Alexandre Baril is the first Francophone transgender person and expert in transgender studies to be hired as a professor to teach, in French, sexual and gender diversity.

In January, I will become a first in Canadian history: the first Francophone transgender person and expert in transgender studies to be hired as a professor to teach, in French, sexual and gender diversity. While I jumped for joy when the School of Social Work at the University of Ottawa notified me of this news, I cannot rejoice when I think of the many transgender persons in Canada who are unemployed.

Although I savour this historic gain for the Francophone transgender community, and I celebrate the fact that I now have a chance to focus on my intellectual passions, it is premature to cry victory – and callous not to seize this opportunity to raise awareness about the various forms of violence, exclusion, marginalization and discrimination faced by transgender individuals.

Transgender issues are increasingly front-and-centre in our cultural representations, in media and within activist, community and university networks. At universities, these issues are increasingly the focus of student interest and academic research, both by cisgender (non-transgender) students and professors studying sexual and gender diversity.

This trend could lead one to believe that the number of transgender academics specialized in transgender issues at Canadian universities has grown. But this is not the case. Read more via Ottawa Citizen