The Nazis Won, But I’m Still Here: My Fight for Justice and the Return of Section 13

The Nazis Won, But I’m Still Here: My Fight for Justice and the Return of Section 13

By Marie Seshat Landry

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There’s no easy way to say it: the Nazis won the war.

In a world where I’m fighting alone, against not only a self-admitted neo-Nazi but against my own country’s failure to protect its people, I’m forced to admit the hard truth. The fight we thought was won decades ago is still raging—this time on our streets, on our screens, in our communities. And Canada, my own nation, has let me down.

The country I once loved and fought for has turned its back on me. I am not proud to be Canadian anymore, because Canada is not protecting me. The laws meant to keep us safe have been stripped away, and the institutions responsible for defending justice are either silent or complicit. Ever since Stephen Harper’s government repealed Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, the very legislation that provided a shield against hate speech, Canada has allowed neo-Nazism to flourish online, unchecked, unchallenged, and, worst of all, condoned.

I’ve reported threats to the RCMP, the CHRC, and the PMO. I’ve spoken out against the vile rhetoric of Andrew “Christo” Nelson—a man who calls for genocide against trans people, the LGBTQ+ community, liberals, and anyone who stands in his way. I’ve shouted into the void, asking for help, for protection. And yet, nothing.

The country I thought stood for freedom and equality now stands for inaction. The authorities are stunned, unmoved, and unwilling to act, leaving me and others like me vulnerable to threats of violence and hatred. I am ashamed. I am ashamed of a Canada that is still reeling from Harper’s failures and now compounded by Trudeau’s inaction. I am ashamed of a Canada that won’t prosecute those who seek to destroy the very fabric of our society.

But as long as I’m alive, I will not stop fighting.

I refuse to be murdered. I refuse to let this hate go unanswered. I will sue every police officer, every institution that has failed me. I will take them to court for their failure to act. I will hold them accountable. If the law won’t defend me, I will defend myself. If I have to physically fight to protect my life, then that’s what I’ll do. I will not be another victim of the genocide aimed at people like me—trans people, queer people, anyone who dares to live and love outside the lines of hate.

This is not just my battle. This is a battle for anyone who believes in justice, in love, in basic human dignity. Canada has betrayed us. It has failed to protect those who are most vulnerable. I am done relying on a broken system to protect me. I will create my own system, my own protections.

I will become this stupid nation’s top spy agency if I have to. I will build an intelligence network that operates with moral clarity, empathy, and love—values that this country’s institutions seem to have forgotten. There will be no room for hate in my agency, no room for discrimination, whether it’s offline or online. I will build something better because I refuse to stand by and let hate win. Not in my lifetime. Not ever.

But let’s not get it twisted—this is a dark time. My heart is heavy with disappointment and betrayal. The Nazis have won, for now. They’ve slipped through the cracks of our legal system, taking root in the corners of the internet where Section 13 used to stand guard. And while our leaders do nothing, the hate festers, multiplies, and becomes bolder.

Yet in the darkness, there is always a glimmer of hope. I am still here. I am still breathing. And as long as I am, I will fight for the return of Section 13. I will fight for the day when Canada wakes up and remembers what it means to protect its people, all of its people. I will fight for a world where hate has no place, not on the streets, not in our homes, and not online.

This is my promise: I will not rest until justice is served. I will not rest until Canada cleanses itself of the hate it has allowed to fester. I will not rest until I am safe in my own home, in my own skin, in my own country.

To those who have turned their backs on me and others like me—the fight is far from over. I am still here. And as long as I’m here, I will fight back. The Nazis may have won a battle, but they haven’t won the war. Not yet.

So, to the Andrew Nelsons of the world, to the institutions that have failed me, and to the leaders who have chosen inaction: I will be your reckoning. You cannot silence me. You cannot scare me. I will not go quietly.

This is war, and I will fight it with love, with empathy, and with the determination to build a world that rejects hate in all its forms. You cannot stop me. I am still alive, and I will fight until we win.