Hundreds gathered at the Peace Arch Border Crossing Sunday afternoon, February 12, 2017, to express concern and opposition to recent American immigration policies and attitudes impacting immigrants and refugees. This peaceful demonstration was originally planned for February 5th but had to be postponed due to poor weather conditions. I was invited to say a few words; this was my text: I am an immigrant, first to the United States and later to Canada. I am Hispanic, I am Latina… I am white-skinned. I am a citizen of Colombia by birth—and a citizen of Canada by choice. I am a trans woman. I am a lesbian Like everyone who has ever lived, I had no choice in which country I'd be born in; Nor into which religious tradition. I did not get to choose my parents; I had no choice over my mother tongue. I had no choice when it came to the color of my skin. I did not choose my sexual orientation, and I did not choose to be transgender. Of all these things I have listed, only one I choose
In June 2015, one month after Caitlyn Jenner graced the cover Vanity Fair magazine, the Family Research Council (FRC) published their infamous white paper on how to fight the war against “transgenderism.” This paper spelled out the strategies that Christians should use to fight the war against trans people. Eight years later we are seeing the brutal consequences of this strategy being played out in Republican controlled State Legislatures as they create laws that criminalize doctors and parents who support and care for trans persons; in particular, trans youth. On the opposite side of the debate stands the American Medical Association (AMA). The AMA is clear about why trans health care is important and ethical and has released several statements and policies regarding transgender individuals. Here is a short list: The AMA recognizes that transgender individuals experience unique health disparities and barriers to care, and supports efforts to address and eliminate these disparities. T