Cool Cat's Expository Essay

The contrast between the idea of being silent and being vocal is evident in the interviews. For example, Joanna decided to skip the question requesting her opinion on same-sex marriage, yet she was vocal about the discrimination that LGBTQ community has faced and continues to face, albeit to a lesser extent: “…I think they’re gaining access to a lot of rights that were denied to them in the past. They’re not being discriminated against them as much as before.” This pattern of silence and vocality is also evident in Cool Cat’s narratives. Cool Cat decided to pass the question that asked her opinion on same-sex marriage, thus reinforcing her silence. However, she was rabidly vocal on the barriers and discrimination that the LGBTQ community faces.
However, Joanna and Cool Cat’s enthusiasm to acknowledge discrimination and barriers faced by a group individuals, whose beliefs and lifestyles are hypothetically different from theirs, demonstrates that Canadians are open to discussing discrimination. They do not hide the fact that discrimination exist for the LGBTQ community, even if they might not necessarily (as suggested by their silence) agree with the LGBTQ community’s lifestyle and beliefs. Both Joanna and Cool Cat identify as Pakistani-Canadian and follow the same religion, Islam. Their shared nationality and religion might explain why the same pattern on the topic of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ discrimination can be seen in both of their interviews.
The theme of silence is also evident in Khan’s interview. For instance, he primarily skipped questions that inquired his opinion on gender equality in Canada, discrimination against the LGBTQ community, feminism and same-sex marriage. Conversely, he recognized and emphasizes the discrimination faced by Indigenous people and