Transitioning

I was assigned female at birth and spent 28 years living a female experience. It never felt like who I was. Transitioning from female to male has allowed me to live as my authentic self. I am a transgender man, however this has not been an easy road.

I’ve been diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, which is a mental disorder that is listed in the DSM-V. I am required to have this diagnosis in order to qualify for gender conformation surgeries. Gender Dysphoria is a contentious issue within the Trans community as many of us don’t believe we have a "mental illness.”  I, however, see the protections it affords us, as with the diagnosis, my human rights are protected under the grounds of “disability.” It is the leveraging I need when I experience discrimination in accessing medical treatment, in employment, when accessing change rooms in public facilities etc. Until gender identity and expression are explicitly protected grounds in human rights legislation, my diagnosis is the only thing that affords me civil rights protections; federally and territorially.

One thing that was never contentious was the support that came from the Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association (WWHA). In response to my transition, they created a fully transgender inclusive policy. My struggle  was met with acceptance and love. They are my family and have supported me every step along the way.

As a trans rights activist, I spend a lot of my time and energy promoting human rights and advocating to remove barriers faced by our community in all sectors of life.  Having that safe space to go to after a long day of fighting, is one of the things that inspires and empowers me to keep moving forward. The love and warmth of the WWHA keeps me alive. As stated in the official league email that went out notifying us of the new policy, “The change room is for changing, drinking beer and talking shit about the other teams." Social inclusion is that simple, and I’m a really great shit talker!