Subscribe nowI remember taking an Introduction to Canadian Studies course in my third year at McGill University. The takeaway from the class was that Canadas national identity is built around an ideology that we are proud to be not American. As Americas northern neighbor, we are fractional in size, with only slightly more people living in Canada than in California. Perhaps due to an inferiority complex, we pride ourselves in being better than the U.S.: we boast about how we are happier people and have universal healthcare, less income inequality, more tolerance for diversity and less gun violence. But therein also lies the problem. This grass is greener mentality gives Canadians an out from not having to reflect on the problems we face within our own borders.This idea is particularly relevant when it comes LGBTQ rights. While the U.S. government is waging an unprecedented attack on the queer community, Canada is far from perfect: Albertas government, egged on by anti-LGBTQ parent groups, has instituted a new book ban policy; Saskatchewans Parents Bill of Rightswhich has been cited as an example of the encroachment of Americas culture warsrequires teachers to get parental consent to call trans kids by anything other than their deadnames; and former prime ministerial frontrunner Pierre Poilievre has an anti-trans track record that closely mirrors Donald Trumps.These policies have a tangible impact: 56% of Canadas LGBTQ youth meet the criteria for a variety of mental health and substance use disorders compared with 29% of their cisgender heterosexual counterparts, and hate crimes against LGBTQ Canadians went up by 388% between 2016 and 2023.In the last few months, Ive had countless conversations with Canadian friends and colleagues about how we need to remain vigilant and take action to make sure Americas anti-LBGTQ ecosystem doesnt bleed north of the border. Ive reflected on what that means for Uncloseted Media. How can we, as a journalistic organization, help hold the line in my home country, which has been a trailblazer for LGBTQ rights on the global stage?The answer is simple: were going to start telling more Canadian stories. In the next few months, expect a rollout of more Canadian content examining the countrys anti-LGBTQ ecosystem that fuels misinformation and misunderstanding and promotes principlessuch as division and intolerancethat are antithetical to Canadian values. Expect investigations, but also human-centered stories that unpack what its like to be, for example, a kid growing up in an intolerant household in rural Alberta.While our geographical coverage is expanding, our commitment to journalistic rigor and the truth remains the same. Were excited to take you on a ride north of the border and equally thrilled to announce that Canadians can now donate to Uncloseted Media through our campaign with the Veritas Foundation. Special shoutout to Veritas Executive Director Mark Bonham for helping us with this exciting initiative. If you are Canadian and would like to contribute, you can do so here:Donate to Uncloseted Media from CanadaRead or watch a few Canadian stories weve already done:Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas! Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief spencer@unclosetedmedia.com