There’s hope for education and positive change after a local bar’s mistreatment of transgender patrons spurred pushback. “I’m just so happy to see people coming together for positive change,” said River Rising, a transgender woman from Calgary, on the public response to her story of Medicine Hat’s Corona Tavern denying her access to using the women’s washroom, and asked her personal invasive questions about her body and transition. “It was horrible, it was illegal,” said Rising. A week after this incident a sign was put up at the bar saying patrons were required to use the washroom based on their gender at birth, a move that has also garnered harsh reaction. Corona management explained the sign was put up following complaints about inebriated young men falsely claiming to be transgender, entering the women’s washroom and making female patrons feel unsafe and threatened. But in hindsight, management admitted they erred in how things were being dealt with, and will be working with McMan’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer program, Colour Me Free, to rectify the situation. So far this includes establishing a gender neutral washroom option. “I think that’s fantastic,” said Rising. “I think people are good in their hearts,” she said, but at the same time can be ignorant. “Which is why education is important.” “I think it’s a really good step forward, I think they can learn something from this situation, I just wish it wouldn’t have had to come to this to begin with,” said Neveah Studer, a transgender Hatter now living in B.C., who experienced a similar incident at the Corona. She hopes the changes are genuine, not being done just due to backlash. Some other bars in the city she’s had no issues with, while others she wouldn’t feel comfortable at — it’s hit and miss. “If people really want to make sure that their business is inclusive, they need to look at all aspects of their patrons, and not just the general norm of society,” she said, encouraging other businesses to take advantage of the services offered by Colour Me Free to help train staff on LGBTQ rights. Studer also said she thinks the government needs to do more to make sure establishments know what rules are in place when it comes to gender identity, and what proper steps need to be taken to ensure staff are trained to deal with situations like these. Corona is just one bar, but Rising said it’s likely others in the city that could also use this sort of education and support to ensure LGBTQ people are treated properly. “I think a lot of people don’t know their rights, and are just ignorant of the laws,” she said.
Article from 28 July 2016, the follow-up to the previous story. (And residents of Medicine Hat are known as "Hatters," unless they wanna distance themselves from Johnny Depp *chuckle*...)
