Is there something in the water up north? Is it the homogeneity because Toronto has plenty of non-Whites. What is the secret to Canada's progressive values?
Is it a boys' shirt, or a girls' shirt? The store manager at Muttonhead, a unisex store that recently opened in The Beach, says it doesn't matter.
While the clothing at Muttonhead still comes in different sizes, there are no gender labels attached, and no men's or women's sections in the store.
Stephanie Cooke, the store manager, said it's a trend that's starting to grow in Toronto.
"It's nice that people can come in and be able to feel like they don't need to go to a designated section. Everything is for them in the shop," Cooke said.
Muttonhead's clothing is made in Canada and the store also has a kids section without boys and girls labels. Cooke said it's the first unisex store in The Beach and she hopes to see more pop up in the east end— especially because it creates a safe place for anyone to shop without feeling judged.
Cooke added that even when they're hiring staff they ask potential employees questions to ensure they will be respectful of people who may not conform to gender norms.
"Everyone who works here is very laid back. There's no judgement here."
Ezra Nanaste-Maiato identifies as gender non-binary and prefers to use the pronouns "they" and "them," instead of "he" and "him." The University of Toronto student says they simply wear clothing that makes them feel good.
"To me, it means something that is not constricted, more open, more free," Nanaste-Maiato said.
While Nanaste-Maiato is very comfortable wearing different types of clothing, there are also challenges that come with going against the grain.
"It can definitely be nerve-racking for some, and probably more detrimental for others. There are judgements and the comments that some people get."
Brayden Thompson
Jacq Hixson-Vulple works with The 519 — a not for profit that works towards acceptance and awareness of the LGBT community — and is happy to see more places like Muttonhead popping up in the city.
"I think they're really important and a really exciting trend that we're starting to see more of." Hixson–Vulple said.
While there's progress being made with unisex stores opening in Toronto, Hixson–Vulple would like to see the concept taken a step further with more feminine clothes made available for everyone.
"We can also expand our idea of gender neutral clothing and think about how we can include dresses and skirts."
Hixson–Vulple added that it's just as important to make options available for children, rather than just having pink clothing for girls and blue clothing for boys.
"Basically, everyone should be able to access whatever clothing they want."
Jonathan Diaz
We're not retarded enough to get completely manipulated by the corporations that American politicians work for and spend 100% of their energy serving as slavishly as possible.
So when they try to distract us with the social smokescreens they use to obscure the wholesale looting of the commons, we don't care as much.
Ethan Bennett
>looting of the commons
explain?
Hunter Walker
They're all homosexual Just look at your flag
Eli Morales
>it has absolutely NOTHING to do with pic related. No one would socially nor culturally engineer an entire peoples to self-destruct Sleep peacefully, ope'.
Colton Nguyen
Canadians are highly concentrated in cities, and I don't think they have electoral college so my impression is that Canada is a oligarchy of Ottowa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Plus there's the fact that Quebec is French, any country speaking French will lean much more left. The anglosphere is probably the most conservative, save the lusosphere and hispanosphere. Francosphere is most left wing followed by possible the germanosphere.
Landon Allen
Because Canada has never had a crisis. They've never had to suffer. It's easy to be a lib when your existence is easy. The real world doesn't apply to you.
Jordan Anderson
Americans are much less headlong progressive than other liberal democracies because they actually have a heritage worth conserving in the constitution, which is revered almost as a sacred document to them. No other first world nation holds its founders in such esteem nor do they hold their traditional values in such lofty regard.
I think it is because in all other nations democracy was something grafted onto an older apparatus, whereas America was founded on the principles of democratic rule, thus they are much more strongly ingrained here than in Europe or its other former colonies. They are too used to authoritarian un-democratic rule. They have never known real liberty.
