The other day, a transgender friend of mine posted on her Facebook page about being consistently misgendered at the local Service Canada.
Even when she corrected the workers, they continued to call her sir and a man. When she got upset, they placed the blame on her.
When I brought this up to my LGBTQ resource, another individual stated that Service Canada Prince Rupert had done the exact same to him.
Both individuals had gone in to Service Canada to change their names and gender markers as part of their transition. At Service Canada, they were met with disrespect and transphobia. If this has happened to two people, it has likely happened to many more. Government workers should be educated about LGBTQ rights and if it is not in their training, it needs to be.
There isn't a reason to continue to misgender someone after they have corrected you. This is trans 101.
This misgendering of trans people is important because trans people are one of the most marginalized groups currently and trans rights are behind the rest of the LGBQ umbrella.
Transphobic problems like people blocking trans people from washrooms, harassment, sexual assault, job blocking, etc. does happen in Canada.
Talk to a trans person or read an article written by a trans person and you will find out how often transphobia happens in Canada.
Transphobia should not happen at a government level.
Going into a government office to change your name and gender marker should not be met with harassment which consistent misgendering is considered.
These are the kinds of things that allow the general populace to view trans people as less than, which then leads to the issues I mentioned above.
But there is also the issue of if people have barriers of transitioning, such as a safe place for legal name changes, this can lead to anxiety, depression, isolation, suicide, etc.
I encourage everyone to take time to educate themselves on LGBTQ issues. Prince George has resources like Prince George Pride and the Northern Pride Centre. In 2017, there is no reason for people to be misgendered anymore.
Krystal Vandenberg
Prince George
