What it's like being a transgender teen in Nova Scotia

With anti-transgender legislation being introduced in the United States, and pride flags being destroyed across Canada, two Nova Scotian teens say being trans can sometimes be stressful and scary.

Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida finalized legislation banning diversity programs in state colleges. It also prevents teachers from using pronouns that don't correspond to a student's sex assigned at birth.

And in Nova Scotia, three youths were charged after allegedly tearing down a pride flag at Bay View High School in Upper Tantallon and burning it last month.

"I try and block out the people that aren't there for me, but I can't believe this is happening right now and I'm personally being affected by it," Tristen Roscoe, an 18-year-old who lives in Halifax, told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

"Having people around me that are good to me is making this a lot easier, but it's still an unfortunate thing that is happening."

Seelie Romard, a 16-year-old student at Riverview High School in Sydney, agrees. He said he has been bullied in the past, being called slurs and even assaulted by another student.

Romard said he also often sees transphobic comments and misinformation about trans people online, which can affect his mental health.

"I did my best to go through and try and help people understand, but some people don't get it," he told Information Morning. "So eventually I learned that if I were to keep scrolling, I would get myself in a worse place mentally than I needed to be, so I just stopped."

To hear more from Romard and Roscoe about their experiences as trans teens, listen to host Portia Clark's full interview below.

Anyone struggling with mental health can call 911 in an emergency, or the province's toll-free mental health crisis line at 1-888-429-8167, which is available 24 hours, seven days a week.

People can also contact the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 anytime of day.