#mate we’re fighting for our basic rights here I know people who think being trans is called being bi

[pensivetense]

I saw a post and it and (mostly) its comment section annoyed me and now I shall vague about it, sorry

[shelbymustange]

Is Canada really that good? I've been thinking abt leaving my country and America is a no-no for me

This is such an incredibly difficult thing for me to write, as I’m a white person living in Canada and I don’t know a lot about POC experiences in my country. Everything I know about racism in Canada is from an outsider perspective. The only thing I can really speak on is my experiences as an LGBT person, and as an AFAB person who was born and raised here.

I'm not even close to an authority on how POC feel about living in Canada, and I can only give my opinion on that based on my personal experiences with my POC friends and acquaintances, plus what I have read in the news and from articles written by POC.

As well, this is from the perspective of someone who grew up in rural Ontario, and is living in Ottawa. Ottawa is not a large city, and it is in South Eastern Ontario. Canada is a very, very large country. South Eastern Ontario is no where near the same as Northern Ontario, or even Western Ontario, let alone Alberta or the Maritimes or the Yukon. 

Please keep this in mind as a speak on what I do know. There is a lot more that I don’t, and if you are POC, I encourage you to seek out articles or posts written by POC citizens and immigrants about their experience coming to Canada and living here. As well as seeking out local articles written from the place you may want to move within the country. 

Now that I have said that, let me begin:

Canada has it's issues with POC, and it would be incredibly ignorant for me to say we don't. There is still racism here, there is still anti-immigrant sentiment. There’s a very, very longstanding history of racism toward our First Nations/Indigenous/Native people. This history and mistreatment is becoming more well known about my country. It’s currently in debate whether we should label the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women a genocide because of the systematic negligence on the part of our authorities toward finding these girls and closing the numerous cold cases there are. As well, the ‘Starlight Tours’ -- or a more apt and less pleasing name the “Saskatoon Freezing Deaths” are also gaining a lot more attention toward how my country has treated it’s Indigenous people, and their systematic oppression. Not to mention the issue surrounding our residential schools and kidnapped indigenous children. <--there is a lot to unpack about Canada and it’s First Nations peoples. I could go on for paragraphs about this. I encourage any Canadian followers to read the articles in this paragraph and learn about these atrocities if you think our country is perfect.

Canada is not a utopia for POC. Brown and Black people as well, still suffer from racism from our authorities, as well as just daily racism from the people around them. And there are cases of police negligence and brutality that happen in Canada. This is a fact that our country has to face. 

In terms of our government -- well, our parties are a lot different than the US. Here’s what our election looked like last year, and a basic overview on party policies. Our elections last like...a month? I think last year it was 78 days and that was a long ass election. Generally speaking, there isn’t as much of and Us or Them mentality with our parties and I think it’s because we have a Parliament system. In my perspective, they’re all sort of toeing the line because they need each other in order for any policy to pass, especially when we have a minority government.

So, no one other than the conservatives are aligning themselves with just one party. And the conservatives only do that because the PC party is really the only contending conservative power in Canada. The other three parties that have MPs in House are leftist parties. 

Personally speaking, I’m a leftist. I side more with the NDP than the Liberals in terms of policies, but I don’t align myself with a specific party. I’m just a leftist. I usually vote Liberal, because in my district, they are the only contenders against the PC party, and ultimately my district is PC led because it’s a small town and it’s just how people vote there.

That’s how I look at our government. Notice how much more flippant it is than you might get from someone in the States? AND. I’m going to be perfectly honest here, not long ago, in our provincial government, we had a Premier named Kathleen Wynne, who I wanted to like, but she made some really stupid decisions (except $14 min wage, thank u Wynne). She was a Liberal party leader. And, you know, I was not okay with a PC government in Ontario, especially one run by Doug Ford (brother of notorious Rob Ford). And he’s done some shit I don’t like at all, BUT! I can comfortably say that I respect Doug Ford because of his decision making during the Covid Pandemic. While it was slow and could have been handled better, do I think another leader would have done better? Not really. But at the same time, there was no downplaying, and despite his emphasis on business in his platform, he surprised me with his re-opening policies and how slowly they were taken. (except the schools, because that was fuckin stupid tbh but I’m not going to keep going on about that.). Generally speaking, here when you’re mad about a politician, it’s for non-heinous, smaller bad decision making, rather than taking away Trans rights, for example. (An Aside -- here in Ontario, trans people who are clinically diagnosed with dysphoria and referred for surgery by a professional have their surgeries covered by OHIP (provincial health plan), and do not have to pay out of pocket, so that’s nice).

(Disclaimer: this opinion is from a white person’s prespective, a white person who votes in rural Ontario, who’s friends and family are quite equally as skeptical and logical toward politics and politicians. My flippancy could very well  be because of my white priviledge and I encourage any poc Canadian followers to respond with their opinions so I can rb here. I just know majority of immigrant Canadians vote Liberal since like the 70s).

Largely our Conservative party is much more concerned with fiscal issues than anything else (though there are some outliers, like Andrew Scheer who was notoriously anti-lgbt and abortion, but from what I could see it was kept out of his politics?? I need to look into it more, but ultimately he was taken out as the PC leader I think largely because of the country’s opinions on this) but a good portion of their supporters can be racist, and non-supportive of lgbt people, anti-abortion, etc. Ultimately, our conservatives, when in power recently, have never tried to reverse LGBT rights, though they toe the line of reproductive rights, despite not actively re-opening the debate. As well, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, as well as Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary have enacted bans on conversion therapy. A bill has also been tabled that will federally ban conversion therapy, and it’s not something that the conservatives are really fighting against. For the most part, they leave LGBT people alone rather than actively passing laws to harm them. I can personally say, I’ve never felt fear for my life, or my rights when we’ve had a majority PC government.

As an immigrant, compared to the US, you are more likely to be taken in to our country, and it is much easier to get work. It’s also easier to become a permanent resident (here’s a list of personal stories from answers on Quora about Canada vs US immigration). 

As well, the Canadian government adopted the idea of Canada as a multicultural nation back in the 1970s. We’re not a melting pot like the US. And this can be a big draw for people looking to immigrate, because it emphasizes individuality and the positives of what different cultures can bring to a country. (Though this can be contested and quite fairly at that).

I personally know a good amount of people who have immigrated to Canada, from a variety of different backgrounds, who love it here, and have had very little issue in their lives. Not none, obviously for the POC, because racism still happens here, but they love being here, and ultimately they feel safe and like they belong. They have found community here. But this is just my personal experience, Heres’s a couple articles from and about Canadian immigrants:

Immigrants talk about when they 'started to feel Canadian' - Ottawa Citizen, 2018 As an immigrant, I know how it feels to be 'lonely and isolated' in my new country - CBC Saskatchewan, 2019    What It Takes: An immigrant’s journey from Zimbabwe to Canada - Global News, 2019

This isn’t to say that people come here and they’re always going to love it. There’s a lot of people who leave, either to go back to their home country, or to go to another country (like the US). Even though it’s easier than in the US, it can still be hard to get a job here in the field you want, things are kind of really expensive compared to the US, the US has better higher level education, they have better paying jobs, etc. 

And again, this is the perspective of a white person from a smaller city in Ontario. I know Toronto, even though half of it’s population are immigrants, has a lot of issues with it’s police and brutality and anti-black and brown racism. Ultimately, you will not completely escape racism, individual or systemic, in this country. It’s an unfortunate fact that we can all fight to change in the future.

But in a small town. It’s a community. As someone from a rural area, I know that in my experience, there has never been a point where I have seen anyone from my small communities who have been, at the least, outwardly racist toward a POC. I personally have never seen or heard of a person being confronted or abused or called names because of the colour of their skin or cultural background. (here is an article written by my brother’s friend and former band mate, who is a black man that was adopted as a child, about his experiences in small town Canada, and his perspective on the BLM movement and the response of his white friends).

Anyway, I hope this sort of got my point across. Canada’s a complicated nation, like most. I didn’t touch on the base level, ‘why is canada a good place to immigrate’ points or anything, but I figure you would look that up before making such a big choice. And I’ve already spent 4 hours trying to write something coherent and somewhat researched to say...

Again, I encourage anyone to rb with their opinion or with anything I may have missed. Or send an ask or whatever.

[hamilton-one-shots]

Hamilton Omegaverse 3

His entire weekend was spent the same way and he was put into a cycle of work and Netflix all week, only watching Netflix at home, of course. He was more productive than before and decided to keep that system. It wasn't like he did much outside of work, anyways. And he kept reading the paper, mainly when his works were printed. Most of what he wrote was printed, but... there were a few articles with the same topic as his own written by someone else. Charles Lee? Who was that? John sighed and shrugged it off each time. It was probably some older journalist.

The rest of the month came and went faster than John realized and it wasn't long before some guy came over and knocked on his door.

"Hey, omega, the boss wants to see you and me right now."

"I have a name and it's not omega."

"You're the only one of them here. It's easier to remember that than a name I might not have to hear again soon," he remarked with a cocky smirk.

John furrowed his eyebrows. What did he mean he might not have to hear it again? He got up and followed him to Washington's office.

"We're here, sir."

"Excellent. Shut the door behind you and come over, take a seat."

"With pleasure, sir." The kiss ass alpha did just that and bumped John's shoulder as he passed him, sitting in front of Washington's desk.

John stayed quiet about it and sat down beside him.

"Thank you gentlemen for coming. I'm sure you're unaware of this, Lee, but John was given articles to write as a trial run for a position as a journalist, which is why his were published instead of yours. I'm happy with his results and-"

"And you want me to mentor him! How great. I'll have lots of fun making a new, omega friend."

John cringed. Why did he keep saying that word? It wasn't like his dynamic mattered that much. He knew he was so much more than an omega, not that he was ashamed of his dynamic.

"No. Quite the contrary, actually. Lee, your writing is stale and your perspective is different than anyone else here. You do nothing more than just blend in and go against anything that means the slightest conflict, even fighting the notion of bathrooms separated by dynamic, along with gender, despite someone you know being a victim of assault in a men's bathroom."

John frowned. He'd actually been assaulted and harassed multiple times when going into the men's bathroom, either because he 'just wasn't man enough' or 'an omega is no man' and to hear that someone didn't want to protect male and female omegas, who were just as easily harassed by female alphas, just because they didn't want the conflict made his blood boil.

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that John Laurens is going to be your replacement. I've been trying to find one for a while, actually."

"You're joking. I've worked here for years and you want to get rid of me for some trashy little omega?" He jumped to his feet, enraged.

"It's only been two years and do not refer to any of my employees in that matter." Washington had made it clear to John that the only reason he was the only omega there was because no others ever applied.

"This is bullshit!"

He called security into the room and they, quite literally, dragged Lee out of the office and out of the building, guarding every entrance to keep him from coming back in. One officer even took out his things for him, at Washington's request.

"I'm honored that you think so highly of me, sir.."

"Don't let this get to your head, now. You're not without faults yourself, but those can be fixed with experience. A pay raise will be going into effect for you this month, since you will be handling the roles of both a cartoonist and a journalist."

"I won't let you down! I promise!"

Washington nodded, smiling a bit at John's enthusiasm. "I wouldn't expect anything less. You're dismissed."

John cheered himself all the way back to his office, where Alexander was waiting in his chair.

"Are you alright? We heard screaming and saw Lee get dragged out."

"I'm more than alright! I got that jerk's job! I'm now a proud journalist and a cartoonist!"

Alexander smiled. "That's great! You should totally come out with me and my friends for drinks to celebrate."

"I would be fine with that.. But I don't drink, again. I'm only 19."

"Not according to your computer. I didn't mean to peep or anything, it just popped up on the screen while I was sitting here, birthday boy."

John smiled. He didn't like making a big deal out of his birthday, but he would respect anyone else who did. "Alright, it's my birthday. But I still can't get into any bars."

Alexander nodded and thought for a second. "We'll make a bar. We can hang out at someone else's apartment."

"I don't know.."

"Oh, come on. I'll keep an eye on you myself. No alphas will try to touch you. If they do, I will drive you home myself and never ask you to go out again."

"Well... Alright." Alexander seemed to trust his friends so much, John couldn't help but think it was fair enough to do the same.

"Yes! I'll get the word out and I'll keep it small!"

And when Alexander said small, he really meant small. Besides the two of them, there were only two others, two more alpha males.

"It's nice to officially meet you guys. I'm John, the cartoonist."

"I'm Hercules and this is Lafayette. We're both journalists in different departments."

John worked mainly with the political department in his writing, but he did get cartoon requests from basically all other departments. "It's nice to meet you two."

"Happy birthday, by the way. We would have brought something, but Alexander didn't tell us until we were on our way here," Lafayette commented.

"Oh, don't worry about that. You didn't have to get me anything. Alex just dragged me out here to have some fun." Only after John made him take him to his apartment and feed his pets, though.

"You deserve it. I haven't seen this guy take a break since he started working with us."

"Sounds a lot like you a few years ago," Hercules commented with a laugh. "Alexander would not leave his computer for anything and it was ridiculous. We had to practically pry him away sometimes."

"Wow, that's the same guy that always comes into my office while we're supposed to be working?"

Alexander shrugged. "What can I say? I learned to chill. And you should to. You're way ahead in life, compared to some people. Hell, even compared to a lot of alphas I know. I mean, just look at Lee!"

John nodded. "I see your point."

It wasn't long before the alcohol started getting to the alphas, John didn’t want to drink, as they sat in a circle and played truth or dare. They were allowed to refuse, mainly because all three were so curious about the life of an omega, but John didn't have to. He took every intrusive question like a champ.

"So, what's it like to not have to deal with stupid knots?" Lafayette asked.

John had been expecting the question, but he didn't have an answer for it. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? Omega males don't have knots, right?"

"Right.. But I guess I wouldn't exactly be an omega male."

"What do you mean? Are you a beta or something?"

Alexander chuckled. "Oh, come on, Laf. He has the scent of an omega from a mile away."

John nodded. "Right. I am an omega, but I'm a trans guy. I wouldn't have a knot even if I was an alpha."

"Oh.. Sorry for bringing it up, then."

"It's fine. You didn't know. It's not like I make a big deal about it, either." He shrugged and took a sip of his soda. "I imagine it's a lot easier on omega males to not have a knot and to have a weak heat," he tutted. "I take suppressants, but it sucks that I have to go through that without them."

"Yeah, trust me, ruts are no fun."

"At least you can go to work on a rut. What are you going to do? Knot another alpha?" It was part of the reason that John had his own office, besides the previously mentioned workload. Alphas were still allowed to go to work during their ruts, usually carrying around toys to help them relieve themselves and nobody batted an eye. But the second an omega got in heat, they were locked up in their houses, especially females. Being fertile, they had worse heat than males and alphas usually couldn't resist the temptation. Typically, if an omega suddenly went into heat in public, they were surrounded by an omega pack and taken home, but there were less than rare occasions where an alpha took advantage of their state.

"It does suck that people just keep omegas locked up."

"Yeah, it is not pleasant." He rolled his eyes. He had toys to get him through his heats, but if he dared to go in public with one around him, he'd be socially crucified.

"What's it like to be knotted, then?"

"He's 19, Laf."

"Doesn't mean I can’t ask."

John chuckled. "I've never gotten a real knot, but even on a toy, it hurts unless I'm in heat or I prep myself or something, then it's great. I've got a question for you. How do alphas have gay sex?.. What happens to it?"

"Knots are weird. They know when there's no omega around and they just won't show up."

"That is weird. I guess it's like omegas and scents. When we're trying to pick up other omegas, we don't give off our scent nearly as strongly as around an alpha because it doesn't work on ourselves."

"Being a dynamic is weird," Alexander complained. "Why can't we all just be betas?"

John laughed and shrugged. "That'd be great. No more heat cycles, no more ruts for you guys."

Hercules nodded and looked over at his mate, who was suspiciously quiet and tense. "What's up baby?.."

"Um.."

Hercules realized what it was a minute or so later and became just as tense. "Oh.."

John furrowed his eyebrows and looked down, gasping and getting up when he saw the wet patch spreading in his pants. He wasn't quite in heat, but he wasn't used to being around alphas, to being so comfortable around them. Now that he was, he didn't even realize he was giving off very... friendly signals and was pushed into a pre heat. "I'm sorry... I'll go." He began to leave, but Alexander stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"No, don't do that. There's so many alphas in here.. I'll go with you, okay? I promise I won't hurt you or touch you."

John thought it over for a second before nodding. Alexander's defensive alpha scent would keep any others away.

The two went down to the lobby and waited for John's cab.

"I probably won't be in on Monday.."

"It's fine. I'll make sure Washington knows if you hadn't already."

"Thanks.."

The cab got there and John got in and went to his apartment, building a nest out of his pillows and blankets and laying in it, staying there for the rest of the night. He spent his weekend switching between dealing with his heat and writing his articles, Palomino and Turtle being his only company.

On Monday morning, Alexander went to Washington's office. "Good morning, sir. I was just wondering if you knew that John was going to be out today."

"I did, actually. He emailed me yesterday."

"Great. I didn't want him to get in any trouble or anything."

George shook his head. "No, he's not in any trouble. He's still getting his work done from home. Was that all?"

Alexander nodded. "Yep." He smiled and walked back to his area, pausing in the middle of the hallway as he passed an unfamiliarly familiar face. "Thomas Jefferson."

He stopped and looked at him. "Yes?"

"I have a few choice words for you."

He thought for a second. "Alexander Hamilton. I always imagined you'd be taller."

He clenched his fists and opened his mouth to yell, but stopped as he watched the other walk off. "Hey, I was going to talk to you!"

"I'm busy, but thanks. Go spam my blog with hate comments, if you want." He waved him off and kept walking until he reached George Washington's office. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Come in."

He stepped into the office. "Hello, Mr Washington, I'm sorry to disturb you."

He smiled. "Thomas Jefferson. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was thinking about writing a piece on how to move real high up real fast and I've been seeing a lot of that boy that interviewed me, John Laurens? I was wondering if I could borrow him from you."

"Unfortunately, Mr Laurens is out on a personal break. I'm not sure when he'll be back, it might be a week or so."

"Really? That is unfortunate.."

"I could give you his email, if you don't already have it. He's taking care of his work from home. He just can't be in the office."

Thomas nodded. "Alright. I should still have his email from when we discussed the interview. Thank you for speaking to me."

"Anytime."

He gave him one last quick smile before leaving, ignoring Alexander's glare and going out to his car, then going home. It was a shame that he couldn't see John Laurens then. He was smart and cute, not that his looks needed to influence his opinion of him much.

When he got home, he grabbed his laptop and began emailing his newest subject.

(Quick note: I know my rules of omegaverse are different from most others and it might be confusing to you guys, but its what makes sense to me.)