Aidan
An outspoken trans activist for many years, Aidan founded Gender Odyssey in 2001 – an international conference focused on the needs and interests of transgender and gender diverse children of all ages, their families and supporters, and the professionals who serve them. Currently he runs nine support groups for trans kids and families of trans and gender diverse children in the Seattle WA area. He was also instrumental in creating the online community at Transfamilies.org providing support groups, discussion groups, events, FAQs and a host of other resources.
Genderdiversity.org provides diversity training and programming for professionals, and support for gender diverse children and their families.
Transfamilies.org provides online support, information and an online community.
And the Gender Odyssey Conference Website is at: Genderodyssey.org
Aidan’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans History Forward Conference in 2018, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria. MTHF provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Shaan
Shaan is a trans person of Jewish and Roma heritage. His mixed identity led him to create a series of oral history archives about LGBTQI people with different faiths and racial backgrounds. His latest project Rainbow Pilgrims explores the stories of LGBTQI migrants living in the UK. Through these stories Shaan was able to realize his own identity and fully transition. Shaan currently works in London as a heritage manager and is looking forward to continuing to collect oral histories of LGBTQI people.
Find out more about Shaan’s projects at: rainbowpilgrims.com, twilightpeople.com, rainbowjews.com, And you can find the Twilight People App on Google Play.
Shaan’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans History Forward Conference in 2018, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria. The MTHF conference graciously allowed onmyplanet.ca to record stories on site during the conference. onmyplanet.ca also recorded stories at the MTHF 2014 and 2016 conferences.
Chase, Part 2
For some time now, Chase has been on the front line of all things Trans in the Yukon Territory. He was part of the long and persistent lobbying that lead the Yukon Territorial Government to include Gender Identity and Expression in their Human Rights Code (2017). He was the first Yukon resident to receive funded gender affirming surgery. He was also the catalyst for the Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association to establish a trans inclusive policy. Chase is a trans educator, activist and public speaker. Catch up on the latest from Chase at: chaseblodgett.com See Chase’s first story with onmyplanet Here
Chase’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans History Forward Conference, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria in March of 2016. The MTHF conference provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Vincent
Vincent talks about negotiating a trans identity while growing up in northern Ontario – there was bullying and othering, depression and internalized transphobia and all the earmarks of discrimination from his Catholic school and peer group – but wait till he reveals to his traditional Italian Nona the real secret he’d been hiding… Vincent is now a trans activist and most recently has worked with the Police Service in Sudbury to produce a video on ways for the RCMP to support the trans folks they interact with. You can see their video here: Creating Awareness and Understanding of the Transgender Community
Vincent’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans History Forward Conference in 2014 (MTHF), put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria in March of 2016. The MTHF conference provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Meryn
Meryn talks about his process of becoming himself. A writer and performer, Meryn garnered an amount of fame in the early 90s for his spoken word single “The Sweater”. At the time, he was under some scrutiny from the LGBTQ press. Here, he talks about being queer in the 80s (not queer enough for some) and eventually changing his gender (but not his queerness). Rock on Meryn.
Meryn’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC, Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Jack
Jack talks about his experience as a young trans person and how that inspired his advocacy work today. at the time of the video Jack was the President of the Student’s Union at the University of Saskatchewan, he was also the Saskatchewan Rep for the Mental Health Commission of Youth Council, the Saskatchewan Rep and Vice Chair for the National Indigenous Youth Council on HIV and AIDS, and was on the Aboriginal Peoples Patient & Family Advisory Council in the Saskatoon Health Region.
Jack’s story is one in a series recorded in conjunction with Out Saskatoon, in 2014. Heart felt thanks goes to the sponsors of this series: media-net.bc.ca in Victoria, BC and www.outsaskatoon.ca in Saskatoon, SK. Special thanks to Liz Senecal at Out Saskatoon.
Eli
Eli is a mostly masculine person – he talks about the job he’s had through out his transition.
Eli’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC, Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Julian
Julian talks about their experience as a young, queer, gender queer, new comer to Canada who has a disability. Having already faced a multitude of challenges, Julian manages to find the stamina and motivation to perform their drag queen characters in the hope of inspiring others to find their own self-worth and confidence. You can find ‘Lady Boy Sparkle’ on Youtube or Twitter.
Julian’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC and Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Jude
Jude is a pioneer. He talks about transitioning in the early 70s, the community at the time and the growth of trans activism. Jude has been an educator, advocate, activist and researcher for years and works as a therapist and a psychiatric physician assistant within the LGBTQI communities with a specialty in Trans issues.
Please take a moment to watch Jude’s story.
Jude’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans* History Forward Conference, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria in March of 2014. The MTHF conference provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Gavin
Although Gavin’s physical transition was as positive as possible, the more subtle process of discovering himself was a little more challenging. Gavin talks about the process of his transition.
Gavin’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans* History Forward Conference, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria in March of 2014. The MTHF conference provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.