From the Editor: What the B.C. election means for trans people

Vancouver was where I finally embraced my true self.

It was the city where it didn’t feel wrong to keep my hair short, because no one would wonder or judge why I’d cut it to “look like a boy.” Vancouver considers gender dysphoria a life-changing symptom, which allowed me to use my medical services plan (MSP) to get a mastectomy and take testosterone without draining my funds.

Before that, I didn’t have any way to manage the dysphoria I felt. I forced myself into boxes that never fit, and even when I pretended this was how things should be, I knew deep down that something wasn’t right. The same could be said for every transgender person.

We’ve been called “delusional” for wanting to express ourselves differently. Girls cannot cut their hair short, and boys cannot like the colour pink. Women belong in the kitchen, and men are the tired breadwinners. You can only do what you are born as, and that was the end of the discussion.

Vancouver is home to the largest 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Western Canada. East Vancouver is where a lot of the community lives, works, and partakes in recreational activities.

While discrimination persists, it’s undeniable that Vancouver provided a welcoming and accepting community that made me feel comfortable to express who I truly am.

“Let me be clear: a Conservative government would be disastrous for this province,” B.C. Greens Leader Emily Lowan said in a press release. “The Conservatives’ promises mean two things: debt that keeps on climbing, and cuts to health care, childcare, and services everyday people depend on.”

My heart sank on the morning of Oct. 25. B.C.’s election results were out and the Conservatives won by a landslide of 64 seats, while more than 52 per cent of eligible voters didn’t cast a ballot.

Non-voters gave way to the Conservatives anti-SOGI 123 platform, an optional collection of age-appropriate learning resources about bullying and 2SLGBTQIA+ community. SOGI stands for “sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson’s platform for a stronger BC will “repeal SOGI 123 and instead address bullying directly.”

Just as the ARC Foundation, founders of SOGI 123, are shutting their doors due to financial instability, the B.C. Conservatives gained another opening to exclude 2SLGBTQIA+ people — just like the past. While their plans may seem small, it’s only a matter of time before transgender people have their rights stripped.

Alberta’s United Conservative Party passed three laws to control names and pronouns in school, ban transgender girls from participating in amateur female sports, and restrict gender-affirming healthcare for youth under 16.

I still have trans friends trying to seek the health care they need, which grows harder everyday due to long waitlists and clinic shortages. I fear that a day will come when they — and I — lose all access to our rights. I inject testosterone into my body weekly, and through my MSP, I’m able to get these for free. I don’t know how long this accessible health care will last.

Surrey has already proven its stance on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and the recent vandalisation of one Pride crosswalk was enough for me.

The best case scenario is that I’m simply “doomposting,” and that the Conservatives are not out to get the trans community. But I doubt it.

To those who have voted — especially for a party that accepts my community — thank you for using your voice. Remember to support your trans friends whenever you can, because in the current socio-political climate of this province, they will need all the help they can get.