Nov. 9, 2017

When Trip Paquet was nine years old he felt he was the only transgender person on P.E.I.

Now, the 11-year-old Charlottetown child is happy to have found a youth group where he has made friends who are also transgender.

It was hard to explain to his friends who knew Trip that even though he was born a girl, he felt like a boy, Paquet said.

“The people in my class didn’t really understand it, so I had to explain it to them. My teacher explained it to them, too.”

But the hardest part was coming out to his family.

“I told my brothers and they were fine with it. I told my mom, but she told me I had to wait until I was a little older to know for sure. She thought I was a tomboy.”

Last year, Paquet met Logan Daley, another transgender child on PEI after reading about him in a CBC article.

Now they are best friends and attend the same youth group for LGBTQ Islanders. The group was created by AIDS P.E.I. and P.E.I. Pride. Meeting other youth with similar challenges has opened Paquet’s eyes to the large number of young Islanders who are transgender, he said.

“I know I’m not the only one and I hope in the future people don’t think being transgender is a bad thing.”

Nanci Paquet was able to accept her new son, even though his gender choice conflicted with her religion, she said.

“I was raised Roman Catholic and the church has some pretty strong opinions on gays or transgenders. My eyes were opened when I watched a documentary about transgender kids and I saw what they had to go through.”

Trip is well accepted by his immediate family, but some relatives didn’t agree with the idea.

“Unfortunately, Trip has had to deal with name-calling from some of his family, but me and his brothers and sisters were all accepting of him, so that’s what matters.”

Paquet bought Trip boys clothing and got his hair cut, but the LGBTQ group has helped Trip the most, she said.

“He’s surrounded by people just like him and he’s made lots of friends there.”

Taya Paquet says having her older sister become her older brother was a weird experience at first.

“It was weird, but I was fine with it. I already have older brothers so I just had a new one.”

When she sees Trip being bullied at school, she stands up for him, she said.

“I tell the mean kids, that’s not nice, leave him alone or else.”

Even if they get in arguments, she will still stand up for Trip, she said.

“He’s my brother and I love him, even when he is rude to me. Just because we are fighting, that doesn’t mean I will let him be bullied.”

Trip doesn’t let the bullying bother him. Instead of arguing, he fights back with knowledge, he said.

“Being transgender feels like you have a scar on your face. Everyone stares at me, so I tell them I was born a girl but I’m a boy and if they don’t get it I explain it more.”