PFlag Muskoka Chapter

08/08/2026

That's me, I was so excited to meet Chris Rainbows, they are truly a ray of love and sunshine. Such a beautiful soul
Thank you Bracebridge Library for hosting this wonderful event.

08/08/2026

Here are seven things you didn’t know about transgender people:
 

Around 5000 to 3000 B.C., Gala, described as androgynous or trans priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna, spoke their own dialect and took on feminine names.

Sometime from 200 to 300 B.C., in ancient Greece, some gods were worshiped by galli priests who wore feminine attire, identified as women and have therefore been identified by scholars as early transgender figures.

In the fourth century, Anastasia the Patrician fled life in Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire, to spend the remainder of life dressed in masculine attire and presentation as a monk, and has become viewed by some scholars as transgender.

In South Asia, at least eight-known gender-expansive identities have historically been present in the subcontinent, the most well-known being hijra - third gender people of historical, spiritual, and cultural significance in South Asian society. Hijra and other individuals of diverse gender identities have been well-documented in religious and cultural texts and legends. These individuals often form intentional communities for fellowship and survival.

Around the 18th century, the Itelmens of Siberia recognized a “third gender” called “koekchuch” to describe individuals who were assigned male at birth, but expressed themselves as women.

The oldest Western institute studying LGBTQ+ identities was started in Germany in 1919. Institut für S*xualwissenschaft (Institute for S*x Research) performed some of the earliest contemporary affirming medical services. It was eventually destroyed in the rise of German fascism under the N**i party.

In Turtle Island (an Indigenous name for North America), Indigenous communities use the term two-spirit as a modern, pan-Indigenous umbrella identifier for people of another societal and ceremonial gender identity. This term was established in 1990 as a modern, collective term for a historical gender identity describing individuals not considered men or women in most, if not all Indigenous cultures of Turtle Island.

check out the various resources on HRC’s website

08/07/2026

Transgender History Month
Meet Marsha P Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson, along with Sylvia Rivera and other transgender and gender non-conforming people of colour, has been credited with starting the infamous Stonewall Uprising of 1969. When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, in June of that year — as they had many times before — Johnson and others who were there that night decided they'd had enough and fought back. The ensuing protest lasted six days and is considered the start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The first pride parade was held in June of the following year to commemorate the uprising.

After Stonewall, Johnson continued her activist work and co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) House with Rivera. The two women, who were both s*x workers and homeless for much of their lives, saw that the needs of gender non-conforming and homeless youth weren't being met by gay rights groups of the day and started Star House in response. It was the first LGBTQ+ youth shelter in the U.S. and the first organisation led by trans women of colour.

In the wake of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Johnson became caregiver to friend and fellow activist Randy Wicker's lover. Her connection to the community led Johnson to attend early meetings of AIDS advocacy group ACT UP. She was an outspoken activist for people with AIDS, transgender people, and homeless youth until her death in 1992.

08/06/2026

I got to meet Chris Farias today at the Bracebridge library.
Chris you are a ray of sunshine.

08/06/2026

Transgender History Month

Two-Spirit.

Indigenous gender identities

There are many ways of being. Gender diversity is a normal and important part of human diversity. The existence of more than two genders is well-documented around the world and across cultures dating back many centuries.

Colonization has attempted to violently erase this history and the existence of gender diversity. For this reason, many communities have been on a long healing journey to reverse damaging colonial influences and take steps to ensure that Indigiqueer , trans and Two-Spirit people are safe and welcome.  

The Indigiqueer, trans and Two-Spirit people in our communities keep this history alive. They teach loved ones and shape what these terms mean today. Across Turtle Island, this resurgence is having a profound impact as reconciliation moves forward and healing continues.

There are many words that describe Indigenous gender, s*xual orientation and cultural identity. This includes many terms unique to specific Indigenous languages. English words that some gender diverse Indigenous people may use today include trans, Indigiqueer, non-binary , and Two-Spirit. You may identify with one of these terms, another 2SLGBTQIA+ identity term or may find a word in your own language that fits


.ca

08/04/2026

Transgender History Month
Meet Alan Hart

Alan L. Hart  October 4, 1890 – July 1, 1962) was an American physician, radiologist, tuberculosis researcher, writer, and novelist. Hart pioneered the use of X ray photography  in tuberculosis  detection; he worked in sanitariums and X-ray clinics in New Mexico, Illinois, Washington, and Idaho. For the last 16 years of his life, he headed mass X-ray programs that screened for tuberculosis in Connecticut.x-rays were not regularly used to screen for tuberculosis prior to Hart's innovation, and are still used today, which has led researchers to believe that he saved countless lives.

Transgender people have always been a huge part of the world we live in.

.ca

08/04/2026

Start planning now

🌈 That’s a wrap on Muskoka Pride Week 2026 — and what an incredible celebration it’s been! ❤️

But guess what? We’re already looking ahead…

📆 SAVE THE DATE for Muskoka Pride Week 2027: July 17–25
🎉 The Festival & Parade will light up Memorial Park on Sunday, July 25, 2027 — you won't want to miss it!

⭐ Pride doesn’t end here. It’s more than a week, a day, or a parade — it’s a movement, a mindset, and a daily act of love, resistance, and celebration. Join us for events all year long!

08/04/2026

Transgender History Month
Meet Christine Jorgensen

In 1944, Jorgensen was drafted into the U.S Army during World War 2 After she served as a military clerical worker, Jorgensen attended several schools, worked, and pursued a photography career. During this time, she learned about s*x reassignment surgery and traveled to Europe, where in Copenhagen, Denmark, she obtained special permission to undergo a series of operations beginning in 1951.

Upon her return to the United States in the early 1950s, her transtion was the subject of a New York Daily News  front-page story. She became an instant celebrity, known for her directness and polished wit, and used the platform to advocate for transgender people.

You can read her autobiography Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography 

.ca

08/03/2026

August is Transgender History Month.
Education is the key to end the hate!

Transgender, often shortened to trans, is an umbrella term referring to people whose gender does not align with the s*x they were assigned at birth. The first clinic in Canada dedicated to transgender health care opened in 1969. Starting in the 1970s, a wider transgender rights movement began building momentum. The last few decades have seen a greater social understanding of trans issues and advancements in trans rights. However, recent years have also seen an increase in anti-trans sentiment and discrimination. The 2021 Canadian census found that 0.33 per cent of the population over 15 — around 1 in 300 people — identified as transgender or non-binary.

There is a good possibility we all know or have encountered a Transgender person. They are people just like everyone else.

Much love and respect to our Transgender community

pflagcanada.ca
#

08/01/2026

August is Transgender Month.

HAPPY TRANSGENDER MONTH to all our beautiful friends

Gender Identity: An innate, internal sense of being male, female, or another gender, which does not match the s*x recorded at birth.

Assignment at Birth: Doctors label a baby male or female based on external physical body parts, which may differ from a person's later identity.

.ca