Trans Communities In Canada Need More Than Just Legislative Rights

Words cannot adequately capture the impact on your health and well-being when you’re denied the most basic sense of safety.

By Fae Johnstone
Source: HuffPost Canada

I’ve been out as transgender and non-binary for almost two years. Before I came out, I’d never been harassed, sexually or otherwise. In the two years since I came out, I’ve been harassed on a weekly, and often daily, basis.

I’ve had slurs hurled at me, been grabbed by strangers and received dozens of messages from strangers on the internet calling me all kinds of obscenities, and even threatening my life on occasions. I’ve had more nights than I care to remember when I curled up on my balcony in tears, trying to process the hurt that takes root when you feel like your existence is rejected by the world around you.