Community invited to learn more about the trans experience

Steinbach Neighbours for Community is about promoting acceptance and understanding within our community. 

They formed in 2015 to find a way to bring the community together and get people to discuss the LGBTQ+ community. 

Val Hiebert from Steinbach Neighbours for Community says they host educational and conversational events to try to get people to understand each other a little bit better. 

“Calling people into conversation and kindness and neighborliness." 

The topic for their upcoming event this weekend is going to be the trans experience. 

They are going to have Trevor Kirczenow talk about his experience as a trans-man. Doctor Darren Reimer will also be there to talk about the medical aspect of transitioning. 

“In the feedback we received from the community, it seems that this is the one thing that people misunderstand the most or understand the least. So we thought ‘well, let's have someone come and talk about their transition experience.’”  

Hiebert says it’ll be a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes for a little while. 

"Suddenly you realize, ‘oh, this is another person just like me with their own journey, and I like that person,’ and you realize this is a lovely human being. And that changes how we hear and perceive and interact.” 

She says people are more willing to talk about LGBTQ+ issues once they get more information. 

“They want to be loving, they don't know a lot about the issue, and that's why we have really started to focus on educational pieces.” 

The event is on Saturday, October 29th from 10AM-12PM at the Pat Porter Active Living Center. The event is free to attend and they have free muffins, coffee, tea and fruit available.