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
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.