A non-binary Yukon MLA has made history by announcing in the Yukon legislature they are changing their name and the pronouns they use.
MLA for Whitehorse Centre Lane (Emily) Tredger stood in the Yukon Legislative Assembly on a point of personal privilege to formally announce the change on March 29.
Tredger, who previously went by the first name Emily, spoke to reporters about their decision in the foyer of the Yukon legislature.
“This is this is who I am. This is who I want to be the legislature. I want the legislature to have space for people who are queer and who are trans,” they said.
“It’s a big change in the way I interact with the world, but it was also a very easy decision, because it was really clear to me that that was the way forward for me, and I’ve had an incredible amount of support.”
It was a long process for them — and not necessarily a linear one — as they felt like they were going in circles on the topic for a long time.
“It’s something I’ve been trying [with] friends and my partner for quite a while, but it became clear to me that if I was going to move forward, it had to be in a public way as well, and that’s how I got here,” they said.
Students from the Porter Creek Secondary School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance witnessed the historic moment from the public gallery.
Nari Barker, who identifies as non-binary and also uses the pronouns they/them, was among the group.
“Finally, there’s some representation in the legislature for like the first time ever, which is nice,” Barker said.
“I feel like if you can’t be yourself, in your everyday life, where you work and at home, then you won’t truly like be happy in your life. So, I feel like it’s really important for people to express themselves however they feel.”
Tredger said the students were a big inspiration for them in this process.
“I’ve learned from them that the ways I think about gender are outdated and old fashioned, and I’ve gotten to grow because of it,” Tredger said.
A big change that was helpful to Tredger was the Yukon Legislative Assembly’s recent shift away from using gendered titles, like Mr. and Ms., to having non-gendered titles in the legislature.
“That’s a change that I’ve worked really hard to make, because I did feel it was really important,” Tredger said.
“I’m optimistic that for the next people, they won’t have to fight for those changes. It’ll already be there for them.”
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com