I % agree that the @CMA_Docs process is flawed and when I saw the list was shocked there were no women physician candidates - I believe I’m the only candidate who announced I would change the process to alternating male and female presidents to immediately ensure gender /1 https://twitter.com/picardonhealth/status/1358279628121546753

parity. I do have to respectfully challenge this a bit though. I have never seen in any CMA election prior to this (mind you I never paid much attention BC I never saw anyone that really reflected me - 144 years of mainly cis white hetero males can do that) any challenges when /2

there have been ZERO black, asian, GLBTQ2S+, docs with disabilities, or Indigenous candidates. In fact there have been ZERO black, trans, a plethora of POC, and Indigenous presidents. As a profession, when we engage in advocacy inclusion, I would suggest that we need to do this/3

while looking at the entire picture of representation. The pandemic has caused us to pause and reflect on important issues such as these, and I’m very grateful. As a two-spirit Indigenous physician who is “new” to conventional “non-Indigenous medical leadership,” I do not have /4

the same connections to the “old boys club” of medicine. When we do not allow the opportunity to foster a healthy and transparent debate, this is where power grows, and this is where sameness begets more sameness, and voices who have not had a chance to be heard are silenced. /5

If we were to look at this from 100 miles out, there is a potential “win” in this election, and a chance for @Albertadoctors to make history/herstory/ourstory if you will- there are 2 Indigenous docs, @AlikaMD and myself.I would say this is a win, never has this happened before/6

and I hope it will happen again. One of the reasons I chose to run is to challenge the notion that “there aren’t any qualified Indigenous docs” to do this - Indigenous docs literally have to do hand stands, pony shows, walk backwards while floating just to survive in medicine./7

Put another way, I literally had to win a National Reality Show competition to be at the same table @AmazingRaceCDA - I had a small voice before, but more people listened afterward, even though I was saying the same things all along. All this is to say that I hope there is a /8

debate, hosted by someone. I hope all doctors have a chance to hear openly from all candidates, and not just in the small circles they are in. Lastly, I’m the most diverse candidate and if you want change, I can help be that change. I grew up on a Nehiyô (Plains Cree) reserve /9

in rural Alberta as a young two spirit person at a time when it was violent to exist as such. I grew up in a traditional Nehiyô home surrounded by language, culture, kinship and advocacy. Our Elders took over the Blue Quills residential school in the 70’s when Pierre-Elliott /10

Trudeau and Jean Chretien were the leaders and told that they would fail. They succeeded and BC of this, was the first First Nations controlled education institution in this country. I graduated with. Public Health degree from the @UofT_dlsph before graduating from @uOttawaMed/11

as the second Indigenous medical stream cohort. I have experienced every kind of racism and homophobia in medicine and outside of medicine. I married my Diné husband Anthony during @BMOVanMarathon and later we won The Amazing Race Canada in ribbon skirts to bring attention /12

to MMIW and trans/two spirit youth so they would feel safe, while addressing misogyny, patriarchy and trans/homophobia. I have a drag alter ego named “iCandy” to foster inclusion and acceptance of my trans patients. I have the most diverse medical practice of the candidates /13

I work in a remote Cree reserve, I have a transgender health practice in Edmonton, and I’m the Medical Director at a program @CAMHnews the third largest teaching hospital in the country. All/most of my mentors are women. I would say I’m not like the other male candidates. /14

I’m happy to debate. If there is not a debate, I’m happy to keep writing 15 message ‘s. We need to change, medicine needs to change, and I’m happy to help with that. @blackdocscanada @IPACIndigenous @drgigiosler @KimKellyMD @WebbCharleswebb @CdnWIM @picardonhealth