Trans Sask issued its first report, So They Know We’re Here, showing the experiences of transgender, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people in the province of Saskatchewan..Trans Sask is a non-profit organization “supporting trans-identified, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people.”.Research Manager Tiberius Fayant-McLeod and a team of five people did the report.. Tiberius Fayant-McLeod .“This is a love letter to the two-spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people of Saskatchewan,” said Fayant-McLeod..“We really just wanted to have, like, a mirror to show … our title is named that we’re here!”.Fayant-McLeod is gender non-binary and two-spirit. .Fayant-McLeod said their “representation” growing up was negative and the “community was very limited.”.The report focuses on the highlights and difficulties of being a transgender or non-binary person..“I was born and raised here in Saskatchewan. I grew up never seeing myself, never seen any indigenous, queer, or trans people on TV,” said Fayant-McLeod..“All the stories about us tend to be about tragedy or about, you know, really negative experiences. And that is what I didn’t want to recreate with this report. So, compiling this report, we really tried to focus on positive stories and affirming stories and to show that, you know, our lives aren’t doom and gloom.”.The report lists suggestions to make healthcare and employment “more equitable” for transgender people. .An example from the report is 30% of respondents do not go to the emergency room because of a “lack of sensitivity” or “fear of hostility” about their gender identity from hospital staff..Another example, about 50% of respondents have not applied for a job because of a “fear of discrimination” and a “lack of safety.”.“A lot of our respondents have this anticipatory discrimination, which kind of just boils down to, even if you don’t know for sure that you’re going to be discriminated against, you’re afraid that it’s going to happen and you know that it’s likely to going to happen,” said Fayant-McLeod..Fayant-McLeod said this report “can be used as an educational resource for those looking to improve equitability, or for those who have never been exposed to queer education.”.This report is the first census for the transgender and gender-diverse community..“We already know that trans, gender-diverse, and Two-Spirit/IndigiQueer people face discrimination in health care, employment, and other sectors, “ said Fayant-McLeod. .“But what we don’t have is the provincial statistics to back us up. This research compiles those stories and enables us to strategically advocate for changes that will hopefully begin to alleviate some of these discriminatory experiences.”
