Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) says it is reviewing an incident from Dec. 17, after an officer asked a transgender woman for her “deadname.”

It comes after the woman, Sabrina Hill, posted a video of the incident on social media.

Hill, a prominent local LGBTQ activist and licensed paralegal, told CBC Hamilton she posted the video “to highlight the very real experiences a lot of trans, queer and non-binary people experience when being policed here in the Niagara Region.”

“This isn’t my first experience … and it’s not getting better,” the 44-year-old said, referring to negative interactions with police.

“By me putting a bit of exposure on this, hopefully it’ll compel action. I’m a firm believer that sunshine is the greatest disinfectant.”

A deadname is the name a person used, often their birth name, before their transition.

For trans people, using their deadname can be “extremely triggering,” says Colleen Elizabeth McTeague, a trans woman and facilitator for the peer support group Transgender Niagara.

A 2018 study published in the U.S.-based peer-reviewed Journal of Adolescent Health found using someone’s chosen name reduced mental health risks among transgender youth.

McTeague and Laura Ip, the chair of Niagara Region’s diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory committee, told CBC Hamilton the incident is concerning and they want the police service to take action.

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CBC News
December 23, 2023