Transgender visibility day celebrated in northern Ontario
Friday was International Transgender Day of Visibility, which recognizes and celebrates the trans, two-spirit and gender-diverse community.
It’s a day that recognizes and raises awareness about the importance of representation.
Quinn Organ, who is two-spirited, said the day is also about recognizing gender-diverse people in Indigenous communities.
“Before colonization, our communities recognized our gender-diverse folks in the community and their roles,” Organ said.
“We recognize the medicine keepers, the fire keepers, the water walkers of Indigenous communities. So trans day visibility is really important for the work we’ve done in the past, the work we’re doing currently and the work we’re doing in the future.”
Laur O’Gorman said on this day, they think about trans joy, rather than trauma.
“When you see real depictions, real trans visibility, then trans people just become people,” O’Gorman said.
“And I think that’s key. There’s more to being trans than just trauma.”
O’Gorman said the journey to becoming transgender was confusing, in part, because there was little to no accurate representation of trans people in movies or television shows during that time.
“If you ever did see trans folk on TV, they were the butt of jokes, or they were villains, or sometimes both at the same time,” O’Gorman said.
“And so there were no stories of trans folks as regular people just living their lives, so it was hard to see yourself as a trans person.”
Réseau Access Network provides wellness, risk and harm reduction services, offering various levels of support to those in the LGBTQ2S+ community.
The organization said it wants more people to know about the services it offers.
“So maybe someone’s coming out, or it’s a child or a family member or a friend or a friend’s child and know that we are somebody in the community that are trying to support this community that is so marginalized and experience so much unintentional harm,” said Réseau’s Aspen Groom.
O’Gorman said the day is about celebrating trans joy to reframe the narrative and normalize transness -- and make it more visible.
Correction
A previous version of the article misspelled Quinne last name as 'Orgin.'
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo moved to medium-security prison in Quebec
Notorious serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec this week.

Special rapporteur David Johnston’s office hired crisis communications firm Navigator
Special rapporteur David Johnston has hired crisis communications firm Navigator, his office confirmed on Friday.
Here's what Nova Scotia's wildfires look like from outer space
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
Air Canada should face more consequences after two disruptions in a week, consumer advocate says
An airline consumer advocate says Air Canada should face tougher consequences for stranding passengers after two disruptions in a week.
Canada's 'unprecedented' fire season linked to climate change, will be the new normal: scientists
At the moment, wildfires are burning across six provinces and one territory in Canada — and they’re still spreading in what’s being called an unprecedented fire season. While firefighters work tirelessly to battle the merciless flames and prevent further destruction, scientists say the wildfires are linked to climate change and that this will be the new normal.
'Utterly disgusting': Canadian Army sergeant fined for 'anti-Jewish' comments
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
'Many, many lives turned upside down' by wildfires: N.S. premier
Nova Scotia’s premier says the “historic” wildfires in the province have caused a “breath-taking amount of damage.”
Trudeau raises Poland's democratic backsliding as prime minister visits Toronto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.