By Stephen Kunk►
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| Trudeau with his seraglio |
Earlier this evening,
Time Magazine released a photo of Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau in brownface and a turban at a 2001 costume party with fellow
British Columbia schoolteachers. Predictably, the photograph has prompted outrage throughout Canada and will likely impact Trudeau's
performance in the ongoing Canadian federal election campaign.
However, the rejection
has not been universal. In fact, in some parts of Canada, response to the photo has been positive. Voters in Alberta, a province where
Trudeau has polled poorly, have been particularly supportive.
"I've been a Trudeau hater,"
said Randy Scruggs, a rig-worker from Fort McMurray. "But now my opinion is evolving. I'm seeing how Trudeau actually stands for a lot of the same values I do. Going in blackface definitely makes him a much more appealing candidate."
Trudeau has been reviled
in Alberta due a perceived lack of support for the oil industry. But,
after seeing his overt racism, some appear to be softening on
Trudeau.
"It shows we're on the same page, finally," said Orville Earl, a pressurized safety valve repairman from Grande Prairie. "I just might consider voting for him now. The ball really is in [Conservative leader] Andrew
Scheer's court now. If Scheer appears in blackface in the next couple weeks, then I'll still
vote for him instead."
 |
| Three representative Albertan voters |
Billybob Folsom, a
sharecropper from Drumheller, was even more enthusiastic. "For the
last four years, I wanted to see Justin Trudeau publicly executed.
But when I saw that photo, I realized it is possible for a man to
fall in love with another man...even if he is a black Islamic. I just hope Trudeau's policies start lining up with this new take on immigrants he's coming out with."
The
racist photo has been less well-received throughout the other
provinces of Canada, including even Quebec, where blackface is a core element of Quebecois culture. Here, the photo raised questions with
respect to Bill 21, legislation which bans overt religious symbols
such as turbans among public servants in Quebec.
"Is he a Sikh? Is he
a Muslim?" asked Francois Purelaine, a Pepsi sales rep based out of
Chicoutimi. "Will he wear his turban in the parliament? If
so, my vote won't be his. A turban is not fit for a teacher, and it
is for sure not fit for a prime minister."
***
Stephen Kunk lives with
his wife and two daughters in Portland. He wrote this article in full
blackface.
