There are some recurring themes in Beaver Tales.
One is compassion and kindness; another is political responsibility, including defense of rights and freedoms; last but not least, is mental health and happiness. Of course, each post deals with different subjects, from culture to nightlife, but these are underlying tones — you could say, my perspective.
I believe compassion, politics and mental heath to be connected, particularly when writing about LGBTQ news and issues.
It also explains why I was so moved when I read CTV‘s article Ottawa Walks so Kids Can Talk about Mental Illness.
Last year, over 100,000 youth from Ottawa called the Kid’s Help Phone. For some, it saved and transformed their life and I quote from the above-mentioned article: “I was bullied in high school myself for being gay, because I was out in school,” said Sean Harris, now 32 years old. “When I came out I felt like I was going to be suicidal and I used Kids Help Phone to help me through my rough time.”
The suicide of Ottawa-teen Jamie Hubley was an eye-opener and bullying is now being taken seriously by lawmakers and politicians (with Ontario’s Bill 13, the Accepting Schools Act).
The current debate over Bill 13 and the action that bullying has inspired in others is welcome. I’m just happy to hear preventative efforts like Kids Help Phone are celebrated as much as punishment is discussed in the form of law.
Why you can trust Xtra
