Abby
Abby is a young trans woman who recounts the handful of things that contributed to her transition. Abby considers gender and sexuality, keeping in mind the recent social and political developments that allowed her to pick and choose her various options around transition. Her choices extend way beyond the binary of male and female. Abby expresses her gratitude for being trans at this point in history. She talks about being criticized for not being “trans enough” and considers what signals might have brought her gender issues forward somewhat sooner. Ultimately though, it’s the idea of ‘being yourself’ that resonates with her.
Abby’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.
Kori
Kori lives quite happily in the country growing food, making babies and being self sufficient. Kori has been active in the non-profit service sector for many years and now runs online classes and workshops helping people to build community and work together in larger networks such as ‘Resilience Building for Trans Folks and Our Allies‘. Kori can be found online HERE
Kori’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.
Mo
Mo is a queer filmmaker and wants to start a queer RocknRoll band. Mo talks about being in the music scene in Montreal in the 80s, coming out and making their first film. Mo is now a tenured professor at UVic, and has recently completed their first feature film Two 4 One, a trans themed film set in Victoria, BC. Mo was also on the Steering Committee for the Moving Trans History Forward conference at UVic, 2016
Mo’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.
Miki
Miki is a visual artist that began to dance in 2005. She talks about her ongoing transformation as an artist and as a trans woman. Miki dances with a number of modern dance companies in Saskatoon and maintains her own website at: mikimappin.com/.
Miki’s story is one in a series of videos recorded in conjunction with Out Saskatoon, in 2014. Heart felt thanks to the sponsors of this series: media-net.bc.ca in Victoria, BC and Out Saskatoon in Saskatoon, SK. Special thanks to Liz Senecal at Out Saskatoon.
Steen
Steen, a writer and performance artist, talks about marrying young, being a mother and how feminism brought her into her queer identity.
Steen’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.
Warren
Warren is a two spirit gay man from Iskatewi-zaaga’iganiing Nation at the Manitoba/Ontario border. He is among the last in his nation to grow up speaking the language and learning traditional ways. At the time of this video he was working with the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy. Warren is now an independent consultant, advocate and educator around human rights issues, Two Spirt culture and Aboriginal culture. You can find Warren HERE
Warren’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.
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.
Ruben
Ruben talks about trying to express themself as a trans identified femme artist. Having recently moved to Toronto Ruben is finding considerably more support and trans community in the larger centre.
Ruben’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.