Three days ago, this very paper published bigotry thinly disguised as news. Now, there's a reason that the saying 'don't believe what you read in the papers or on the internet' is a thing, and of course, our lives are so much easier when we are able to ignore what can only be described as sheer drivel.
The subject is, of course, that of the number of hasty marriages conducted in Las Vegas last weekend, weakly attributed to a performer with Veela heritage. So weak is this link in fact, that the very first sentence of the ironically named Ms Pride's article states 'many of which are attributed to'. So, not only is this vague in itself, not once in the entire article does it actually give proof that Ms Resnick is responsible. This is poor research at best, irresponsible libel at worst.
The second paragraph is not much better. "Reportedly" is one of those weasel words that journalists of ill repute tend to use when they want to make a claim without backing it up. I repeat, where is the proof that this woman is responsible? Pride even goes on to discuss that there may have been others of similar heritage present in the area at the time, but at this point, she has already done the damage. The desire to pin something on a marginalised person is almost seeping through the page, and if you can't see it, try asking people who've had to live through it.
At the age of 15, I came out to my parents. I was fortunate, not because that change in my life was all plain sailing, but because my greatest fear - the anxiety that comes from anticipating rejection by those who love you most - was swiftly erased.
I had people to stand with me when I faced those who wished me harm (or showed indifference, which in some ways feels just as bad). That harm, as members of other communities will tell you, does not always take the form of causing physical injury.
As it happens, I have a dear friend who happens to have a Veela mother. To suggest that she, her sister, and any of their future children should be forced to register their identities makes me sick to my stomach. There have been literal wars over this. Wars that caused the deaths of millions of innocent people. This is, dear reader, no mere hyperbole. Cataclysmic events that tear societies apart do not occur in a vacuum. It all starts with us v. them.
Think of the Nazi Final Solution in Germany. Think of the Rwandan genocide. Think of the slaughter of Muslims in Bosnia. Think of the abject horrors that magical and non-magical folks alike have shown themselves to be capable of over the centuries, not one of which ever came out of nowhere. It is that most insidious of evils, that which hides behind a veneer of respectability and feigns concern for the safety and wellbeing of an already projected majority.
So, the message I leave you with today is this. If you've ever felt that feeling of rejection or being feared, of disdain or hesitancy directed at you just because of who you are - now is the time for us to stand together. Our brothers, sisters and siblings of mixed heritage need us, and need us to speak up now. Waiting until measures are enacted against them is too little, too late - we need to take steps to protect each other before that happens.
What can we do? TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU THINK. Write to your representatives at Confederation Level. Write to the governors of your territory. Attend meetings, support protestors, sign petitions and make damned sure that bigotry is not allowed to win. Above all, check in with your friends, family, neighbours and coworkers. Let them know how much they are loved, because believe me, it's hard to defend yourself without knowing you've got that army at your back.