last week a local newspaper asked me to answer the following question, as part of a series of articles they're running on inclusiveness. the question, and my response, is below. please insert your country of choice, the song remains the same.

HOW CAN WE CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE CANADA AND BECOME BETTER CITIZENS?

The most direct response I can give to this question is for us, individually
and culturally, to encourage and honor each other's unique expressions of
being, while also embracing the commonalities amongst us: to love and be
loved, to see and be seen, to hear and be heard, to have the freedom to be
ourselves in the world, whomever we love, whatever our gender, whatever our
race or spiritual creed. We live in a tolerant society - it is not enough.
We will become truly inclusive when we open ourselves to becoming an
accepting society, no longer afraid of the "otherness" of those who appear
different to us - instead embracing our differences, as well as embracing
the things that unite us.

-lady uberbabe, aka lisa voldeng