'We deserve to exist': Trans community rallies against PC resolution

Windsor's trans community rallied Sunday to protest the PC Party's controversial motion to debate the removal of gender identity from the province's sex education curriculum at next year's convention. 

Though Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that he is not moving forward with the motion, W.E. Trans Support's Jayce Carver said the "damage has already been done," and that the dialogue has had an impact on the community.

"Even questioning people's gender identity and their right to exist does a lot of damage for community members that are marginalized and really struggle to exist," Carver said.

About 50 people came together at the W.E. Trans Support centre to listen to speeches, write letters, and sign petitions urging the government to follow through on its promise to prevent the policy resolution from moving any further.

Politicians were also present to show their support, like NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky, who addressed the room. 

"We cannot sit idly by and allow any political party or anyone to say that the people within the trans community don't exist," she said. 

"We can't allow a government like we have now to rollback the sex ed curriculum, the health and physical education curriculum, to say that those within the LGBTQ+ community don't exist and we shouldn't talk about them."

She also added that she was thrilled to see such a large crowd at the rally. 

Carver explained that the day was not just about getting angry. 

"It's about celebrating that trans voices are coming together in a trans-specific space and saying we deserve to exist and this is not okay," she said. 

Bree Anne Michaels was in attendance with her friends.

"I'm a lot happier as Bree than before. And people don't scare me. I'm not afraid of anything anymore," she said. 

"I'm here to show support for myself and people like me. Let them know, it's OK, do it, be you. It's better. It's way, way, way better."