The fact that this tragic event in Tumbler Ridge immediately inspired calls for restrictions on gender-affirming care and trans rights at large in Canada should raise huge alarm bells for trans people and our allies, writes @melwoods.me

"The shooter’s identity will likely be used in legislatures across Canada to argue against life-saving medical care for young people, inclusive education in schools and the outlawing of harmful conversion therapy practices."

Happy Valentine's Day ... celebrate by reading my essay about Carly Rae Jepsen and getting married and embracing the cringe in love ❤️ xtramagazine.com/culture/carl...

It got a bit lost in the shuffle of the news this week, but I wrote a feature breaking down why Skate Canada's choice to pull out of Alberta is such a big deal. Published as a collaboration between @xtramagazine.com and @thewalrus.ca ⛸️🏳️‍⚧️ xtramagazine.com/power/skate-...

Remember that we made a podcast about queer reality TV last year??? Well this week, Get Queer officially joined the great folks over at @harbingermedia.bsky.social. Love to see progressive media coming together to maximize our joint slay 💅

I wanted to say that I really appreciate all of the kind words, support and shares around this story and this week in general ❤️ Covering this stuff is heavy, and it means a lot! xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...

It got a bit lost in the shuffle of the news this week, but I wrote a feature breaking down why Skate Canada's choice to pull out of Alberta is such a big deal. Published as a collaboration between @xtramagazine.com and @thewalrus.ca ⛸️🏳️‍⚧️ xtramagazine.com/power/skate-...

The @theglobeandmail.com has compiled the stories of the eight lives cut short in Tumbler Ridge. A thread below. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Nobody told me there are WIVES competing against each other in women's skeleton!! www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/w...

I have been asked a few times if it is good that mainstream media largely held off on identifying the shooter until after RCMP confirmed, even if some places were spreading it. This sort of thing is why. As a a journalist, when you get this stuff wrong, you potentially are ruining people's lives.

Radio-Canada apologizes after it aired a photo circulated by anti-trans hate groups online, falsely claiming it was a photo of the Tumbler Ridge shooter. Damaging and irresponsible, and this apology raises more questions about journalistic process imho. ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/222...

I wanted to say that I really appreciate all of the kind words, support and shares around this story and this week in general ❤️ Covering this stuff is heavy, and it means a lot! xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...

"Right now the focus should be on supporting the community in mourning, not weaponizing this event as hate against a vulnerable group at large," writes @melwoods.me xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...

“For those who are just learning about Tumbler Ridge for the first time, know that it is so much more than the events of this week. The town is a portrait of resiliency. It has survived against the odds and emerged stronger.” @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...

a good read and good reminder “The focus should be on mourning, not weaponizing.”

ICYMI

Thanks to the good folks at @thetyee.ca for republishing my piece from today

Thanks to the good folks at @thetyee.ca for republishing my piece from today

Thank you to @melwoods.me and @xtramagazine.com for this piece. thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...

Here, have a Goo Goo and a Hobgoblin to cleanse your timeline

JFC can we please not do this, Canada?

ICYMI

The shooter’s identity will likely be used in legislatures across Canada to argue against life-saving medical care for young people, inclusive education in schools and the outlawing of harmful conversion therapy practices. xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...

@tyolsen.bsky.social for @thetyee.ca on what we know so far about the awful tragedy in Tumbler Ridge: thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...

"An entire community is mourning a horrific loss in Tumbler Ridge this week ... And the dangerous links being made to trans people at large will have resounding and dangerous impacts in the months and weeks to come," writes @melwoods.me

The third worst mass shooting in Canadian history happened yesterday in a small BC town. Kids are dead, a community is reeling. This is a time to grieve. This is not a time to gain political points by punching down on trans people. Thoughtful @melwoods.me essay: xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...

This should be required reading for anyone working on Tumbler Ridge today.

"Canada has largely been shielded from this specific flavour of anti-trans rhetoric simply because mass shootings on this level rarely happen here. But this incident shows that the toxic sludge of anti-trans discourse has a firm hold in our political and online sphere here too." #cdnpoli

Important read. I fear that the rhetoric around this is going to get very ugly very quickly because of the age we're living in.

PSA from me to you, the Olympic ice dance competition is on right now if anyone needs a brain cleanser from ~ the news ~

“The shooter’s identity will likely be used in legislatures across Canada to argue against life-saving medical care for young people, inclusive education in schools and the outlawing of harmful conversion therapy practices.“ Important article to read right now.

“Right now the focus should be on supporting the community in mourning, not weaponizing this event as hate against a vulnerable group at large.” I hate profoundly that articles like this need to be written when, like Mel says, the focus should be on community. But thank you Mel for writing ❤️

For more detailed explanations of our styleguide advice, see our recent expansion: www.transjournalists.org/why-biologic...

I haaaaate this (but it's excellent reporting, check it out!)

A must-read today: "An entire community is mourning a horrific loss in Tumbler Ridge this week. And how it is being talked about online, and the dangerous links being made to trans people at large, will have resounding and dangerous impacts in the months and weeks to come."

"Right now the focus should be on supporting the community in mourning, not weaponizing this event as hate against a vulnerable group at large." expert reporting from the great @melwoods.me

NEW from me today: Tumbler Ridge is mourning a horrific loss. But how the shooter's identity is being talked about online, and the dangerous links being made to trans people at large, will have resounding and dangerous impacts in the months and weeks to come. xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...

Hey Canadian media ... "born as a biological male" is not the move when you're reporting on what happened in Tumbler Ridge. Here's is the @transjournalists.org Style Guide if you are covering this story today styleguide.transjournalists.org

Hey Canadian media ... "born as a biological male" is not the move when you're reporting on what happened in Tumbler Ridge. Here's is the @transjournalists.org Style Guide if you are covering this story today styleguide.transjournalists.org

Oh this is bad

The police withhold identities in BC to be able to notify the next of kin and don't often publish the names of teenage mass shooters to not amplify or promote copycat attacks. Didn't stop an elected official from using a tragedy to attack LGBTQ+ people

This will weaponized internationally, but it's important to note how it is being weaponized *in the exact same way* in Canada. This is all such a tragedy.

Within hours, we already had an elected official—B.C. MLA Tara Armstrong—blaming the Tumbler Ridge school shooting on gender-affirming care.

The Canadian far-right is marinating in the same online swamps as the American far-right.

Within hours, we already had an elected official—B.C. MLA Tara Armstrong—blaming the Tumbler Ridge school shooting on gender-affirming care.

Disgusted by the level of anti-trans misinformation already spreading about the shooting in Tumbler Ridge. I wrote about it after Charlie Kirk in September, and I hate that I’m probably going to have to write about it tomorrow xtramagazine.com/power/politi...

Disgusted by the level of anti-trans misinformation already spreading about the shooting in Tumbler Ridge. I wrote about it after Charlie Kirk in September, and I hate that I’m probably going to have to write about it tomorrow xtramagazine.com/power/politi...

As the search for work gets more desperate, queer and trans workers often see the worst sides of work. But they also come with brilliant solutions. @desaima.bsky.social introduces the five stories in On the Clock, written by this year’s Ken Popert Media Fellows

I particularly love Olympic women's hockey now that we have the PWHL, because now I can watch and have particular vested interest in seeing my team's players on this stage. (All to say, I would die for you Sarah Nurse 🫡)

A big thing is happening in Tyee-land: editor-in-chief David Beers is stepping back, and we are hiring a new EIC: thetyee.ca/Tyeenews/202... Please share!