Day 2 mid-day: walk through the Trans Day of Visibility gathering at Victoria's Parliament

On my way to the coffeehouse before hotel check-in, I happened upon the tail end of people assembled for Trans Day of Visibility (Canada's statement on it here). A couple of things moved me; which I'm excited to share about.

First, Adam, an elected Victoria Member of Legislative Assembly, was in attendance, shaking people's hands and speaking to his support of what trans people need. I liked how he shook my hand upon my telling him I am in town from Chicago for UVic's Moving Trans History Forward conference. It felt like he believed in all of our dignity.

What moved me to tears was meeting Erica, a trans woman who made several points that I want others to hear. She spoke about Canada's ranking as the #1 safest place for trans people; however, she's been jumped and beaten in this country. Oh, how her story moved me. I wondered to myself, "Oh, Jane, do you have tears in your eyes because of how much you long for safety for trans people? Can you sense into the shock and pain that people endure?" Oh, we can only begin to imagine the horror and trauma that trans people suffer - and, in fact, the trauma that so many suffer for just being in the bodies that they are born into. I want to acknowledge the damage of racism, colonialism and sexism.

Erica also spoke about how she desires to be normal. "Do you know how many times people glance askew at me, not to mention the times that moms clutch their babies away from me?" She would like to not receive those hurtful looks. Further, she doesn't even enjoy the kinds of sympathetic, almost-pity-filled looks of approval she gets from people, as it seems to her as if they're expressing, "Oh, good, you're dressing how you want to, good for you, good girl" - like a dog, she said. Correct, Erica just desires to fit in. I wonder if she'd like to have some sense of choice about when she wants to blend in with ease into the sea of humanity, and when she'd like to stand out loud and proud in all her trans glory. I wonder, mostly, if she just wants to walk into a room and be able to assume she belongs, like so many white, cis-gendered people have the privilege to do - and don't even know they have.

The last message I picked up from Erica was clear, that the biggest mistake non-allies make is to say that trans people choose to be trans. She said, "Would I choose to do this to myself?" Her parallel example is that gay/lesbian people don't choose to be gay.

Trans women's vocal chords don't change without surgery, whereas the vocal range of trans men taking testosterone drops into the lower register. Trans men grow a beard, whereas trans women have to still shave their faces. Erica is asking the Canadian government to provide medical care for trans women, with Facial Feminization Surgery. Her voice almost broke as she said it's not for conceited, cosmetic reasons, and "it's not to be able to take away your boyfriends. It's to help me since my identity does not match the chromosomes I was born with."

My friends, I hope you are moved hearing about just this middle portion of my day. Off to the conference I go!