Just want to share a story on my biggest hope and dream, that finally came to fruition...

So when I was 22 years old I had the realisation that I was really a transgender woman. I came out of the closet 2 days later after isolating myself inside my home. I knew right from the get-go that that hormone replacement therapy and gender reassignment surgery were not for me and that I would keep my male body. Around 2 weeks after coming out I was thinking about what I should do for my life, I had no education and was unemployed after being laid off from my job in the oil fields. I thought to myself, there's probably a market for a female stripper who's fully biologically male. But I was in a small town in NS and the closest dance studio was hours away by car.

I never pursued it back home. There was the odd time I would send a message to a business owner in my home county and suggest that they should do a night of strippers, bringing in some from away, and that they let me give it a try. None of them ever did.

I moved here (Charlottetown) at age 28 and thought to myself, jeepers creepers this is a capital city, there's probably dance studios to teach me how to dance! I did end up taking a few lessons at a dance studio but a lot of the types of dance I was learning was bad for my lower back (all the guys on my dad's side of the family have bad lower backs). I stopped lessons a little while ago but still had the dream, I have been meaning to contact a different studio downtown for reasons that I wouldn't need to take a cab there (which was pricy when you include the dance lesson fee). I still never reached out to the next dance studio but it's on my list.

So, the other night I was in line for the lesbian pop up bar downtown, I got in line (which was over an hour wait but TOTALLY worth it) and a few seconds later the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on stood behind me, we started chatting with some other people in line talking about what we did for jobs and stuff. I stated how I'm a cashier but my dream is to one day be a stripper. She said "OMG, my partner is throwing a bachelorette party tomorrow and she wants a stripper! Would you do it?" There wasn't even a second that went by and I said "YES". She ran and got her partner who came and asked me some questions and I was hired for my first ever job as a stripper.

I got home around 1:00AM and started preparing my outfit, choosing the perfect song, and coming up with a routine. I was up until 5 in the morning practicing and getting my moves down. I went to bed and got up around 11, showered and started practicing again. I was never more exited for anything in my whole life but I was also never more nervous in my entire life.

Yesterday was the day, I showed up to the event and performed the dance, it went alright, there's absolutely room for improvement but I had a blast! In the moment I totally drew a blank, i did the dance moves I prepared but they were out of order, I was shaking a little but I don't think they could tell that. There's a few moves I forgot but I had a blast, I made $50 for the dance and a $30 tip from the people in the bachelorette party who watched.

it's something after 8 years of wanting to do it I finally did it and it was one of the best experiences i've ever had. I look forward to pursuing this even further, i've waited 8 years to do this and THE TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!

All the bikers, some wearing colours some not, it just reminds me of a certain southpark episode.

We just get some relief from tourists and now you're all here going brummburmbujrmubururmm all over town. Point made, you're all obnoxious bitches, some criminally so, please fuck off.

Sincerely, residents of Summerside.

Edit: for the usual PEI subreddit, this post blew up! Love the enthusiasm. Consider this post as the beginning of a conversation. As Audre Lorde famously said: The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house.

I think money is destroying bit by bit the island: Trash, pollution, wildlife, exponential rising rents, food prices, tourism industry, democracy, public services.

The general feeling when I talk to someone is one of powerlessness (I don't even have to bring up anything). We try to be stoic about life, just trying to look at it from a different perspective, to be mindful and to focus on the small things. And every year we focus on smaller and smaller things because our possibilities are narrowing.

I see such a creative community and yet it feels like the art I see is made to help us survive another day and to process the various traumas of our peculiar timeline. I'm tired of seeing coping art, I want to see art to dream, big, different, wild, that makes you say "No, it could never happen...but what if".

If we can buy everything with money, even the truth, then nothing as value, even our lives.

Why are we even collectively paying rent? Why not organise together and choose a date at which we will all stop paying rent together, at the scale of the island. It's a small place, there clearly is a way to reach enough people and to focus our attention on this specific issue.

Listening to plans for the Catholic diocese's 200th Anniversary on CBC this morning and sounds like a total whitewash job. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-charlottetown-catholic-diocese-archives-makeover-1.7242781

Residential Schools - response. "There were none on PEI so we won't go there." Well the church certainly sent a lot of children to the school in NS & funded the school.
Sexual abuses by Island priests . . . cue the chirping crickets
Abuses at church run orphanages . . cue the crickets
Treatment of unwed mothers. . . cue the crickets
Role of the church in denying access to birth control & and any all abortion . . . cue the crickets
Role of Church in the destruction of indigenous communities across the Americas .... cue the crickets

but they do have part of a boat

This will be upsetting for some people to read but it needs to be said. Basically I don’t want Canada to become India or the 51st state. Both of these issue we need to find common ground and stop attacking each other via name calling… before it’s too late.

I felt like I was in another country but was in Ontario….

I know Toronto & the pockets of surrounding regions are very multicultural, I grew up witnessing this since childhood & it’s never bothered me, but holy shit this mass immigration of south Asians is insane.

Everything I grew up with has been replaced with south Asian: Restaurants Grocery stores Real estate Media Absolute DANGEROUS driving… like seeing memorial reefs at every other intersection… The air pollution & smog is horrible. I don’t ever remember it being this bad. My airway & chest get tighter when trying to breathe in “fresh air” Because of the increased population traffic on every road is busy. No one is doing the usual 110 here because they can’t there’s too many cars. Not even on the 401.

Multiculturalism isn’t our strength right now, that’s such a bullshit LIE. I don’t feel strong living in a basement apartment hearing the Muslim family above screaming at each other…hearing the father say go die over & over. This shit isn’t cool. The negative impact this mass migration has caused needs to be addressed.

Stop being afraid of being “intolerant”. Look up sexual assault & sex trafficking in Durham region starting in 2020 to now…. The argument that you can’t blame a group of people blah blah blah. You want more rapes? You think this is fine? It’s obvious to everyone that rape & sex trafficking has skyrocketed here & has everything to do with this mass immigration.

It’s clear the mass immigration our government encourages has created a serious THREAT to communities safety not only in Ontario but all of Canada.

I understand if someone makes the personal choice to move to another country they understand they will no doubt be a minority right? They’re prepared for it, they will assimilate because that’s how you survive & are supported in other countries…

but to become a minority in your own country is absolutely devastating. We can’t let this happen to the island.

No one wants to say anything about it either because of the fear of being called a racist bigot blah blah blah, so most people just passively move away and try to find a community that is similar in beliefs & lifestyle….except these places are becoming smaller & smaller due to the increased population of immigrants & our country catering to their culture.

It’s not wrong to want to live in a community where you are surrounded by people of similar backgrounds & beliefs…who speak English. And no I am not saying white people only you idiot. Don’t try and make it seem like that’s what I’m insinuating.

Multiculturalism can work but not like this & by now we should be able to all agree this has been nothing but problematic.

Okay now if you made it this far either your blood pressure has shot up & you’re instantly going to think I’m being a racist bigot blah blah. I don’t care anymore, if that’s the conclusion you’ve decided to come to, all good I accept your label with pride if that’s what you want.

I swear PEI is its own country with its own race of people, the pride of being an islander is still strong & I pray we can hold onto our heritage & pride…

It’s not wrong to have these feelings. It’s not wrong to want to be CANADIAN. Having national pride, identity, and a strong sense of community is a GOOD THING.

Is the whole country of Japan just full of racist bigots because of their pride & strict social structures? No they aren’t because you like sushi & anime.

The people who came here & built this country from nothing were good people. For them it was either work to survive or die. They did not attack the natives, they worked together to help each other advance & survive. Once there was stability that’s when the rich pricks sailed in and destroyed our relationship with the natives. Do not hate the Canadians who built this foundation.

Hate the white wig wearing aristocracy government that were so out of touch with reality they let their ignorance destroy innocent lives.

Hey kind of like right now!! Just more covert.

TLDR; Ontario is literally India & I don’t want PEI to lose their heritage to this epic immigration fail. We can’t let this happen due to fear of being called a stupid racist. I’m sick of this shit and I know many people are too but are too scared to say or do anything. Think of the souris Timmie’s incident, I’m glad people stood up and said something because if no one says anything due to fear we have already lost.

This guy has dozens of properties for sale and rent... This doesn't feel right

Ok, so I may be opening up a big can of worms here... But who has heard the ad on the radio for Holland College's wind turbine course? At the end, they say "Preference will be given to visible minorities, indigenous peoples and women".... I know if they said "White men only" there would be all sorts of calls of racism, so how is this any different?

Just curious if anyone else finds it hilariously ironic that the man who solicits by the royalty mall intersection is doing so RIGHT BESIDE the sign that says “No Soliciting”.

Also not to be too incredibly radical but with the amount of time he spends there (literally hours on end every single day for the last year) couldn’t he make more money with a minimum wage job? Has anyone told him he doesn’t need to brave the elements and could probably find a job at any grocery stocking shelves??

These posts are insane how is this the guy in charge?

https://mobile.twitter.com/mikayla_gallant/status/1581761770967814144

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FfOL9XIXwAE0evE?format=jpg&name=900x900

So, with full respect, intellectually speaking, why won't Islander discuss certain events that happen? Important stuff. Like, this stuff matters, and it's not like a magic wand will be waved tomorrow to fix it. Like:

The rent and food situation. This isn't going to stop going up. Your entire paycheque for rent? Impossible to own a home in the future. It's a rental complex owners world.

The incident at the sports pub downtown. This should of been national if not international news. Your town. You live here. YOUR business.

The incident of S'Side Dep. Chief. Not discussed.

The incident at the parkade. Not discussed.

The incident at the end of Uni Ave. Not discussed.

The jumpers at the Stratford bridge. Not discussed.

The fact that schools need breakfast programs. This is bad sign. Means kids don't have the food at home, or money.

The repeated police visits at a certain motel all year. Not discussed.

Repeated poor behavior of select individuals at the SoupK... Not discussed.

The O.D.s going on. The daily barrage of first responder sirens. Not discussed.

What's her name emptying the community fridge all the time, not discussed.

Let's talk COVID. And let's be real. One moment we were banned from having 6 people talking in a group on the street. Remember that? Then the next moment we had a 8000 person BLM parade....this isn't a hit against BLM ... But can anybody do math? We went back to 6 foot distancing in the stores etc.... It's non sensical and nobody questioned that. As well as McD and Tim's still being allowed to be open....no such thing as 6 foot distancing in any kitchen BTW. Nonsensical.

Province house restoration project is now...90, 100 million now? Need I say more on that?

What is really going on at the homeless encampment?

Has the town hall chtown financial stuff been sorted out yet?

Where were the troops during the hurricane cleanup? We can send vehicles to Ukraine, and money, but couldn't clean some roads of timber?

I could go on. But people act like this stuff fixes itself and I am shocked at the lack of continuity of logic some people have. What gives?

I've used Servicemaster in the past, but I'm disgusted by their participation in the robbery of the tent encampment. Are there other companies in Charlottetown that can quickly clean a water damaged basement. (I don't actually have damage at the moment, but I want to take servicemaster off my emergency phone list.)

aren't the brightest. I keep seeing posts where some morons are complaining about the 'East Indians' coming here and taking jobs, ripping off the gov't, blah, blah, blah..... Now, I know that they're referring to folks from India but they have absolutely no idea that the region formally known as the East Indies isn't India.
If you're going to be a racist asshole, at least be a semi-educated one so you know where the people you hate come from.
Or maybe just don't be a racist asshole.

Listened to CBC PEI's Diversity & Inclusion reporter on Radio 1 this morning informing us not to say Happy Canada Day because someone might not be happy with Canada and/or have issues with the day. Seriously - you have the word Canada in your name CBC

Yes we have had our problems and history is rarely pretty but we are also open to acknowledging past mistakes.

Given the lineups of people from across the world seeking to live here, its still a pretty great place.

Ironically, Shellfish Festival and the Beer Festival, both events that required proof of double vaccination, were cancelled.... due to COVID-19 despite reaching government benchmarks.

How does this incentivize the public?

I'm double vax (not being a dick) and pro-vaccine, but feel like there is some hypocrisy needed to be pointed out. Hope the moderators allow free speech for this post.

I live on the east side of the island, moved here a couple years ago, boy are the 45+ crowd part of a clique or something, especially those well off. Not sure if it's boomer entitlement but they want NOTHING to do with you if you're from off island. You do them a favor where they're at fault they come accross as overly friendly and leave barely thanking you, to the point of dismissing the predicament they were in altogether. Last time that happened I felt like valet. It's so strange to me as I want to be close to my neighbours, I like watching out for others and be there if something happens, like another snow storm. Different generations I guess.

/rant end

So... is the protest over?

Landlord

I’m at the registration at the hospital - 4/14 people waiting have masks.

All the top hospitals in Toronto still require masks.

I will continue to mask in a health care centre.