Courtesy of Jennifer McCreath

The daughter of a former cabinet minister, she's no stranger to the public service and has worked in government departments in both Ontario and Newfoundland.

After moving to St. John's in 2007, McCreath started working as a senior policy analyst with the Newfoundland and Labrador government, but amid her transition she lost the contract.

"Part of my story is that shortly after I came out as a transgender person, that so-called safe and secure job disappeared," she told BuzzFeed Canada.

McCreath said she was never given a clear-cut reason for losing the position, but said she'd heard her superiors discussing the potential impact of her transition on clients. She spoke with the province's human rights commission, but ultimately decided not to fight it.

"People from an individual perspective are quite accepting and open minded," she said. "Attitudes are changing but policies are not being amended to be up to date."