SLOBODIAN: It's Clarke who should apologize

Saskatchewan NDP MLA Jared Clarke, father of two transgender children, sure berated Premier Moe Scott over the transgender changeroom issue, in the legislature Tuesday.It would have been a fine 13-minute speech but for the false accusations, deflection of blame, absence of empathy for other people’s children and the victimhood posture Clarke assumed.Never mind Clarke ignoring the fact that his role as an MLA is to represent the interests of all children, not just those he chooses to represent because of his ideology.“The premier put a target on the back of my two 12-year-old kids,” said Clarke.He insists his biological boys, who he says both identify as girls — what are the mathematical odds of that? — have a right to use girls changerooms in school.In fact, Clarke was outed for being behind the push to change the changeroom rules at rural Balgonie Elementary School that generated parental outrage and upset little girls who are anatomically girls.Moe and most parents believe boys should use boys’ changerooms and girls should use girls’ changerooms. They weren’t assigned a sex a birth. They were born that way, no matter how a parent chooses to identify them.The Regina-Walsh Acres MLA also accused Moe of having used a press conference to “stoke fear and outrage about two kids at an elementary school” and of “attacking” trans children and making them feel “unsafe.”“The Premier owes my children an apology. He owes all transgender people in this province, especially kids, an apology for how he has made them feel so unsafe over the last year.”Moe does owe a huge apology. But not to Clarke. He owes an apology to voters who believed him when he campaigned on establishing a policy to restrict use of change rooms based on students’ sex at birth. He promised it would be the first order of business.When he won a majority government in October, he reneged on that promise. His weak excuse? He “misspoke” about it being a first priority. It’s now being discussed.Some might think Clarke’s speech, that one newspaper described as “moving,” is praiseworthy.What he said about his children caught in this web was definitely moving.Beyond that, it was a self-serving rant unbecoming of an MLA hellbent on foisting his views on everyone else.It's Clarke who has apologies to deliver.First, to parents he wantonly steamrolled because they want to protect the innocence of their elementary school girls.Then to the girls who feel uncomfortable and embarrassed changing in front of anatomical boys and seeing anatomical boys changing in front of them.Finally, to Moe whom he wrongly accused.Unlike Clarke, Moe, at least before the election, reacted to concerns he heard from the people he represents.At no time did Moe identify Clarke’s children.Clarke told the legislature that he suffered after “a story” — it was an exclusive written by respected Western Standard reporter Chris Oldcorn — that went viral October 16. It was about his yet unidentified Grade 7 children using girls’ changerooms, that Clarke insisted “matched their gender.”“Later that evening the photo and identity of my two daughters, my wife, and I were subsequently posted on social media linking us to the story.”Now, Clarke, a serving politician on a mission, should have been linked to the story. This is an important issue that needs to see the light of day.His wife and children? No! It was so wrong for whoever to post a picture identifying those poor kids. They didn’t deserve that.He went on to accuse Moe of politicizing the issue — which is exactly what Clarke just did in the legislature.“He held a press conference to stoke fear and outrage about two kids at an elementary school, while my children’s picture was circulating on social media, identifying them, while unimaginable hate was raging down on my family.”“Mr. Speaker, what do you think would be going through a 12‑year-old’s mind when they hear the premier of their province targeting them?”One has to wonder what goes through their minds when they have to deal with an issue they’ve been forced to deal with at school.Clarke went on to accuse Moe of having “decided to attack trans kids, some of the most vulnerable people in our province, all presumably because he thought it was a good political strategy.”No, he did not.Clarke shifted gears, making a baffling statement for effect.“Transgender kids are not scary. Transgender people are not scary. They are not people that we should be afraid of. They are people who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and love.”No one says these poor kids are scary. Who says they’re scary?“To all the transgender youth out there in Saskatchewan and across this country, as well as their parents and loved ones, and the rest of the 2SLGBTQ+ [two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning plus] community, I want to say, we on this side of the Chamber see you, we love you, and we support you. We want you to be safe, happy people in this province so that you can live your best life. And we will always fight for your rights to be you.”Nothing at all wrong with that clearly political statement.But how about supporting the rights of non-trans children? Don’t they matter, too?Clarke lamented Bill 137 Moe’s party passed last October requiring young students to get parental consent to change their pronouns.How dare kids confide in their parents!By Clarke’s skewed logic that “put queer kids at risk.”And then by not supporting his changeroom agenda, Moe “fanned the flames of hate.” Ridiculous!And he dramatically accused Moe and his team of “punching down on some of the most vulnerable people and kids in this province.”All nonsense for theatrical effect.“The (Saskatchewan Party's) legacy is attacking vulnerable kids. Prove me wrong.”You’re wrong. The onus is on you to try to prove you’re right.Just as you’re wrong to use your clout as an MLA to push your personal agenda.So really, who put the “target” on Clarke’s children’s back?Maybe another apology from him is in order.To his kids for selfishly creating the drama they’re caught in the middle of. Poor kids.

SLOBODIAN: It's Clarke who should apologize

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