sexist essay alberta

The essay states that women are not equal to men and that their ability to bear children takes priority over trying to break into male-dominated careers.

The contest, which was a partnership between the legislative assembly and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region, asked women between the ages of 17 and 25 to describe their "unique vision for Alberta" and what they would do if elected an MLA.

The author adds that women who have given birth to two children or more should receive medals and financial incentives to prevent the "import" of "foreigners to replace ourselves."

"While it is sadly popular nowadays to think that the world would be better off without humans, or that Albertan children are unnecessary as we can import foreigners to replace ourselves, this is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide," Silver writes.

"The first rule of health for any biological population is their ability to reproduce and pass along their way of life into the future."

The essay was removed from the Alberta legislative assembly website Monday night after NDP MLA Janis Irwin posted screenshots of the essay on social media.

Armstrong-Homeniuk, the UCP MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville and the newly appointed associate minister for status of women, tried to distance herself from the contest on Tuesday through a written statement.

Initially Armstrong-Homeniuk said the essay should never have been chosen. Hours later, after hearing from her caucus and cabinet colleagues about how the essay was chosen, she issued a second statement.

"It's clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that," Armstrong-Homeniuk said.

"The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel.

"Alberta's government values the contributions of women and newcomers, and we will continue working towards removing barriers to equality so that all Albertans can enjoy opportunities and success in our province."

Armstrong-Homeniuk's statement did not address questions about who else was on the judging panel.

According to the contest rules,  Armstrong-Homeniuk was to choose submissions during the month of March with the help of a panel of female Alberta MLAs.

The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region said it had nothing to do with the essay contest and said any questions should be directed to Armstrong-Homeniuk as it was a local initiative.

NDP calls essay 'hate speech'

Rakhi Pancholi, the NDP MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud, said no one from the NDP caucus was involved. She demanded the government release the names of the MLAs who were so they can explain how the essay was chosen in the first place.

"I am deeply troubled by this," she said.

"I'd like to know how this happened and how it happened without anybody raising the alarms and saying this is inappropriate. Not just inappropriate. This is tantamount to hate speech.

"This has to be the speech that we condemn, not celebrate."

Although the essays were published on the legislative assembly website, neither the office of Speaker Nathan Cooper nor the Legislative Assembly Office were involved in choosing the winning entries, according to a statement issued by the Speaker's office.

"The Her Vision Inspires essay contest was conceived and administered by the chair of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Regions Alberta branch, " the statement said.

"As soon as the content of the third-place winner was brought to the Speaker's attention, he immediately made the decision for the content to be removed.

"The content is abhorrent and does not reflect the views of the Speaker or the Legislative Assembly Office."

Lise Gotell, professor of women's and gender studies at the University of Alberta, said the views promulgated in the essay about providing medals and money to encourage women to have more children reflect programs in Nazi Germany.

She said the essay suggests a woman's job is to make babies "to shore up the race."

"This essay is not only sexist, it is also quite racist," she said.

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Alberta government members should resign over prize for sexist, racist essay: NDP

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EDMONTON — Alberta’s Opposition is calling for the two top legislature leaders on women’s issues to quit for giving a prize for an essay that urges women to forgo careers and focus on baby-making so the province doesn’t have to bring in more foreigners.

NDP critic Rakhi Pancholi said Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, the United Conservative Party government’s associate minister for the Status of Women, and Jackie Lovely, the department’s parliamentary secretary, have lost all credibility to advance the cause of women and must resign.

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“I don’t know how (they) can continue in these roles,” Pancholi said at a news conference in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., on Thursday.

“I don’t know what work they were doing. They won’t even stand up before cameras and take questions.

“They have no credibility … they are undermining — actively undermining — women’s interests in this province.”

Armstrong-Homeniuk is the member of the legislature for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville.

Public pressure had been growing on Armstrong-Homeniuk’s office to divulge the names of the judges. Some United Conservative female legislature members had begun issuing statements stating they were not on the panel.

Late Wednesday night, Lovely, the member for Camrose, issued a statement saying, “I can confirm that I was the only other MLA on the essay judging panel.”

“I regret that this essay was chosen, and I apologize for my role in that,” her statement said. “As a single mother who has pursued a wide variety of traditionally male-dominated careers, I deeply understand the strength and ability of women.

“Also, as a former ESL (English as a second language) teacher who has hosted 56 international students, I value and appreciate the role of newcomers in our province and will continue working to remove barriers to equity and prosperity for all.”

The essays were pulled from the legislative assembly website shortly after criticism of the contest emerged on social media Monday night.

Armstrong-Homeniuk has since declined interviews, but instead issued two statements saying she doesn’t support the sentiments in the essay.

“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that,” Armstrong-Homeniuk wrote Tuesday. “The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel.”

Pancholi said that prompts the question — if the two judges say the essay should not have won, why did they pick it?

“We still do not have a clear explanation as to what and why this happened,” Pancholi said.

The essay was part of the legislative contest, titled “Her Vision Inspires,” which asked young women to explore ways to make Alberta a better place.

The top two essays suggest ways to get more women, and the public in general, involved in public life.

The third-place winner – identified only as S. Silver — won a $200 prize to be spent at the legislature gift shop.

Silver’s essay posits that the governing mission of humanity is to reproduce itself, but that Alberta has lost its way to instead pursue “selfish and hedonistic goals.”

The solution, she argues, is to acknowledge that “women are not exactly equal to men.”

Society, she writes, should celebrate and embrace the birthing role of women and stop pushing them to put off prime procreation years while they “break into careers that men traditionally dominate.”

She says the idea that Alberta can put off procreation and instead “import foreigners to replace ourselves … is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”

Pancholi and other critics have likened that reference to 1930s Nazi Germany, when women were urged to be baby vessels to propagate the Aryan race.

Three female candidates in the United Conservative race to replace Premier Jason Kenney as party leader and premier have also taken to Twitter to criticize the award.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2022.

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Camrose MLA admits to being on panel that chose racist, sexist essay; NDP calls for resignations

Repeated attempts by Postmedia to contact Lovely this week have gone unanswered. Neither her nor Armstrong-Homeniuk have provided any explanation for how or why the essay was chosen

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Article content

Two Alberta MLAs in charge of promoting women’s advancement say they were the judges in an essay contest that rewarded with third place a racist, sexist entry arguing women are “not exactly” equal to men and should be encouraged to have babies to avoid “cultural suicide.”

Camrose MLA admits to being on panel that chose racist, sexist essay; NDP calls for resignations Back to video

Now the NDP says they should both resign from their posts.

Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville UCP MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk led the judging panel months before being appointed associate minister of status of women in June. On Wednesday night, Jackie Lovely, the UCP MLA for Camrose, admitted to CBC that she was the only other MLA on the judging panel.

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Lovely is Alberta’s parliamentary secretary for the status of women.

In her statement to CBC, Lovely said she regrets that the essay, which has been pulled off the legislative assembly website, was chosen “and I apologize for my role in that.

“As a single mother who has pursued a wide variety of traditionally male-dominated careers, I deeply understand the strength and ability of women. Also, as a former ESL teacher who hosted 56 international students, I also value and appreciate the role of newcomers in our province, and will continue working to remove barriers to equity and prosperity for all.”

Repeated attempts by Postmedia to contact Lovely this week have gone unanswered. Neither she nor Armstrong-Homeniuk have provided any explanation for how or why the essay was chosen.

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‘Horrendous lack of good judgment’: NDP

On Thursday NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi said it’s clear the pair either didn’t read the essay before giving out the prize or they agree with what it says. In either case, they can’t continue in their posts, she said.

“They have both displayed a horrendous lack of good judgment, and an inability to take seriously the work required to advance and promote interests of women in this province,” Pancholi said.

Premier Jason Kenney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The Her Vision Inspires contest invited women aged 17 to 25 to submit essays describing their ideas for the province and what they would do if they were a member of the legislative assembly.

The essay’s author, identified only as S. Silver, argued that women trying to break into careers traditionally dominated by men is “misguided” and “harmful.”

“I believe that the best approach would be to reward families for their reproductive service both with financial rewards to offset the financial burden they are taking on and with medals to symbolize their valuable achievement of having 2+ children,” it says.

The essay includes a claim often touted by white nationalists — that low birth numbers among the white population is leading to the population being replaced through increased immigration.

“While it is sadly popular nowadays to think that the world would be better off without humans, or that Albertan children are unnecessary as we can import foreigners to replace ourselves, this is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide,” it says.

Apology issued Tuesday

Following intense public outcry, Armstrong-Homeniuk apologized on Tuesday.

“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that. The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel,” she said.

Armstrong-Homeniuk promoted the contest through her role as the Alberta Representative for the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region. On Wednesday, the national group distanced itself from the scandal.

“The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Canadian Region was not involved in the Alberta Her Vision Inspires essay contest. This was a local Alberta initiative. Any questions should be directed to Ms. Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, MLA,” the organization said in a statement.

— With files from Lisa Johnson

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Alberta awards prize to essay that argues women should pick babies over careers

By CityNews Staff

Posted Aug 9, 2022 11:22:00 PM.

EDMONTON — Alberta has awarded a prize to an essayist who argues the sexes are not equal and that women should pick babies over careers to avoid the province having to import more foreigners and risk “cultural suicide.”

The United Conservative government removed the essay from its legislature website on Tuesday following a wave of social media condemnation.

Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, Alberta’s associate minister for the Status of Women, was the contest organizer and the head of the judging panel.

She initially distanced herself from the affair then, as criticism mounted, took responsibility without explaining which judges decided to award the prize and why.

“The essay contest was intended to reflect a broad range of opinions from young Alberta women on what democracy means for them,” Armstrong-Homeniuk said in a statement Tuesday morning.

“While the essay in question certainly does not represent the views of all women, myself included, the essay in question should not have been chosen.”

Later in the afternoon, Homeniuk issued an updated statement saying some of her caucus and cabinet colleagues had raised concerns.

“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that,” she said. 

“The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel.” 

Armstrong-Homeniuk had been the face of the contest since it was introduced in February.

The “Her Vision Inspires” contest challenged women ages 17 to 25 to describe their ideas for a better Alberta.

The contest advertised that essays would be judged by Armstrong-Homeniuk and other legislature members but did not specify the names of the other judges. The Opposition NDP said it did not participate.

The top two essays suggest ways to get more women, and the public in general, involved in public life.

The third-place winner — identified only as S. Silver — won a $200 prize to be spent at the legislature gift shop.

Silver's essay posits that the governing mission of humanity is to reproduce itself, but that Alberta has lost its way to instead pursue “selfish and hedonistic goals.”

The solution, she argues, is to acknowledge that “women are not exactly equal to men.” 

Society, she writes, should celebrate and embrace the birthing role of women and stop pushing them to put off prime procreation years while they “break into careers that men traditionally dominate.”

She says the idea that Alberta can put off procreation and instead “import foreigners to replace ourselves … is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”

NDP critic Rakhi Pancholi said Armstrong-Homeniuk owes the public a full explanation of how this view was not condemned, but honoured and rewarded.

“Sexism, racism, hate — this is not what any government should be celebrating, yet increasingly these views are becoming acceptable in this UCP government, and even now applauded,” Pancholi told reporters.

Pancholi zeroed in on the “cultural suicide” reference, likening it to 1930s Nazi Germany urging women to be baby vessels to propagate the Aryan race.

“This is an absolutely reprehensible claim. It is a nod to the racist replacement theory that drives white nationalist hate,” she said.

The contest was run through the legislative assembly office, which is headed by Speaker Nathan Cooper.

Cooper’s office, in a statement, said the contest was conceived and administered by Armstrong-Homeniuk in her role as regional chair of the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarians group. It added that neither the Speaker's nor the legislative assembly office were involved in picking the essays “in any capacity.” 

“As soon as the content of the third-place winner was brought to the Speaker’s attention, he immediately made the decision for the content to be removed,” said the statement. 

Three candidates in the race to replace Premier Jason Kenney as party leader and premier also took to Twitter to criticize the award.

“It’s a disgrace that an essay saying women are not equal to men won an award sponsored by government. Women, and their contributions, are equally valuable and amazing whether we are moms or not. Can’t believe this needs to be said,” wrote Rebecca Schulz.

Rajan Sawhney followed up: “Agree, Rebecca. Same goes for the comments about 'foreigners.' Alberta is the proud home of people from all over the world — from Ukraine, to the Philippines, and everywhere in between.”

Leela Aheer said: “Well, I read 1st and 2nd place (essays). Those were great! I’m not sure how the 3rd essay elevates women.”

Lise Gotell, a women’s and gender studies professor at the University of Alberta, said the essay perpetuates an essentialist, sexist and racist point of view stemming from the long discredited and outdated concept that a women’s role is to reproduce as a bulwark against immigration.

“The fact that it was chosen says a great deal about the views on appropriate gender roles being advanced by this government,” said Gotell.

“This essay reads like something that quite frankly could’ve been written in the 19th century.”

— With files from Angela Amato in Edmonton

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2022.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

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The essay, submitted for a contest, argued that women are “not exactly equal to men” and opined about Albertans being replace by foreigners. It was given third place.

Pair of Alberta MLAs picked racist, sexist essay from five submissions in total

This article is over a year old, and the information within may be out of date.

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EDMONTON—Two Alberta MLAs are now facing calls to resign over their roles in awarding a racist, sexist essay third place in a contest led by Alberta’s associate minister for the status of women.

Questions are being asked not only of associate minister Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, who apologized earlier this week, but of Jackie Lovely, the UCP MLA for Camrose and parliamentary secretary for the status of women.

They appear to have been the only panel members in charge of choosing the top three essays.

In a statement, Lovely apologized for her role in choosing the essay, which argued that women are “not exactly equal to men” and opined about Albertans being replace by foreigners.

“I regret that this essay was chosen,” she said. “I deeply understand the strength and ability of women. Also, as a former ESL teacher who has hosted 56 international students, I value and appreciate the role of newcomers in our province, and will continue working to remove barriers to equity and prosperity for all.”

Armstrong-Homeniuk has also apologized for the essay being chosen for the third place prize — a $200 credit for the legislature gift shop.

The essayist submitted the paper as part of the Her Vision competition, which was a partnership between the Legislative Assembly and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region, of which Armstrong-Homeniuk was the Alberta representative.

It invited young women between the ages of 17 and 25 to write a short essay describing their “unique vision” for the province and what they would do if they were elected.

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• Dec 31, 1969

CBC News reported Thursday that the contest had only received five submissions.

The attention-grabbing paper started by applauding women’s ability to give birth.

“While it is sadly popular nowadays to think that the world would be better off without humans,” a cached version of the essay reads, “or that Albertan children are unnecessary as we can import foreigners to replace ourselves, this is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”

Women’s “biological reality” is also under attack from a “present day delusion,” the essay continues.

“Women are not exactly equal to men,” it says. “To try to promote that women break into careers that men traditionally dominate is not only misguided, but it is harmful.”

The winning essays have been removed from the website in the wake of backlash from the public, UCP MLAs running in the party’s ongoing leadership race, as well as from the Speaker of the legislature, UCP MLA Nathan Cooper, who called the essay “abhorrent.”

The Alberta NDP is calling for both MLAs to resign from their positions as minister and parliamentary secretary.

“I don’t know how (they) can continue in these roles,” said NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi at a news conference in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., on Thursday. Armstrong-Homeniuk is the MLA for that area.

“I don’t know what work they were doing. They won’t even stand up before cameras and take questions.

“They have no credibility … they are undermining — actively undermining — women’s interests in this province.”

With files from Alex Boyd and The Canadian Press

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Prize-winning sexist, racist essay 'should not have been chosen': Alberta associate minister

Article content.

Alberta’s UCP government has given a $200 prize to the author of an essay that argues more Albertan women should be encouraged to give birth in order to stave off “cultural suicide.”

Prize-winning sexist, racist essay 'should not have been chosen': Alberta associate minister Back to video

The Her Vision Inspires contest invited women aged 17 to 25 to submit essays in February describing their ideas for the province and what they would do if they were a member of the legislative assembly.

It awarded third prize to an essay that references a far-right white-nationalist theory that white populations with low birth rates are being replaced by non-white immigrants through mass migration.

“While it is sadly popular nowadays to think that the world would be better off without humans, or that Albertan children are unnecessary as we can import foreigners to replace ourselves, this is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide,” reads the essay, attributed only to S. Silver.

Since it was first flagged online by Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood NDP MLA Janis Irwin, the website featuring all three prize-winning essays attracted a torrent of condemnation on social media, and was   removed Monday evening .

Silver’s entry argued women are “not exactly” equal to men, and the idea that they should try to break into careers traditionally dominated by men is “misguided” and “harmful.”

“I believe that the best approach would be to reward families for their reproductive service both with financial rewards to offset the financial burden they are taking on and with medals to symbolize their valuable achievement of having 2+ children,” it states.

The judging panel of unnamed UCP MLAs was set to be led by Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville UCP MLA  Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, later appointed associate minister of status of women in June.

Armstrong-Homeniuk’s office declined a request for an interview from Postmedia, and refused multiple requests to provide details of who else was involved in judging the contest.

In a statement, Armstrong-Homeniuk said it was intended to reflect a “broad range of opinions” from young Alberta women.

“While the essay in question certainly does not represent the views of all women, myself included, the essay in question should not have been chosen. Giving women of all ages a voice is something that I will always stand up for.”

In a follow-up statement later Tuesday, Armstrong-Homeniuk apologized after she said she heard concerns from her caucus and cabinet colleagues.

“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that. The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel,” she stated.

‘Absolutely reprehensible’: Pancholi

Edmonton-Whitemud NDP Opposition MLA Rakhi Pancholi said at a Tuesday news conference the government, and the UCP MLAs involved, owe a proper explanation for what she called the misogynistic, sexist, racist, transphobic and fascist ideas in the essay.

“Why is the judge who chose it now saying they shouldn’t have chosen it?” she asked.

Pancholi compared the language in the essay to the ideologies of fascist governments, including Nazi Germany, which introduced a medal in 1938 for   mothers of four or more children   in an effort to encourage “racial purity” and increase the population of the Third Reich.

“This is an absolutely reprehensible claim. It is a nod to the racist replacement theory that drives white nationalist hate,” she said.

The contest was originally touted as a partnership between the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region, for which Armstrong-Homeniuk is the local chair.

Alberta legislature Speaker Nathan Cooper’s office said in a statement to Postmedia that neither it nor the legislative assembly office were involved with the selection of winners, and as soon as Cooper learned of the essay he had the website taken down.

“The content is abhorrent and does not reflect the views of the Speaker or the legislative assembly office,” it said, adding the contest was “conceived and administered” by Armstrong-Homeniuk.

Lise Gotell, a women’s and gender studies professor at the University of Alberta, said the essay perpetuates an essentialist, sexist and racist point of view stemming from the long-discredited and outdated concept that a women’s role is to reproduce as a bulwark against immigration.

“The fact that it was chosen says a great deal about the views on appropriate gender roles being advanced by this government,” said Gotell in an interview.

“This essay reads like something that quite frankly could’ve been written in the 19th century.”

At least two UCP leadership candidates strongly condemned the essay Tuesday, with Rebecca Schulz saying in a tweet it was a “disgrace” that it won an award sponsored by the government — a sentiment quickly shared by fellow candidate Rajan Sawhney.

The first-prize winning submission, which received $500 in merchandise from the legislative assembly gift shop, focused on encouraging women to pursue careers in politics, and the second-place entry, which received a $300 voucher, pitched working to increase public engagement and voter turnout.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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Camrose MLA says she was only other member on controversial essay judging panel

Jackie lovely apologizes for choosing essay with racist and sexist elements.

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Jackie Lovely, the UCP MLA for Camrose, says she was the only other MLA on a panel which awarded a prize to an essay containing racist and sexist statements. 

Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville and Alberta's associate minister for the status of women, started the contest and was on the panel with Lovely.

"I regret that this essay was chosen and I apologize for my role in that," Lovely wrote in an email to CBC News Wednesday night. "As a single mother who has pursued a wide variety of traditionally male-dominated careers, I deeply understand the strength and ability of women."

"Also, as a former ESL teacher who hosted 56 international students, I also value and appreciate the role of newcomers in our province, and will continue working to remove barriers to equity and prosperity for all."

Lovely is the parliamentary secretary for the status of women.

The author of the essay, identified only as S. Silver, won third prize in the "Her Vision Inspires" contest. The piece of writing came to light Monday night after screenshots were tweeted by NDP MLA Janis Irwin. 

The contest, which was a partnership between the legislative assembly and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region, asked women between the ages of 17 and 25 to describe their "unique vision for Alberta" and what they would do if elected an MLA. 

Silver's essay stated that women are not equal to men and that their ability to bear children takes priority over trying to break into male-dominated careers. 

The author added that women who have given birth to two children or more should receive medals and financial incentives to prevent the "import" of "foreigners to replace ourselves." 

The government confirmed on Thursday that the contest only received five entries. 

NDP responds

NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi called on Lovely and Armstrong-Homeniuk to resign their positions from the Ministry of Culture and Status of Women.

"They have no credibility at this point with Alberta women," she said at a Thursday news conference.

"They are undermining, actively undermining, women's interests in this province. And they have no business being in these roles."

Lise Gotell, professor of women's and gender studies at the University of Alberta, said Tuesday that the views promulgated in the essay about providing medals and money to encourage women to have more children reflect programs in Nazi Germany. 

She also said the essay was racist and sexist.

• Alberta cabinet minister disavows racist, sexist essay that won prize

The legislative assembly removed the essay and all mentions of the contest from its website Monday evening after controversy erupted on social media. 

Armstrong-Homeniuk, who is the associate minister for the status of women, initially said on Tuesday the essay should have never been chosen. Hours later, she apologized for her role in allowing the "process to fail." 

"The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel," she said in a written statement. 

Armstrong-Homeniuk would not make herself available to take questions. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Provincial affairs reporter

Michelle Bellefontaine covers the Alberta legislature for CBC News in Edmonton. She has also worked as a reporter in the Maritimes and in northern Canada.

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‘Sad to be an Albertan’: Professor of women’s studies reacts to essay contest controversy

By Sarah Chew

Posted August 13, 2022 4:32 pm.

Last Updated August 14, 2022 10:54 am.

A professor of women’s studies at the University of Alberta says she is sad and worried after a government-run contest awarded a prize to an entry widely criticized for being sexist and racist.

Katy Campbell, who teaches women’s and gender studies, believes the Alberta government choosing such an essay to win the third-place prize highlights a darker side within the province.

The essay said, in part, that women and men aren’t equal. It also urges women to forgo careers and focus on baby-making so the province doesn’t have to bring in more foreigners.

“It’s just a factor of biology that women can reproduce,” said Campbell. “It has nothing to do at all with their intellect, for example, or their contributions apart from that to society.”

Another thing that disturbed the U of A professor in the essay is the line that likens immigration to cultural suicide.

“Sadly we know that there are pockets of racism and hate and misogyny in this province,” said Campbell. “It makes me sad to be an Albertan and really worried.”

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The third-place essay was pulled, along with the other two winners, from the government’s website after criticism emerged on social media.

The “Her Vision Inspires” contest, meant to promote women’s voices in politics, asked young women aged 17 to 25 to pen essays about changes they would like to see in Alberta, and what they would do as an MLA.

Professor hopes essayist is getting support

Campbell did share a thought for the writer of the third-place essay – who was only identified as S. Silver – and hopes she is doing OK amid the backlash.

“She may be a young 18-year-old thinking, ‘this is fair, this is the way that I’m thinking, I’m going to express my views.’ And then to be attacked like this – and of course social media is particularly bad for that.

“So I hope she’s getting some support – not support for her views, but support for being able to express herself in an appropriate way.”

Essay contest judges apologize

The contest was run by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the Canadian branch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians.

The judges of the contest, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, the UCP’s associate minister for the status of women, and Jackie Lovely, the department’s parliamentary secretary, later issued statements.

Armstrong-Homeniuk said the essay never should have been chosen. Lovely apologized for her role in the contest.

“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that,” wrote Armstrong-Homeniuk. “The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel.”

NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi called on them both to resign from their positions .

Essayist concerned by third-place prize

Meanwhile an essayist whose work did not win a prize in the contest called the third-place essay “concerning.”

Emelia Kazakawich’s essay explored how Alberta should change their approach toward the opioid crisis, the overloaded health-care system and invest in more supports.

But Kazakawich doesn’t think resignation is the solution.

“I think an apology is fine,” she said. “I don’t think that telling people to resign from making a mistake is super productive. So I think that whatever is going to be the most productive is probably an apology and changed behaviour.”

—With files from The Canadian Press

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NDP says Alberta government members should resign over prize for sexist, racist essay

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Alberta’s Opposition is calling for the two top legislature leaders on women’s issues to quit for giving a prize for an essay that urges women to forgo careers and focus on baby-making so the province doesn’t have to bring in more foreigners.

NDP critic Rakhi Pancholi said Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk , the United Conservative Party government’s associate minister for the Status of Women, and Jackie Lovely, the department’s parliamentary secretary, have lost all credibility to advance the cause of women and must resign.

“I don’t know how (they) can continue in these roles,” Pancholi said at a news conference in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., on Thursday.

“I don’t know what work they were doing. They won’t even stand up before cameras and take questions.

“They have no credibility. They are undermining — actively undermining — women’s interests in this province.”

Armstrong-Homeniuk is the member of the legislature for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville.

Public pressure had been growing on Armstrong-Homeniuk’s office to divulge the names of the judges. Some United Conservative female legislature members had begun issuing statements stating they were not on the panel.

Late Wednesday night, Lovely, the member for Camrose, issued a statement saying, “I can confirm that I was the only other MLA on the essay judging panel.”

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“I regret that this essay was chosen, and I apologize for my role in that,” her statement said. “As a single mother who has pursued a wide variety of traditionally male-dominated careers, I deeply understand the strength and ability of women.

“Also, as a former ESL (English as a second language) teacher who has hosted 56 international students, I value and appreciate the role of newcomers in our province and will continue working to remove barriers to equity and prosperity for all.”

READ MORE: Status of Women minister apologizes for racist, sexist essay contest in Alberta

The essays were pulled from the legislative assembly website shortly after criticism of the contest emerged on social media Monday night.

Armstrong-Homeniuk has since declined interviews, but instead issued two statements saying she doesn’t support the sentiments in the essay.

“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that,” Armstrong-Homeniuk wrote Tuesday. “The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel.”

Pancholi said that prompts the question — if the two judges say the essay should not have won, why did they pick it?

“We still do not have a clear explanation as to what and why this happened,” Pancholi said.

The essay was part of the legislative contest, titled “Her Vision Inspires,” which asked young women to explore ways to make Alberta a better place.

The top two essays suggest ways to get more women, and the public in general, involved in public life.

The third-place winner — identified only as S. Silver — won a $200 prize to be spent at the legislature gift shop.

Silver’s essay posits that the governing mission of humanity is to reproduce itself, but that Alberta has lost its way to instead pursue “selfish and hedonistic goals.”

The solution, she argues, is to acknowledge that “women are not exactly equal to men.”

Society, she writes, should celebrate and embrace the birthing role of women and stop pushing them to put off prime procreation years while they “break into careers that men traditionally dominate.”

She says the idea that Alberta can put off procreation and instead “import foreigners to replace ourselves is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”

Pancholi and other critics have likened that reference to 1930s Nazi Germany, when women were urged to be baby vessels to propagate the Aryan race.

Three female candidates in the United Conservative race to replace Premier Jason Kenney as party leader and premier have also taken to Twitter to criticize the award.

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Beyoncé Is Boldly Defying Country’s Stereotypes

E very Black woman has been called a Jezebel. The term, which originates from the Bible, is one of the oldest examples of misogyny in the world. Instead of being heralded for her reign as Queen, the Phoenician princess (after whom the term was named) was slut-shamed and subjected to whorephobia. To this day, her name conjures up images of promiscuity. 

For those raised in the church, young women and girls are encouraged to not have a “jezebel spirit” because a church girl can never be a whore. But for many Black women and girls, there is not an option to cast out or distance oneself from the Jezebel spirit, because according to America, we’ve been whores since 1619 . Although the hypersexualization of Black women did not come from the Bible, the ideal of a modern, chaste woman did. When the Bible found itself stateside, those ideals and beliefs began to disseminate throughout the 13 original colonies; any woman who was not white and shapely was a Jezebel . A woman meant to be feared. A woman meant to be isolated. A woman not meant to be seen. Because if this woman was seen, perceived, and respected, it would certainly be a sign of hell on Earth.

Black women have been raising hell on Earth, particularly in the South, for generations. Rissi Palmer, Holly G of Black Opry, and Kamara Thomas of Country Soul Songbook have been leading the charge through their activism to create better conditions for Black women not just in the South, but in country music. And with the release of Cowboy Carter , the second album in the Renaissance trilogy, Beyoncé has become the latest artist to challenge these norms.

Read More: Beyoncé Has Always Been Country

When Beyoncé arrived at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, a visible change had occurred. Although the general public did not know at the time that she was officially making her foray back into country, she was leading the charge with her fashion. No longer was she adorned in the glistening silver chrome looks of Renaissance , Beyoncé, in her white shirt, Stetson hat, and oversized Black leather jacket and skirt, had become an outlaw. And country music loves an outlaw . 

The problem is that country music only loves an outlaw when they are white. The outlaw movement , which started as a staunch rebuke against the red tape of Nashville, allowed white men in country music, such as Willie Nelson, to be seen as rebellious—but in a way that was not anti-Nashville. From Johnny Cash to George Jones to Merle Haggard , these hell raisers have not only been warmly embraced in country music but championed. And the way these artists would often display this defiant spirit was through their dress.

Historian and scholar Dr. Francesca Royster writes about country’s outlaw movement in Black Country Music : Listening for Revolutions : “As the Man in Black, Johnny Cash could stand up for injustices against incarcerated folks and other outsiders, his Black shirt, hat, and jeans trademarks for his heroically critical stance.” Royster continues, “Blackness’s association in mainstream white culture with danger, illegality, and outsiderhood was put to use in Cash’s career to lend an element of authenticity. These moments reveal how, for these white male outlaws, proximity to Blackness—particularly metaphorical Blackness—is the ultimate expression of outsiderhood.``

Yet it is Beyoncé’s Blackness that country took issue with in the first place. The most telling part of her Grammy outfit was not her choice to wear Pharrell Willliams’ Western-inspired menswear collection for Louis Vuttion, but the red manicure that accompanied it. The manicure, featured on the singer’s Instagram post from the night, was most noticeable when she gave her red nails a bite. Fashion and costume historian Shelby Ivey Christie equates Beyoncé’s red nails to setting off a flare, making everyone in Nashville aware about her re-entry into country music. 

“There’s a Shakespearean saying about biting your thumb at someone, and that's to make fun of them,’” says Christie. “I feel that imagery is kind of that. She's biting her thumb at you. She's teasing you.”

It’s a tease that continued when Beyonce appeared at Super Bowl LVIII with Dolly Parton-esque hair and a Texas bombshell-inspired outfit . Compared to the Grammys, where the singer donned a straightforward western look, this felt more sultry, more seductive—almost as if the singer was invoking the spirit of the Jezebel.

The Jezebel has been known by many names, one of them being Jolene. In the country music lexicon, Jolene was immortalized by Parton as a beautiful red-headed woman with emerald green eyes and ivory skin who has the ability to take Parton’s man away from her. Similar to how the Jezebel Root has been historically used in Hoodoo practices to attract men of wealth and high status, Jolene became known as the woman to avoid unless you want the destruction of your household. 

“Women in country can be seen as more bombshell glam,” says Christie. “I think [the Super Bowl] was kind of [Beyonce’s] moment to give us that and to show us that the country genre wasn’t something that was on her. It’s in her.” But compared to her first foray into country music where Beyoncé wore what culture journalist Victoria M. Massie noted was a “ voluminous Antebellum-style dress cut from African wax print ” in the visuals for “Daddy Lessons,” her second attempt into country is being done the Renaissance way. 

The visuals for Cowboy Carter tell a story between the two, seamless acts. In act i, Beyoncé slyly introduced the country outlaw aesthetic by donning herself in a black fringed leather jacket for the album’s teaser trailer . At this year’s Gold Party , Beyoncé and Jay Z’s annual Oscars party, she fronted a more masculine aesthetic in a black Givenchy structured blazer and flared trousers. Both outfits were accompanied by a black cowboy hat—a playful homage to her Texas roots, which then took center stage in her album cover for Cowboy Carter . In a red, white, and blue latex outfit, a nod to her American and Texas roots, the singer’s posture feels reminiscent of painter Kehinde Wiley’s majestic compositions. (Wiley’s approach to painting, similarly to Beyoncé’s approach to country, is to bridge the gap between the past and present through the creative arts.) From her usage of Americana aesthetics to her platinum blonde locks, Beyoncé is giving the public an insight into her “ un-American life .”

The one thing that stands out most in Beyoncé's country era is her bleach blonde hair. Taking note from Parton, to be a blonde in Southern culture, in particular, has always been regarded as tacky and not tasteful. But as Parton famously said: “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap,” and with her new locks, Beyoncé is turning that stereotype on its head, too.

In the South, the societal norms that police women’s bodies, especially Black women’s bodies, stem from Christianity . And in country music, women are expected to present themselves in a particular way that adheres to those rules, despite not receiving adequate resources from their record labels. Even more-so, the sexual violence inflicted onto  Black women’s bodies because they are curvier or more voluptuous are thought to be justified. As a result of these societal, cultural, and political forces, Black women are socialized to keep their distance from anything that could perceive them as Jezebel-like. 

“Instead of men controlling themselves, respecting women's bodies, and having boundaries, it is the woman's responsibility to do that, by covering herself, by contorting herself into whatever boundary or rules are created to make them more palatable around men and to make them more palatable to the women peers around them,” says Christie. “That extends to color.”

There is a reason why Beyoncé decided to use the color red for “ Can’t B Broken ,” her Super Bowl commercial with Verizon. She wanted to be seen. She wanted to be heard. She wanted to tell Nashville that she is doing country her way, all the while honoring the legion of Black women in country music who came before her. 

In the official visualizer for “ Texas Hold ‘Em ,” Beyoncé in a mixture of black and silver walks onto the screen in a beehive, side ponytail and bang, a clear homage to Linda Martell , the first Black female country star. The style, which was immortalized in the May 1970 issue of Ebony, shows Martell on a press tour at WSM Radio alongside fellow country music legend Jeannie C. Riley on the heels of Martell’s  first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1969. With this performance, Martell made history as the first Black female artist to perform on the highly esteemed music show.

But despite Martell’s legendary career, she experienced intense mistreatment and harassment by the country music industry. While at Plantation Records, the record label that she was signed to, Martell expressed discomfort with the label’s name because of its racist history. In addition to racial discomfort, she fell victim to a predatory contract. When she left Plantation Records, Shelby Singleton, the label founder, blacklisted Martell from any opportunities in the country music industry.

Read More: How Beyoncé Fits Into the Storied Legacy of Black Country

When Beyonce sweeps up her hair into an illustrious beehive and side swept bangs, it is a homage to Martell. Without saying a word, she is honoring the pioneering efforts of Martell and the Black women country artists of that time, while also sounding an alarm to the country music genre:that she expects to be treated with respect. For the entire world has their eyes on Beyoncé as she enters the country music industry for the second time. But it is not Beyoncé who should be in fear—it is Nashville. 

In a celebratory dinner with her husband Jay Z to commemorate Valentine’s Day, Beyonce appeared in mourning dress . Her Black Southern Gothic look drew inspiration from the post-Civil war period where widows wore a mourning veil for an alloted period of time. The question is: whose death is she calling into existence? The death of the country genre? The death of the barriers that restrict Black women from achieving success in country? Or has she become death itself? An omen of what’s to come.  

If Jezebel has to be one to kill the country genre, so be it. It is time for the church girl and the Jezebel to be seen as one in the same. It is time for the structures that govern and police Black women’s bodies to die. And it’s time we bury the old ways country music has been governed by into the ground.

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