A rap battle of sorts has broken out between an Alberta mom and an Alberta dad, each with their own views on Alberta’s transgender guidelines for schools.
Ryan Sauve, a Calgary filmmaker and father of three, posted his rap song “Respect Diversity” to YouTube this week, after a video of an Alberta mother rapping about her opposition to Alberta’s new guidelines for accommodating transgender students in schools made waves across the internet last week.
“Now let’s see, it’s the 21st century/ Gay marriage is legal and that don’t bother me/ Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia/ an easy scapegoat for the scared and angry,” Sauve raps as he dances under a Calgary overpass.
“It’s about these kids who can’t be/ forced to hide their true identity/ It’s time to unite and take a stand/ and rid our schools of this bigotry.”
Sauve goes on to say he has three kids – twin girls and a boy – and he’s “got their backs,” however they choose to identify.
The father said he was frustrated when he watched M.H. Wiebe’s rap video “Gender Bender,” which voiced opposition to the Alberta guidelines which were released earlier this year.
“When I saw last week’s video of the concerned Alberta mother rapping against the transgender guidelines, it was frustrating to think that the very kids that might be affected by this controversial bill might watch this video,” Sauve told Global News Tuesday.
“I felt like there was a need to respond to let those kids know that there is a lot of support for them and these guidelines not only within but also outside of the immediate LGBTQ community.”
READ MORE: Gender Bender: mom raps criticism of Alberta school transgender guidelines
Sauve’s rap song garnered support online from others who support the guidelines.
Alberta’s education minister introduced the guidelines in January for school boards to follow regarding LGBTQ students, including what they can wear, what sports they can play and which washrooms they can use.
David Eggen said the guidelines follow up on a government promise made in November to help the province’s 61 school boards as they draft policies to keep LGBTQ students welcome and safe.
The drafts are to be submitted to the province for review at the end of March.