Keywords:
Bill C-16, school culture, support, mental health, legal issues, trans advocacy
Bill C-16, school culture, support, mental health, legal issues, trans advocacy
*When Tara contacted Dawn to ask her if she approved of the way Tara used her words in a chapter in Tara’s book, Teaching Gender and Sexuality at School, out in early 2019, Dawn gave Tara an update of how her family was doing. Since her interview in November 2016, Dawn has gained full custody of her children. Her daughters have switched schools, and the new school accepts her younger daughter as trans. Dawn says it was a non-issue for the school. Dawn’s younger daughter uses her chosen name and the girls' washroom at school. None of the other children know she’s trans. Overall, Dawn says, school is a much safer place now for both her daughters.
Transcript
Dawn: Well, a year from now, well, I hope that bill that’s going through parliament, Bill C-16, I hope that will pass, and there will be more rights in the country in general for trans people. So that would be a good thing. I hope that my kids can switch schools and start again in a new place where they will feel more supported. I hope that they’re going to feel better, in terms of their mental health, and have less anxiety, and less, like better self esteem. Because hopefully some of this is going to be resolved. In an ideal world, I would like their dad to accept her, but realistically, I think what will need to happen is that I would need to have custody and the kids are going to spend only a limited amount of time with him. Because it’s been two years and he’s not moving anywhere forward, because his worldview is that I’m making it happen and it’s not coming from the child. And the only real answer would be for them to stay with me more often, at least for now, and then limit the contact with him. But, ideally he would get to a place where he can understand that it’s like you’re going to love this child the way they are or you’re going to not be in their life. So, I guess that would happen, and I would like in general to see some of these systems like Children’s Aid and even like the clinic at CHEO have more input from trans voices and not be making decisions for people without including them in the decision process.
Transcript
Dawn: Well, a year from now, well, I hope that bill that’s going through parliament, Bill C-16, I hope that will pass, and there will be more rights in the country in general for trans people. So that would be a good thing. I hope that my kids can switch schools and start again in a new place where they will feel more supported. I hope that they’re going to feel better, in terms of their mental health, and have less anxiety, and less, like better self esteem. Because hopefully some of this is going to be resolved. In an ideal world, I would like their dad to accept her, but realistically, I think what will need to happen is that I would need to have custody and the kids are going to spend only a limited amount of time with him. Because it’s been two years and he’s not moving anywhere forward, because his worldview is that I’m making it happen and it’s not coming from the child. And the only real answer would be for them to stay with me more often, at least for now, and then limit the contact with him. But, ideally he would get to a place where he can understand that it’s like you’re going to love this child the way they are or you’re going to not be in their life. So, I guess that would happen, and I would like in general to see some of these systems like Children’s Aid and even like the clinic at CHEO have more input from trans voices and not be making decisions for people without including them in the decision process.