Our Neighbours: Aeron
What it’s like to be a transmasculine birth parent in Fredericton?
I have a really wonderful community in Fredericton who respect and support me and cherish my little family. Outside of my circle of support, it is a bit of a gamble of how me, as a trans birth parent and my family are received.
What you could do to make my day better?
In general, not assuming the gender of anyone. Not everyone carrying a baby is a mother; not all pregnant people are women. Misgendering hurts. As well, gender neutral bathrooms and changerooms would be a helpful start, not only for trans community members but also to accommodate parents/caretakers with people who have special needs. Please stop telling my children that only women can birth. There are men and non-binary people who birth and live here in Fredericton. It’s time to expand our understanding/vision of gender, birth and family to include and welcome all community members.
We live in a richly diverse community, but we sometimes don’t see the unique and beautiful individuals and families who live in Fredericton South. Many members of our community are overlooked, some are invisible, and sometimes they are Othered. In the coming months, I want to introduce you to some of our neighbours. They are us. You’ll find our Profiles series on our website starting with this one profiling members of our LGBTQ community and continuing with distinct communities each season.