Alberta dad drops response track to rap mom's transgender diss

Drake vs. Meek Mill was so 2015; the new hotness on the rap-beef scene is Alberta Dad vs. Alberta Mom.

That is, if your jam is education policy as it relates to the inclusion of young people with non-traditional gender expressions.

OK, so maybe this feud is not going to explode into a pop-culture phenomenon, but the war of rhyming words is heating up between an advocate and an opponent of Alberta's new transgender guidelines for schools.

• Guidelines released for mandatory LGBTQ policies in Alberta schools
• Alberta students to define their own gender: 5 big changes in new guidelines
• Alberta school boards given March deadline for LGBTQ policies

The latest track to drop comes from Ryan Sauve, an Alberta dad who just released Respect Diversity (Ryan Cavill Remix), a response to M.H. Wiebe's Gender Bender, which seriously dissed the province's planned changes to school policies.

While Wiebe's attack focused largely on how bathrooms would work in an environment where students can define their own gender expression — she rhymes: "I am a concerned mother of three / Keep male and female washrooms where our children can pee!" — Sauve tries to look at the bigger picture.

"Come on, come on what's the fuss? / Have a seat and let's discuss / It's about more than bathrooms and sports / Tolerance and respect, it affects all of us," he raps.

Sauve, a father of three young children, said he had to carve out time from parenting to write and record the video but it was something he felt compelled to do after seeing the widespread attention the "Rap Mom" video had received.

"I just felt that if a transgender kid or teen comes across that video, it could make them feel pretty alone," he said.

"So I figured if we created a video response, it might make them feel like they have allies, that they're supported and make them feel better about themselves and that there are people out there who care."

Wiebe's initial rap video garnered international attention and Sauve's video is already gaining online traction, including a tweet-out from Education Minister David Eggen, who introduced the new transgender guidelines in January.

The minister's tweet was later deleted, however, after it prompted a prickly debate between supporters and opponents of his government's plan.

Sauve recognizes that both he and Wiebe are acting as lyrical standard-bearers for parents on either side of the often-heated debate, and he expects some blowback in response, but said it's nothing he can't handle.

"I've got a thick shell and can handle criticism so I wasn't worried about any of the negative feedback I would get for my dancing or singing," he told CBC News.

"It's for a good cause so it's totally worth it. I want to let them know that the support for equality and inclusivity outside the immediate LGBTQ community is there and we form quite a strong presence."

Wiebe has not responded to requests for comment on her video.