Sign slammed as harmful, deflating for transgender community

A sign of the times it was not.

JNE Recovery and Towing on Victoria Avenue in Vineland posted a sign on a portable billboard for passing motorists and pedestrians asking, Are we still using tranny fluid? Or is it gender-neutral now?"

Celeste Turner, the chair of OUTniagara, said the so-called casual humour" is harmful and deflating to a community that faces daily struggles.

Jayne Hansen, the owner of JNE, wasn't taking questions but had a statement ready. The sign had already been changed to, Sorry, Kurtis did it."

We deeply apologize for the sign," Hansen said. It was not intended to be offensive to anyone. JNE and our staff does not discriminate against anybody,"

The sign's image was also posted on Facebook and was being shared. Several hours later, the Facebook message was removed as well.

The apology is appreciated," Turner said. Is it enough? No. I don't want to sound cold-hearted, but this shows how much room for growth there is in Niagara."

Turner added that March 31 is the Transgender Day of Visibility, and the sign's message serves to reject further and isolate the trans communities.

Turner anticipates that there will be a backlash against OUTNiagara's concern.

We will be told the sign was just a joke, and we have no sense of humour, or we're liberal snowflakes," Turner said. Or we're self-righteous and annoying social justice warriors, or everyone is offended by everything. We've heard it all before. There always seems to be some predictable pushback when we make the simple request to respect and value someone's lived experiences."

People who are transgender experience higher rates of discrimination than the cisgender population, and as a result, their mental health is at greater risk, Turner said. Cisgender is a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.

Transgender people also face a much higher risk of suicide and suicide attempts than the general population.

OUTNiagara is a non-profit organization that connects and supports Niagara's 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities.

All humans long to be accepted for who we are," Turner said. This is something everyone can resonate and empathize with. I think all, if not most humans, have felt rejected or isolated to varying degrees at some point in our lives for something about us we did not choose. This is no different for people who are gender-diverse. Using humour to isolate an entire group in this manner is disgraceful at best. We need to do better."

Other organizations joined OUTNiagara in condemning the sign.

Colleen McTigue of Transgender Niagara, a local transgender support group, said the word tranny" is a vicious slur against the trans community. Its use in this context is deeply offensive.

The use of this term in this way serves to encourage bullying and other discrimination against the transgender community, and undermines efforts to educate the public about the positive contributions made by transgender people in society," McTigue said.

Glen Walker, executive director of Positive Living Niagara, said the organization, which does street outreach work, is disturbed by the posting what he called an insensitive and disrespectful message against the Transgender community."

We have made such progress in breaking down the walls of discrimination within our communities, but this type of message demonstrates how much more work we need to do to," Walker said. We stand in solidarity with OUTniagara in their efforts to call out language and actions that perpetuate discrimination.

Laura Blundell, executive director of Niagara Falls Community Health Centre, said her organization removes barriers to health and wellness for all, including transgender individuals who experience increased discrimination, even within health care systems.

Bill Sawchuk is a St. Catharines-based reporter with the Standard. Reach him via email: william.sawchuk@niagaradailies.com