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How do you describe your identity? Uh, trans masculine. Do you think the words that we've used to talk about our identity has changed much over time? Yes. Um, like, for there's a, I would say, close to 100 other terms that can kind of cover be covered by a gender queer. Um, but if you look back and kind of a history, there's kind of nothing other than maybe a but, yeah, the list kind of grows each time I'm online. [00:00:30] What do you think it's going to be like in the future? I would hate to think, but hopefully we won't need to use labels. Um, So how did you figure out that you were trans Mexican? Um, I transferred to an all girls school and ended up meeting someone in the year above me who was beginning their transition. And we sat down and talked, and I kind of made a a few things click in my head and I went home and researched [00:01:00] and thought, Yeah, it's me. Cool. Where abouts did you grow up? I grew up in Wellington. What was it, um, like being realising you were trans at an all girls school um, somewhat awkward. But luckily, I came out at the end of year 12, and I got to wear Muffy for year 13. So I remember wearing a skirt. Um, all my mates are fine with it. Most of the teachers were cool with it. Didn't bother me too much. Did you experience much [00:01:30] friends? Um, from some of the year nine and 10. That didn't I guess. Didn't know me as such. Just saw me walking around at school and then kind of gave me hard times on the train home. Um, do you remember learning much about what I need to be, um, clear of a diverse sexual orientation or gender in, like, school or health classes or anything? Uh, no, it was pretty much nothing. Um, [00:02:00] that being said, I didn't really get taught much like health at all. Um, the first school I went to Well, the first college I went to it was health was pretty much just the fitness side of it. They didn't do anything else. Um, So did you come back to your family at the same kind of time? Uh, about five or six months later, Once I kind of got used to it and kind of worked out how I was going to tell them. [00:02:30] I ended up telling Mum in the letter before I went away for a week, so I'd kind of like when I saw them After I came back, I'm like, Did they read it? Did they read it and then kind of didn't mention it at all. So I'm like, Well, the envelope's been opened, so I'm assuming someone's read it. Um, how did that go? Um, like, they ignored it for a very long time until stuff happened at school and the counsellor wanted to talk to my mom and [00:03:00] it was brought up. And my mom, As soon as it got brought up, my mom just changed the topic. Um, didn't want to have a bar of it. And they still don't four years later. So they they don't accept your kind of No, no. I go home. It's all female pronouns and first name. Um, how does that make you feel? Uh, it's my parents kind of accepted that they're not really going to ever change so little baby steps. Hopefully, [00:03:30] um, did you have much kind of support when you were figuring out that you were Trans and starting to transition. Yeah, most of my mates at school, like they were supportive. Um, some of them didn't really know what it entailed. So kind of went home and watched YouTube videos and found more information than I did. Um, And then, yeah, schools out in Wellington was a big help. What school is that? Um, a queer youth group that meets after school and basically [00:04:00] just hang out and chat and talk. What's it been like? Um, moving to the Christchurch. I didn't really know very many people. Um, when I moved down, like I literally knew, Like, I think four people in Christchurch. Um, but once I got involved in Utopia, which is the Christchurch School Youth group, um, I met a few [00:04:30] more people, and then, yeah, I kind of stuck to myself. Now that I'm now studying, and now I'm working. What's your study In work. I studied carpentry, and I now work making aluminium windows and doors. Do you experience much kind of homophobia or Trans? Or obviously, um, this morning they were actually reading the paper about the Eurovision winner. And, uh, that [00:05:00] was it just kind of sat there quietly in the corner, ignoring ignoring all the comments that they were saying, Um what? And who was the Eurovision winner? Um, a drag queen or the bearded drag queen? Um, and they were having massive discussions about why you would even want to do that. So I kind of just sat there and pretended not to hear them. Um, are you out? Only one of my workmates know, um and that's from [00:05:30] being on my Facebook page that I completely forgot that I added to, But yeah, um, he's gay himself. So he was like, Yeah, whatever. Don't really care. So do you try and keep those parts of your life separate? Uh, yeah, Most of the people I work with are in their like, thirties and forties. So, uh, it's not really people I would associate with outside of work. Would you like to be open about it if you felt like safe to do that? Or are you quite happy? [00:06:00] Um, I run a transgender development trust or a charity. So, um, I don't mind being out. It's just in situations where it matters. If it's safe or not, for me to be out. What's your charity? Um, at the moment, it's basically, um just Canterbury based, um, we only been kind of a charity for about six months now, and, uh, we're studying [00:06:30] another trans youth group in Christchurch, and we have some kind of projects trying to get information out into schools. What inspired that? Um, kind of my own time at school. And then I was involved with unlimited writing a policy for transgender students when they move into the new building. But whether that gets built, um, and kind of the changes that they can are able to make [00:07:00] having a whole new building being built, like single ST toilets. That's really awesome. Do you think it's sort of been, um, trains on the South Island? Uh, it's not as accepted. I know kind of. The further south you get, you kind of end up being kind of forced into a closet. Um, from what I've discovered in the two years I've been here, there's not a lot of support. Unlike Wellington and Auckland, where it's kind [00:07:30] of left, right and centre everywhere you look, there's some sort of support going on. Is it important to you to have support or a sense of community and belonging for yourself. Uh, if kind of not having contact with my family, I kind of need to build my own sort of family with. So, Yeah, the support is kind of an important thing. How do you find that? Um, at the moment, Mostly online. Um, and a lot of the guys aren't really [00:08:00] in Christchurch. Um, yeah. Yeah. Still support What kind of online network are for Trans guys in New Zealand? Uh, several different Facebook groups. Um, and there's an email list, which is kind of outdated. Uh, but yeah, mostly Facebook groups. Do you see a lot of, um, young people in New Zealand connect connecting more and finding that community more online nowadays? Um, not so much in the, [00:08:30] um, male trans community. Um, it seems to be a lot of the younger guys are kind of shying away from connecting with everyone else. Um, it's more of the kind of, like 30 40 year olds, which is a little bit weird. Um, as far as dynamics go, and every now and then there's like a 16 year old that pops on for a couple of weeks and he's like, No, sorry, not the place for me. So it's not much for the specifically youth community. [00:09:00] Why do you think different? That's why lots of trans shying away from it is that other reason. I think there's just a bigger support on, like things like Tumblr and just kind of YouTube videos and just kind of if they need help, they'll kind of talk to someone, but not in a group situation. Looking at those more international kind of video channels when no one really knows them, it's just the face. It could be a lot safer. [00:09:30] How do you feel about the way current trans people are represented in the media? Um, it's getting better slowly. Um, if you look back 10 years, it was pretty much nothing apart from maybe the odd gay couple, um, or even just a gay person who's every now and then you kind of hear them talk about their partner or whatever. Um, but it's definitely become a lot more common, Um, and there's a lot of teenage kind of shows that have trans characters. [00:10:00] Um, the portrayal is getting a little bit better. Um, but yeah, it's kind of a starting point, and hopefully it will keep growing. What are some of those shows? Degrassi. Yeah, um, although they managed to kill the only trans character, Do you see a lot of stereotypes or the same kind of storylines playing out? Yeah. They're going to battle to get hormones and family acceptance. And then when they finally [00:10:30] are allowed for Mo, something terrible happens. Mm. How do you What do you think they could do better or like, how would you like to see Trans people Port trained? Um, the big thing I noticed is definitely trans women. It's kind of just being played by male characters. Um, and I'm sure there's a lot of other trans women that would happily act. Um, those positions, but yeah. So have you seen [00:11:00] your, um, kind of identity related? Reflected at all? Um, kind of. Adam and Degrassi kind of went through some of the similar things I did, um, when I was at school, except not quite. I didn't get bullied as badly as Adam did. Um, but definitely the family side of things. Did you have, um, other issues at school, like bathrooms and things like that? Um, once I came out, I was allowed to use the one [00:11:30] male toilet on school grounds. Um, if it was unlocked, um, but most of the time it wasn't. So I just kind of grin and bear it and used the eighties toilets. Have you been involved much in any kind of activism or following politics around Queer train stuff in New Zealand? Uh, I was part of Queer Ranges when I was living in Wellington. What's that? Uh, basically a kind of quite out there group. Um [00:12:00] it was originally a small group that came from the night march, and that kind of wanted to change. And now it's become quite a big group that is sort of getting a reputation across the country, uh, for being quite out there about what they're doing. What were some of the things you got involved with with them? Um, I was poster boy for, uh, one of their campaigns, um, about trying to get into [00:12:30] schools and kind of getting education into schools and and meeting with the Ministry of Education, which was kind of weird sharing my story. Um, and then the meeting. They actually ended up in tears and a couple of points not of my story, but in a couple of other trans youth stories about their time at school. Um, and they realise stuff needs to change, but they can't really change it. At least that's what they said. So what are some of the changes [00:13:00] you'd like to see in our schools? Uh, in sex and health education, not just male and female couples, Um, getting, like, a little bit adventurous as far as that goes, Um, and then bathrooms are a big thing, kind of just in general, but I know a lot of schools can't accommodate other than just male and female bathrooms, and then it's using, which is safe for everyone. [00:13:30] How do you feel about the marriage equality bill that passed last year? Um, I followed it quite a bit, but it's never really been something that I ever thought about, um, for myself. So, um, are you aware of the bill going through parliament at the moment? With those all around, getting gender into the human rights will be good. Yeah. What do you think of that? Like, um, [00:14:00] just because it's in the human rights doesn't mean it's going to be followed a lot of the time. Um, but it's a stepping stone to let's get it in there. What do you think are some of the other, most important issues that are facing current you in New Zealand at the moment? Um, access to medical care. It has been a big thing for me personally, Um, with moving country or moving cities in the middle of trying to get on hormones [00:14:30] ended up being a three year wait for hormones. Um, and I ended up having to go privately to get my psych assessment because Christchurch District Health Board doesn't actually have anyone who they say is fine to do them. That's currently taking public patients. And not everyone has the the monetary kind of aspect, like three or $400 just for one sit down [00:15:00] to get hormones is kind of ridiculous for most people. What do you see as some of the, um, solutions for that? I don't really know the solutions to such other than the H BS getting more funding, but funding is being cut left, right and centre across district health boards. Um, even if they just find, like one person who they say is OK to do it. Um, because I know people who have paid [00:15:30] for them privately, then had a meeting with the endocrinologist and then got told No, sorry, this isn't good enough. You have to go back for another one. So another $400 down the drain for a couple of bits of paper. What do you know about the, um, kind of history of we in trans rights in New Zealand and internationally? Um, not a lot other than kind of marriage equality kind of across [00:16:00] the world. And that's about it. Where do you hope we might be in, say, 10 years? Everyone is treated as equal no matter what. But history has proven that that takes quite a while. And that little baby steps. Um, if you could give a message to her young trans person struggling coming out of the school and coming out to their family, what would it be? Uh, things do get better. Um, it may [00:16:30] not feel like it at the time, but in five years, you'll look back and be like, Oh, things are so much better now. Oh, and yeah, hormones aren't miracles, but they're a good step Have you had any, um, queer or trans? Um, a, uh, in the States who runs 0.5 CC, which is one of the big [00:17:00] charities over there. Um, he's pretty cool. He went to charity, and he has a pretty impressive body for someone who was born female and now living as male. What does his charity do? Um, they make clothing. Um, and they've just recently started funding one male top surgery, and they've now opened that up to anyone in the world who's getting surgery in the States. [00:17:30] Um, they only fund a small portion, but it's literally your surgery cost, which is pretty good. And they've just branched off into a male to female line of clothing and transition items. Is that kind of thing. Something you'd like to see here in New Zealand? Uh, yeah. I currently run a small version of that, um, but there just isn't the kind of demand that's justifiable. [00:18:00] And it's really expensive. Especially trying to get, uh, male to female, transition things into the country. And you have so many laws you have to somehow work around and so many import fees. So it kind of makes it not worthwhile. Do you know? Mini? Kind of like famous and trans people? Not really. And don't really, [00:18:30] like watch much TV or involved in much kind of online media. So yeah, not really. Do you think if there had been more, um, positive portrayals in the media and kind of role models around when you were at school, that would have been helpful? Um, I didn't watch TV as a kid. Like I was allowed to watch the news, and that was about it. Um, even like growing up in college, it was literally news. And that was it. And it's not [00:19:00] really something at the moment I'd ever expect to see on the news. Um, but maybe one day on the news there will be a positive light of someone being murdered. Um, what's your favourite thing about being a young trans person in New Zealand making people question things like, um, I met someone who didn't even know what transgender was. And then I kind [00:19:30] of educated them just like a tiny little bit. And they're like, Wow, so you were born a girl, but live a guy and they, like, seem really mind blowing. When I explained it to them.
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