A new report published by Trans Sask, a non-profit organization supporting trans-identified, gender queer and gender non-conforming people, is highlighting the experiences of those living in Saskatchewan.
“This is a love letter to the two-spirit, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people of Saskatchewan,” said Tiberius Fayant-McLeod, research manager, who led a team of five to put the report together.
“We really just wanted to have, like, a mirror to show … our title is named that we’re here!”
The report is called So they know we’re here, emphasizing the importance of visibility and existence.
The 95-page document compiles data and stories on trans and non-binary people navigating self-identity, employment, health care, geography and other sectors.
More than 300 people responded to their online survey, with nearly a dozen interviewed.
“Data on trans people in Saskatchewan has been very little,” Fayant-McLeod said.
“And we just thought that it was time that we had our own data about our own people in Saskatchewan.”
Fayant-McLeod identifies as two-spirit and gender non-binary. Growing up, they said representation of their community was very limited and often highlighted negativity.
They hope the report not just focuses on some of the difficult realities, but also highlights some of the joys of being a trans or non-binary person.
“I was born and raised here in Saskatchewan. I grew up never seeing myself, never seen any Indigenous, queer or trans people on TV. All of the stories about us tend to be about tragedy or about, you know, really negative experiences. And that is what I didn’t want to recreate with this report,” they explained.
“So compiling this report, we really tried to focus on positive stories and affirming stories and to show that, you know, our lives aren’t doom and gloom.”
The document also lists recommendations for making spaces such as employment and health care more equitable.
Almost 30 per cent of respondents say they avoided an emergency room due to their gender identity in fear of hostility or lack of sensitivity.
About half of respondents say they avoided applying for a job because of their gender identity out of fear of discrimination and lack of safety.
“A lot of our respondents have this anticipatory discrimination, which kind of just boils down to, even if you don’t know for sure that you’re going to be discriminated against, you’re afraid that it’s going to happen and you know that it’s likely to going to happen,” Fayant-McLeod explained.
They hope this report can be used as an educational resource for those looking to improve equitability, or for those who have never been exposed to queer education.
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