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.
Harlan
Harlan is a member of the Saddle Lake Reserve, White Fish Lake Band of The Cree First Nation, and grew up up on his mother’s reserve, The Beaver Lake Indian Reserve. Harlan describes his experience of growing up a “sissy boy Indian” (his term) and how these fundamental characteristics have developed into the foundation of his strengths. Harlan is an avid advocate and activist for Two-Spirit people. While living in New York he founded the North East Two Spirit Society. Harlan is also the founder and managing editor of the Two spirit Website: TwoSpiritJournal.com He has served on the Presidential Advisory Committee on HIV and AIDS (Obama appointed). Currently Harlan is a PhD Candidate at UBC doing Two-Spirit research and is developing the first Two Spirit childrens book entitled: Grandma Susie Can’t Go Hunting
Harlan’s story is one of a series of stories recorded in conjunction with the Gender Ally project. In partnership with Artemis Place Alternative High School in Victoria, onmyplanet.ca has developed a series of 15 workshops on Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender non-conforming inclusion. All workshop videos are viewable online, and all workshop materials are free to download. onmyplanet.ca gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Victoria Foundation on the genderally.ca project.
Erica
Erica is a trans woman who talks about her personal struggle with gender identity and internalized transphobia. After denying her gender for many years she began transition in her early 50’s. As a successful business woman in Minneapolis, she feels it is important to give back to her community and support others. Since transitioning she has become involved with many charitable organizations.
Erica’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.
Velvet
Velvet is an activist and an early pioneer in getting the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) to pay for transition (corrective) surgeries. She is a fetish sex worker in Vancouver, and has been an activist for sex workers for years (esp. prior to the investigation of the Picton murders) in BC and across Canada. She was a founder of Westenders Against Violence Everywhere (WEAV) in Vancouver and lobbied extensively to challenge the prostitution laws in Canada.
You can find Velvet online at: velvetsteele.com/
Velvet’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans History Forward Symposium, 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.
Maria
Maria has been a pioneering trans activist in Sweden and around the world for many years. She talks about some of her more challenging moments growing up and going on to spearhead some of the ground breaking shifts in human rights for trans people.
Maria’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.
(Early in the video Maria likens a Swedish psychologist that she saw as a child to prominent Canadian psychologist Ken Zuker (Psychologist-in-Chief, and Head of the Gender Identity Service at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for many years) who was of the opinion that gender non-conforming children should wait till the age of 18 to make a decision about their gender – forcing them to live as their assigned gender until then.)
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.
Kelly
Kelly, a trans woman, came through quite a lot to recognize herself and come out. She talks about some of the more dramatic and sometimes violent parts of her process and her eventual transition. This video was recorded in 2014 – lately things have been looking up for Kelly; she’s engaged, has opened a new sewing and upholstery business in Winnipeg; Trans Canada Sewing and Upholstery and is a partner in a hot rod car shop: The Low Co Garage
Kelly’s story is one in a series of videos 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 Out Saskatoon in Saskatoon, SK. Special thanks to Liz Senecal at Out Saskatoon.
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.
Graham
Graham is a professional dancer and choreographer. He is a principal dancer in national and international works. Here he talks about growing up in a small western Canadian city, his relationship with his mom and his experiences as a gay man in the world of dance. Graham is currently the Head of Contemporary Dance at the Alberta School of Ballet.
Graham’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.