'Let us live, help us thrive': Montrealers show support, voice demands at Trans March

Eddy Bourgeois says it was "a euphoric feeling" to see numerous people with similar life experiences as him gathered together to show love and support to each other.

Bourgeois, 17, was one of hundreds of members of the trans community and its supporters who turned out for Montreal's Trans March on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm really proud of my community that we can stand strong together," he said. "It's important to be visible, to have a sense of community all together and to say that we are here, we're queer and we're proud." 

This year's march, which began at Place du Canada and ended at Place Émilie-Gamelin in downtown Montreal, took place in the context of increased anti-trans rhetoric and legislation restricting access to health care for trans people in the U.S. and U.K., along with a rise in anti-LGBT hate in Canada.

Celeste Trianon, a trans activist and organizer of the march, said she wanted the demonstration to show that hate is not welcome in Quebec.

"We are here to say no to anti-trans hate, to stand strong together and send a powerful message that our community is here to stay," she said. 

She said the community's demands Saturday could be summed up in one sentence: "Let us live, help us thrive." 

Trianon said this means not only eradicating anti-trans hate, but seeing more funding for LGBTQ+ groups, better health care for trans people and an X gender marker on provincial IDs, which is still not available more than one year after Bill 2 came into effect.

"We really just hope that trans people get to live their best lives," she said. 

For their part, Aoife Darling said they felt a beautiful sense of community while walking down the street with a trans pride flag painted on their face ahead of the march. 

"People seeing me and smiling at me and telling me they're going too or that they wish they can go and that they support the march is really cool," Darling said. 

Darling also said she received just as many looks from people who appeared to be uncomfortable seeing her present this way.

"So I think it's important to be as visible as possible at events like this.," she said.

Khadija Mbowe said they showed up because they're tired of people talking about being allies without taking further action. 

"I want accomplices," they said. "Accomplices means that it's actual action, there is actual backing behind your words ... you're showing up where your body is visible." 

They also said it's time that people stop comparing Canada's track record with LGBTQ+ rights to those of other countries. 

"Why are you looking to people that are worse than you to be like, 'Well, I'm not as bad as them,'" they said. 

"You should be aiming to be better … and be the example."