Cross-Canada tour sparking conversations about trans issues

Fae Johnstone and Dr. Victoria Bucholtz are leading the Trans Canada Tour. (Source: Fae Johnstone)

A cross-Canada tour currently working its way through the Maritimes aims to spark conversations and answer questions about trans issues.

Fae Johnstone, executive director of Queer Momentum, and Dr. Victoria Bucholtz, executive director of TransAction Alberta, are taking the Trans Canada Tour to nearly every major city in the country this summer. The ongoing tour features the Ask a Trans Person Anything event, which allows Johnstone and Bucholtz to directly engage audiences.

“We have a bird’s eye view of what’s going on across Canada,” Johnstone said. “We’re seeing attacks on community, seeing a lot of everyday Canadians trying to make sense of it.

“Now is the time to hit the road and visit communities across the country to have some conversations and explain what’s going on. People have questions about the trans experience.”

Bucholtz noted she’s seen trans rights erode in recent years and she hopes to help people understand how quickly change can happen.

“In two years we went from equal rights to rising levels of violence,” she said. “It can happen so fast.

“We need to build those muscles of protest and community support. We’re hoping to bring that here.”

The tour kicked off in Halifax earlier this week and visited Fredericton and Moncton on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other tour spots in the next week include Charlottetown, Wolfville, N.S., and Clarenville and St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The tour will continue throughout June, July and August with stops in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Red Deer, Regina, Saskatoon and Vancouver.

Johnstone is hopeful the tour concept will continue past this initial event as they address any questions and misconceptions about the trans community.

“People have been lying about us,” Johnstone said. “Trans folks are your neighbours, your loved ones. It’d be really cool if we came together.”

The tour will be in Charlottetown on Thursday, Halifax on Saturday and Wolfville on Sunday.