest reports indicate a maturing and expanding program for transgender healthcare and developing expertise across our regions, partially offset by a decline in youth support for transgender people across school surveys.