As artists I feel like you and I have always felt compelled to speak out, and for the most part that seems to have drawn people to our band, not driven them away.
Appreciate all (well most) of the comments in this thread. The respect everyone is showing is really wonderful to read/feel. I am glad you are all enjoying the newsletter and the different kinds of posts we are making and I hope that we can continue to have deeper more meaningful conversations like these as we dive deeper into stuff this year. I, like so many, get very overwhelmed about what to talk about on our public accounts, but I am glad this space exists so we can talk a little more in-depth and see your comments back. It feels special. So many of you spoke so beautifully about your feelings and experiences and just know we appreciate and enjoy the dialogue a lot. Thank you for being here. ❤️
Reading the title made me wary of opening today’s newsletter. As a person who lived in Iraq during the 2003 invasion and experienced the atrocities of war I can’t erase from my mind or memory, I always avoid or escape talking about war. I know it’s wrong, but the triggers make me uneasy. I remember when I first discovered Tegan and Sara in 2012, I saw a video of the No War tapes on shirts and Sara was quite angry in it. I felt happy you were vocal about it because the world didn’t care, or that’s how it seemed. However, today a thought hit me while having lunch with my dad. I had just come back from a full teaching day at the Middle School I work at and I was just full of energy and excitement, but then I just thought that I shouldn’t be because some people are dying at war. I asked my dad whether people were living their lives so normally and happily during the war on Iraq the way I am living my life right now while another place suffers. It really made me think that, whoa, while life had stopped for me during that time, people were living their lives normally the way I am right now. The problem is, I still carried on with my day, went to college to teach a class on poetry, laughed with my students , and had coffee, and I forgot about my worries. Now I feel guilty. Should I not live life the way I am living? Is there something I can do? Why is life like that? Life moves for people while it stops for others. The questions trouble me.
Anyway, just thinking out loud. Love what you said, and I look forward to next week’s newsletter.
I resonate so much with what you wrote. It was really beautiful. I agree, it can feel so awful to just go on while so many people all over the world are suffering. You know it first hand. I can't imagine what you experienced living through the invasion in 2003. For what it's worth I don't think you should feel guilty for continuing to live. We have to carry on. But I think the conversation about what social media and the mixing of news and entertainment is doing to us, how it's desensitizing us is important. I definitely want to keep going, keep living, but also not push from my mind the suffering of the world. Finding that balance is for me so important. I think finding joy, in coffee, your students, teaching, hanging with your dad, was all just as important as taking time to think about the world's suffering and your own experience. That seems balanced to me. And empathetic. And we need more of that. ❤️
Sending positive vibes your way Mar. I can't even begin to imagine what you experienced and can totally understand that you could be triggered by all of this. I feel like you shouldn't be guilty for living because there is and always will be something going on in the world that could bring us down. If we completely ignore it and don't take time to learn about what we can do to help then we are being complicit. If we take the time to think about what's happening and reach out to learn even just a little what is happening and put our support behind those who are helping then we are helping too. Self care is also really important for you too so after taking the time to think/learn then make sure to take the time to care for yourself in whatever way helps you to manage your feelings on the subject. Choosing what media we engage with and steering away from posts about war is also self care because of your experiences. Putting your worries away today was a measure of protection I imagine but that doesn't mean they aren't still there. You are a survivor and you are allowed to have a laugh or a coffee without guilt. You just know more intimately than many of us about what those people are going through and have empathy for their similar experiences. Reach out if you ever just need to talk. *gentle hugs from across the ocean*
Maryam, I am sending good vibes and peace your way. It must be a tough position to feel guilty for living free from war, but you know what it was like. You have experienced something no one should have to go through. I don’t think you should feel guilty, but I believe we could all be asking ourselves what can I do? We may not be able to stop the war, but we can protest, we can give to Ukraine 🇺🇦, we can live a life that we can be proud of and pass that on. I think those are good places to start ❤️
I guess I can talk about Tegan and Sara and my experiences with the war.
I first noticed them as a band through a tiny notice in Rolling Stone with the picture of them with the green stripes across their faces announcing a new record soon, The Con. I had never heard their music and moved on with the magazine. I was reading this magazine while sitting on my bunk in a small forward operating base in south-eastern Baghdad in late 2006.
I first heard their music on the satellite radio in the car I bought when I got back and I was instantly hooked. I immediately bought The Con, So Jealous, If It Was You, and This Business of Art. I listened to those albums for the 18 months I spent at home dealing with the separation from my wife; we were still married, but living in different states, and my PTSD. In May of 2008, I went back to Iraq. That year was spent listening almost exclusively to those 4 albums. I'd sit on my bunk on an even smaller Combat Outpost with my headphones and my laptop and play computer games with those 4 albums on repeat. I even took guitar lessons from a guy in my company and learned how to somewhat play Dark Come Soon (very poorly). He would later lose his battle with PTSD. Those albums and those songs, all of them. Every song on all of those albums were constant calming companions to me.
There are few connections in my life that transport me back to that dusty, tiny COP named for a fallen comrade as when I listen to those albums. The smell of the dirt and the sewage. The feel of nylon webbing and my old boots. Hearing If It Was You and So Jealous bring back to where I was when they were all the only music I listened to.
I think about that and what the people in Ukraine are going through and I hope that those people under that shelling can find the same tiny measure calm in their favorite artists that these songs brought to me when I was in danger. Sometimes that's all you have when you have no control.
First of all thank you for your service. I can't imagine being there but its heartwarming to hear that TnS helped you through those difficult times. Their music is pretty amazing and does wonders for people all over the world in all kinds of situations. Take care.
As a transgender person and a parent to a trans kid, it means a lot to see your support. Even just here in this newsletter. Seeing what's happening in Texas, and our humanity debated all across the news is heavy. And yet the fact that my babies and I are safe, and healthy, in Canada and not in an active war zone brings it all into perspective. Anyway, all of that to say thank you. I'm sure your post next week will be super-- for me, this was better though.
Tegan, how well and eloquently put. Everything feels so heavy now and it's exasperating to think that we have no control. I'm reminded of a Mother Teresa quote “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”
Tegan, thank you for speaking out and for sharing your thoughts. I feel like we are all struggling with finding words at this time. There was a sentence in your post that if I had read it in printed form, I would have underlined multiple times: "We’re on the precipice of world collapse from climate change, still dealing with an ongoing pandemic that killed millions and decimated people’s lives and entire industries, and we are watching a literal war start in Europe, but lawmakers across the country are fighting their own people instead of banding together to save them." Really sums this shit up! It's so hard not to lose hope. But whenever I feel like curling up on the floor in a fetal position, I think of the brave people in Ukraine who stand up to this evil. I think of the brave people who are calling out heads of cooperations and politicians who have the most power to do something about climate change. I think of the brave Trans kids who have to put up with one hateful act after another to dissuade them from being who they are. I always appreciated when you guys spoke out against injustices. I don't think it turns people away (or at least not the ones who give a shit), it creates community.
This is why I love you. Where so many artists are silent about things like this, you are not. If anything you get louder in your condemnation of the perpetrators and in your support of the victims. The fact that I trust the reporting on social media at times over our news channels and papers here in the U.K. because they’re hate filled bigoted propaganda machines. No one should be silent over this or what the U.S. is doing to the lgbtqplus community but especially trans youth. I have cut ties with family over political beliefs and bigotry. It breaks my heart to see so many people not giving a shit about all of this. So again, thank you for being a booming voice of anger/support and condemnation amongst the deafening silence of so many others. ❤️❤️#IStandWithUkraine
This is why I subscribed. You both bring a unique but relatable perspective even when you think you dont. Everything matters exactly as much as you make it matter. Ukraine is suffering because they want to move past the history that has been dictated for them by Russia. They want to get to a place where they can fight specifically for queer and trans rights but they keep getting dragged backwards and have to focus on broader basic human rights. The way you two keep both discussions going and the work you do with the foundation means that when they do get there, a whole world of ideas, evidence, precedents and tools will be available to them.
I was at the show in DC the night before Trump was elected and vividly remember the two of you talking about the importance of having a woman president and how it felt like Christmas Eve. I don't know why but I think about that night often. It really does feel like the world changed after I left that show.
Feb 28, 2022·edited Feb 28, 2022Liked by Tegan and Sara
It's devastating. My boss is originally from Russia and we bond over the fact that we are both immigrants, last week she shared with me that she has friends in Ukraine and as we were talking, her friend called in tears that she was packing to flee the country. I felt powerless as I went back to my desk and my work, all of this is happening and you have to continue your life. About social media, I think that the way news are delivered today is just an evolution of technology and access to it, now you have to filter the content you want to see for yourself, it's not the media's job anymore and I try to think of the positive of having some control over it. It's more "work" for us because it's important to educate yourself before believing anything you read online but at least you're not being fed with what you see on TV only, there's more access to the information out there right now. Also, I think anything that brings attention to important news and resources is worth it, even if it's just a post on substack or twitter, it's your voice and you should use it always, so thanks again for sharing.
Thank you for this, you're always a balsam for our souls. I just arrived home from a march here in my city in Spain and I am completely drained. This is horrible. Imagine having a normal life today and having to become a soldier tomorrow and say goodbye to your family. All thanks to a psychopath. This is bullsh*t.
*wiping away tears* Again Tegan you have a way with words. Pretty much sums up the scary world we are living in. I feel like we are really lucky living in Canada that we haven't experienced some of these terrible things but as I learn more about the community and the injustices happening it just makes me sick and kinda regret not knowing about it earlier in my life so I could stand up and speak out. Recognizing myself as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in my 30's really had been eye opening but I feel I'm in a place to understand it better now. I can't even imagine how Trans folks are feeling right now. Like you it passes me right off that the states can do this.
I totally see your point about news and entertainment being mixed. It's so different from when we were growing up and learning about world events. I want you to know that even though you question what to post....you do an amazing job of sharing and amplifying the right stuff. Since becoming a fan last year I've learned soooo much from you and Sara. You've talked about things that are so relevant and encouraged me to do more research and learn so much about not only our community but music and the world. I've watched tons of your interviews on YouTube from over the years and there is so much to know but you always seem to find those important and relevant things to touch on. I'm always moved by how passionate you are about the things you do choose to amplify. It really shows your character and a lot about who you are inside. Not just a pretty face like so many artists/public figures. I really appreciate that. I trust your opinions on what to look for and what to stand up for. I hope that one day I can somehow be a part of the TSF because as I learn more I know its a place I need to put my support. I respect you and Sara for starting the foundation and putting so much into supporting the community. I know there are so many great things yet to come for it.
As for this world of heartbreak and war....I don't know what to say other than we have to learn about it. We have to step up and get the facts. It's the same thing I say about the holocaust...if we don't learn about it and talk about it and remember it then we will forget and chances of it happening again are vastly greater. Scary part being I feel like it's kinda happening again in Ukraine in a little different but similar way. We have to stand up for what's right.
Keep doing what you are doing Tegan and Sara because what you do matters....all of it....music is just one part. Thank you for making this substack a safe place to build community but also to share what's important to you. Oh yeah and I'm proud YYC is flying the Ukraine 🇺🇦.
Ok novel done....I'm not as concise with words as you.
I so appreciate your candor echoing what I imagine many of us are wrestling with. Since I have nothing poignant or sensitive to add, I will just direct folks to an organization run by disabled folks on the ground in Ukraine who are helping other disabled Ukrainians stay safe and ABLE to stay in Ukraine. Medical needs, sterility, safe residence.
Wow that is an awesome link. Thank you. That is a population that is often left behind in conflicts. They are equal citizens with equal rights and deserve the same support on whatever level they need. ❤
Absolutely! I personally am a wheelchair user with some significant active health issues. It is always on my mind and heart how we'd ever keep me alive in any emergency. But in war, I'd surely die quickly, even if my area was still relatively safe. We are typically abandoned, tossed in the way, and considered acceptable, inevitable losses - not worth saving bc we're lesser than them anyway. And "too difficult". So, any organization on the ground that's not only helping materially, but making sure they know they haven't been forgotten and are EXACTLY as valuable a life as someone with legs or a strong liver - is one I want to give my full support.
I'm glad the link could be helpful and so appreciate your attention and care toward it - on their behalf. 🙏🏻💜🫂
Your posts that are political or serious certainly matter to me. I am always open. I care deeply about, what people I care about, care about. If that makes sense.
I've been trying to sound the alarm on news becoming entertainment for years. The world became so much worse with the 24hr news cycle and when they realised 'opinion' news shows get so much higher ratings than shows that objectively report on what is happening. It breaks my heart what is happening in Ukraine and it enrages me that that mad coward Putin is hiding behind his nukes.
Times like this I'm reminded of a quote I heard somewhere, though I've forgotten who said it. "The moral arc of the universe only bends towards justice, if we bend it, otherwise it goes the wrong way every time." I try to remember that, do what I can and let that be enough.
Just a few days ago, after hearing the news of the attack in Kiev, I made the same considerations. Many of my contacts or friends on Instagram alternated stories with images on the ongoing conflict and immediately after others with ballets, cute animals and various tutorials. I wondered what is the point of not taking even a day to convey important messages, the need to share always and in any case but above all, our mind, our heart has really this ability to metabolize such a varied flow of news and emotions?
I don't know, I'm the kind of person who mulls over things a lot and the downside is that I get stuck on bad news for too long. Obviously, I do not think that all those who share one news after another indiscriminately are insensitive but I believe that the difference is the intention to act. It is a great idea to use the newsletter not only to exchange opinions but also to help with articles and fundraisers. Right now, every link can make a difference just by bringing people closer to these topics in order to raise awareness.
I understand Sara's point of view, there is also a need for good things but in this case, knowing that even the musicians I love use their storytelling to demonstrate how the same events that I experience, on the same planet, upset their lives and their thoughts (and I inevitably believe their art too), comforts me.
When I think about the don’t say gay bill a senate vote and Desantis signature away from passing, my heart breaks. I live in Florida and while I’m not in public school anymore I can’t imagine not having the all the support I had at school. Whether it was from some teachers I could trust or my friends I didn’t have to worry about being outted to my family. Every time I think about it, or read about this bill I’m brought to tears just thinking about the queer kids that won’t have that privilege if this is passed. The only thing that seems to make the tears stop is the thought of all the people that will continue to stand in the way of this bill. It means a lot to even just to see other queer people in media that I can relate to, so thank you guys for that. And I’m eagerly awaiting that tiktok with Holiday.
I feel what you are saying is happening in so many places outside Florida too. Even up in 🇨🇦 we seem to be fighting for basics too. It's like the clock is going backwards with so much of this. Instead of moving forward and supporting and encouraging we are blurring the lines that separate state (politics) and religion again after so many people fought for these rights. Why are we going backwards and removing the rights? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Appreciate all (well most) of the comments in this thread. The respect everyone is showing is really wonderful to read/feel. I am glad you are all enjoying the newsletter and the different kinds of posts we are making and I hope that we can continue to have deeper more meaningful conversations like these as we dive deeper into stuff this year. I, like so many, get very overwhelmed about what to talk about on our public accounts, but I am glad this space exists so we can talk a little more in-depth and see your comments back. It feels special. So many of you spoke so beautifully about your feelings and experiences and just know we appreciate and enjoy the dialogue a lot. Thank you for being here. ❤️
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to the comments. It's really special for us too!
Reading the title made me wary of opening today’s newsletter. As a person who lived in Iraq during the 2003 invasion and experienced the atrocities of war I can’t erase from my mind or memory, I always avoid or escape talking about war. I know it’s wrong, but the triggers make me uneasy. I remember when I first discovered Tegan and Sara in 2012, I saw a video of the No War tapes on shirts and Sara was quite angry in it. I felt happy you were vocal about it because the world didn’t care, or that’s how it seemed. However, today a thought hit me while having lunch with my dad. I had just come back from a full teaching day at the Middle School I work at and I was just full of energy and excitement, but then I just thought that I shouldn’t be because some people are dying at war. I asked my dad whether people were living their lives so normally and happily during the war on Iraq the way I am living my life right now while another place suffers. It really made me think that, whoa, while life had stopped for me during that time, people were living their lives normally the way I am right now. The problem is, I still carried on with my day, went to college to teach a class on poetry, laughed with my students , and had coffee, and I forgot about my worries. Now I feel guilty. Should I not live life the way I am living? Is there something I can do? Why is life like that? Life moves for people while it stops for others. The questions trouble me.
Anyway, just thinking out loud. Love what you said, and I look forward to next week’s newsletter.
I resonate so much with what you wrote. It was really beautiful. I agree, it can feel so awful to just go on while so many people all over the world are suffering. You know it first hand. I can't imagine what you experienced living through the invasion in 2003. For what it's worth I don't think you should feel guilty for continuing to live. We have to carry on. But I think the conversation about what social media and the mixing of news and entertainment is doing to us, how it's desensitizing us is important. I definitely want to keep going, keep living, but also not push from my mind the suffering of the world. Finding that balance is for me so important. I think finding joy, in coffee, your students, teaching, hanging with your dad, was all just as important as taking time to think about the world's suffering and your own experience. That seems balanced to me. And empathetic. And we need more of that. ❤️
Thank you for your kind words. And you’re right, it’s all about that balance. ♥️
Sending positive vibes your way Mar. I can't even begin to imagine what you experienced and can totally understand that you could be triggered by all of this. I feel like you shouldn't be guilty for living because there is and always will be something going on in the world that could bring us down. If we completely ignore it and don't take time to learn about what we can do to help then we are being complicit. If we take the time to think about what's happening and reach out to learn even just a little what is happening and put our support behind those who are helping then we are helping too. Self care is also really important for you too so after taking the time to think/learn then make sure to take the time to care for yourself in whatever way helps you to manage your feelings on the subject. Choosing what media we engage with and steering away from posts about war is also self care because of your experiences. Putting your worries away today was a measure of protection I imagine but that doesn't mean they aren't still there. You are a survivor and you are allowed to have a laugh or a coffee without guilt. You just know more intimately than many of us about what those people are going through and have empathy for their similar experiences. Reach out if you ever just need to talk. *gentle hugs from across the ocean*
Well said
Thank you for your sweet words ♥️
Maryam, I am sending good vibes and peace your way. It must be a tough position to feel guilty for living free from war, but you know what it was like. You have experienced something no one should have to go through. I don’t think you should feel guilty, but I believe we could all be asking ourselves what can I do? We may not be able to stop the war, but we can protest, we can give to Ukraine 🇺🇦, we can live a life that we can be proud of and pass that on. I think those are good places to start ❤️
Love this. Thank you!
❤️
Love you my dear friend. Always a dm away. ❤️❤️
I guess I can talk about Tegan and Sara and my experiences with the war.
I first noticed them as a band through a tiny notice in Rolling Stone with the picture of them with the green stripes across their faces announcing a new record soon, The Con. I had never heard their music and moved on with the magazine. I was reading this magazine while sitting on my bunk in a small forward operating base in south-eastern Baghdad in late 2006.
I first heard their music on the satellite radio in the car I bought when I got back and I was instantly hooked. I immediately bought The Con, So Jealous, If It Was You, and This Business of Art. I listened to those albums for the 18 months I spent at home dealing with the separation from my wife; we were still married, but living in different states, and my PTSD. In May of 2008, I went back to Iraq. That year was spent listening almost exclusively to those 4 albums. I'd sit on my bunk on an even smaller Combat Outpost with my headphones and my laptop and play computer games with those 4 albums on repeat. I even took guitar lessons from a guy in my company and learned how to somewhat play Dark Come Soon (very poorly). He would later lose his battle with PTSD. Those albums and those songs, all of them. Every song on all of those albums were constant calming companions to me.
There are few connections in my life that transport me back to that dusty, tiny COP named for a fallen comrade as when I listen to those albums. The smell of the dirt and the sewage. The feel of nylon webbing and my old boots. Hearing If It Was You and So Jealous bring back to where I was when they were all the only music I listened to.
I think about that and what the people in Ukraine are going through and I hope that those people under that shelling can find the same tiny measure calm in their favorite artists that these songs brought to me when I was in danger. Sometimes that's all you have when you have no control.
First of all thank you for your service. I can't imagine being there but its heartwarming to hear that TnS helped you through those difficult times. Their music is pretty amazing and does wonders for people all over the world in all kinds of situations. Take care.
As a transgender person and a parent to a trans kid, it means a lot to see your support. Even just here in this newsletter. Seeing what's happening in Texas, and our humanity debated all across the news is heavy. And yet the fact that my babies and I are safe, and healthy, in Canada and not in an active war zone brings it all into perspective. Anyway, all of that to say thank you. I'm sure your post next week will be super-- for me, this was better though.
Tegan, how well and eloquently put. Everything feels so heavy now and it's exasperating to think that we have no control. I'm reminded of a Mother Teresa quote “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”
Beautiful
I love this quote ❤️🌏
Tegan, thank you for speaking out and for sharing your thoughts. I feel like we are all struggling with finding words at this time. There was a sentence in your post that if I had read it in printed form, I would have underlined multiple times: "We’re on the precipice of world collapse from climate change, still dealing with an ongoing pandemic that killed millions and decimated people’s lives and entire industries, and we are watching a literal war start in Europe, but lawmakers across the country are fighting their own people instead of banding together to save them." Really sums this shit up! It's so hard not to lose hope. But whenever I feel like curling up on the floor in a fetal position, I think of the brave people in Ukraine who stand up to this evil. I think of the brave people who are calling out heads of cooperations and politicians who have the most power to do something about climate change. I think of the brave Trans kids who have to put up with one hateful act after another to dissuade them from being who they are. I always appreciated when you guys spoke out against injustices. I don't think it turns people away (or at least not the ones who give a shit), it creates community.
This is why I love you. Where so many artists are silent about things like this, you are not. If anything you get louder in your condemnation of the perpetrators and in your support of the victims. The fact that I trust the reporting on social media at times over our news channels and papers here in the U.K. because they’re hate filled bigoted propaganda machines. No one should be silent over this or what the U.S. is doing to the lgbtqplus community but especially trans youth. I have cut ties with family over political beliefs and bigotry. It breaks my heart to see so many people not giving a shit about all of this. So again, thank you for being a booming voice of anger/support and condemnation amongst the deafening silence of so many others. ❤️❤️#IStandWithUkraine
This is why I subscribed. You both bring a unique but relatable perspective even when you think you dont. Everything matters exactly as much as you make it matter. Ukraine is suffering because they want to move past the history that has been dictated for them by Russia. They want to get to a place where they can fight specifically for queer and trans rights but they keep getting dragged backwards and have to focus on broader basic human rights. The way you two keep both discussions going and the work you do with the foundation means that when they do get there, a whole world of ideas, evidence, precedents and tools will be available to them.
I was at the show in DC the night before Trump was elected and vividly remember the two of you talking about the importance of having a woman president and how it felt like Christmas Eve. I don't know why but I think about that night often. It really does feel like the world changed after I left that show.
It's devastating. My boss is originally from Russia and we bond over the fact that we are both immigrants, last week she shared with me that she has friends in Ukraine and as we were talking, her friend called in tears that she was packing to flee the country. I felt powerless as I went back to my desk and my work, all of this is happening and you have to continue your life. About social media, I think that the way news are delivered today is just an evolution of technology and access to it, now you have to filter the content you want to see for yourself, it's not the media's job anymore and I try to think of the positive of having some control over it. It's more "work" for us because it's important to educate yourself before believing anything you read online but at least you're not being fed with what you see on TV only, there's more access to the information out there right now. Also, I think anything that brings attention to important news and resources is worth it, even if it's just a post on substack or twitter, it's your voice and you should use it always, so thanks again for sharing.
This is beautifully put and hopeful. Thank you so much for this!
Thank you for this, you're always a balsam for our souls. I just arrived home from a march here in my city in Spain and I am completely drained. This is horrible. Imagine having a normal life today and having to become a soldier tomorrow and say goodbye to your family. All thanks to a psychopath. This is bullsh*t.
*wiping away tears* Again Tegan you have a way with words. Pretty much sums up the scary world we are living in. I feel like we are really lucky living in Canada that we haven't experienced some of these terrible things but as I learn more about the community and the injustices happening it just makes me sick and kinda regret not knowing about it earlier in my life so I could stand up and speak out. Recognizing myself as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in my 30's really had been eye opening but I feel I'm in a place to understand it better now. I can't even imagine how Trans folks are feeling right now. Like you it passes me right off that the states can do this.
I totally see your point about news and entertainment being mixed. It's so different from when we were growing up and learning about world events. I want you to know that even though you question what to post....you do an amazing job of sharing and amplifying the right stuff. Since becoming a fan last year I've learned soooo much from you and Sara. You've talked about things that are so relevant and encouraged me to do more research and learn so much about not only our community but music and the world. I've watched tons of your interviews on YouTube from over the years and there is so much to know but you always seem to find those important and relevant things to touch on. I'm always moved by how passionate you are about the things you do choose to amplify. It really shows your character and a lot about who you are inside. Not just a pretty face like so many artists/public figures. I really appreciate that. I trust your opinions on what to look for and what to stand up for. I hope that one day I can somehow be a part of the TSF because as I learn more I know its a place I need to put my support. I respect you and Sara for starting the foundation and putting so much into supporting the community. I know there are so many great things yet to come for it.
As for this world of heartbreak and war....I don't know what to say other than we have to learn about it. We have to step up and get the facts. It's the same thing I say about the holocaust...if we don't learn about it and talk about it and remember it then we will forget and chances of it happening again are vastly greater. Scary part being I feel like it's kinda happening again in Ukraine in a little different but similar way. We have to stand up for what's right.
Keep doing what you are doing Tegan and Sara because what you do matters....all of it....music is just one part. Thank you for making this substack a safe place to build community but also to share what's important to you. Oh yeah and I'm proud YYC is flying the Ukraine 🇺🇦.
Ok novel done....I'm not as concise with words as you.
I so appreciate your candor echoing what I imagine many of us are wrestling with. Since I have nothing poignant or sensitive to add, I will just direct folks to an organization run by disabled folks on the ground in Ukraine who are helping other disabled Ukrainians stay safe and ABLE to stay in Ukraine. Medical needs, sterility, safe residence.
This is where you can send your support:
https://eng.ffr.org.ua/support-in-crisis/eng
Wow that is an awesome link. Thank you. That is a population that is often left behind in conflicts. They are equal citizens with equal rights and deserve the same support on whatever level they need. ❤
Absolutely! I personally am a wheelchair user with some significant active health issues. It is always on my mind and heart how we'd ever keep me alive in any emergency. But in war, I'd surely die quickly, even if my area was still relatively safe. We are typically abandoned, tossed in the way, and considered acceptable, inevitable losses - not worth saving bc we're lesser than them anyway. And "too difficult". So, any organization on the ground that's not only helping materially, but making sure they know they haven't been forgotten and are EXACTLY as valuable a life as someone with legs or a strong liver - is one I want to give my full support.
I'm glad the link could be helpful and so appreciate your attention and care toward it - on their behalf. 🙏🏻💜🫂
Your posts that are political or serious certainly matter to me. I am always open. I care deeply about, what people I care about, care about. If that makes sense.
I've been trying to sound the alarm on news becoming entertainment for years. The world became so much worse with the 24hr news cycle and when they realised 'opinion' news shows get so much higher ratings than shows that objectively report on what is happening. It breaks my heart what is happening in Ukraine and it enrages me that that mad coward Putin is hiding behind his nukes.
Times like this I'm reminded of a quote I heard somewhere, though I've forgotten who said it. "The moral arc of the universe only bends towards justice, if we bend it, otherwise it goes the wrong way every time." I try to remember that, do what I can and let that be enough.
Just a few days ago, after hearing the news of the attack in Kiev, I made the same considerations. Many of my contacts or friends on Instagram alternated stories with images on the ongoing conflict and immediately after others with ballets, cute animals and various tutorials. I wondered what is the point of not taking even a day to convey important messages, the need to share always and in any case but above all, our mind, our heart has really this ability to metabolize such a varied flow of news and emotions?
I don't know, I'm the kind of person who mulls over things a lot and the downside is that I get stuck on bad news for too long. Obviously, I do not think that all those who share one news after another indiscriminately are insensitive but I believe that the difference is the intention to act. It is a great idea to use the newsletter not only to exchange opinions but also to help with articles and fundraisers. Right now, every link can make a difference just by bringing people closer to these topics in order to raise awareness.
I understand Sara's point of view, there is also a need for good things but in this case, knowing that even the musicians I love use their storytelling to demonstrate how the same events that I experience, on the same planet, upset their lives and their thoughts (and I inevitably believe their art too), comforts me.
Thanks Tegan and Sara for ALSO this.
When I think about the don’t say gay bill a senate vote and Desantis signature away from passing, my heart breaks. I live in Florida and while I’m not in public school anymore I can’t imagine not having the all the support I had at school. Whether it was from some teachers I could trust or my friends I didn’t have to worry about being outted to my family. Every time I think about it, or read about this bill I’m brought to tears just thinking about the queer kids that won’t have that privilege if this is passed. The only thing that seems to make the tears stop is the thought of all the people that will continue to stand in the way of this bill. It means a lot to even just to see other queer people in media that I can relate to, so thank you guys for that. And I’m eagerly awaiting that tiktok with Holiday.
I feel what you are saying is happening in so many places outside Florida too. Even up in 🇨🇦 we seem to be fighting for basics too. It's like the clock is going backwards with so much of this. Instead of moving forward and supporting and encouraging we are blurring the lines that separate state (politics) and religion again after so many people fought for these rights. Why are we going backwards and removing the rights? It just doesn't make sense to me.