FIRST PHOTO: Krystel Valoroso, 16, of the 4-H Country Buckaroos walks her 1313-pound steer Mooshu around the auction ring as bidders answer the call of Big Isla
SASKATOON Trans newcomers and refugees in British Columbia have created a unique online community where they can have fun, deal with trauma, and share resources on adjusting to a new life in Canada amid the added challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although dozens of organizations across Canada help trans newcomers, it’s usually only within broader LGBTQ2S+-friendly initiatives. But since September, a grant-funded peer-support group aptly named “Beyond Borders and Binaries,” began meeting online once a month. When they meet, trans immigrants show the ropes to newcomers, who organizers say can feel particularly isolated. “Some of them moved here four months ago, others 10 years ago. They come because they feel it is very important to for them to share from their experiences,” trans peer facilitator Norma Lize, who came to Canada from Lebanon in 2018, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
Gatherings offer space for immigrants and refugees to share info and create community.
Katie Hyslop is a reporter for The Tyee. Reach her here. SHARES MOSAIC volunteers celebrate Pride in New Westminster, BC in 2019. MOSAIC is now running a regular peer support group for trans newcomers to British Columbia.
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Trans, non-binary and gender divergent immigrants and refugees living in British Columbia now have a support group to call their very own.
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