{"id":1356,"date":"2020-04-28T14:49:06","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T18:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.grsmontreal.com\/?p=1356"},"modified":"2020-05-07T20:58:42","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T00:58:42","slug":"interview-with-june-pilote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.grsmontreal.com\/en\/interview-with-june-pilote\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with June Pilote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have the immense privilege of meeting and befriending activists across the city, discussing our personal and community work surrounding LGBTQ+ issues.<\/h2>\n\n
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Special collaboration: Alex Simon is an American-born and Montreal-based student interested in LGBTQ+ and trans realities. They themselves being non-binary, they proposed the idea to GrS Montreal of writing articles on their blog TransAvenue.<\/h3>\n\n
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For this article, I decided to ask some questions to June Pilote<\/a>, executive director at Alterheros<\/a> in Montreal and social media vlogger on queer and trans realities.<\/p>\n

Alex Simon<\/strong>: If you feel comfortable sharing, how would you describe yourself in terms of queer and trans identity? (transmasculine, transfeminine, non-binary, etc) What pronouns do you use?<\/p>\n

June Pilote<\/strong>: I\u2019m a non-binary<\/a> trans-masculine human and I use they\/them pronouns<\/a> in English and il\/lui in French. I don\u2019t strongly relate to any non-binary pronouns in French, so I decided to go with the \u201cmasculine\u201d alternative.<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What kind of activism do you do in the LGBTQ+ community?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: I’ve been doing LGBTQ+ activism for a little more than 5 years now. I started with being on different organizations\u2019 boards, doing active peer support and facilitating workshops. These days, I\u2019m the executive director for AlterH\u00e9ros, an online resource for and by LGBTQ+ people, where we answer questions regarding sexuality, gender identity, sexual orientation and plenty of other subjects. We also offer services for and by neurodiverse<\/a> LGBTQ+ youth, peer support, social events, resource sharing, etc. I also have an online presence where I talk about my gender transition<\/a>, and my queer identity in general. Through my Instagram, podcast and blog, I discuss stuff like my top surgery<\/a>, gender dysphoria and what sex toys can alleviate dysphoria!<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What is your academic background? Your current career or dream career?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: With the mental health stuff that comes with being queer and trans, I was never able to finish a degree. I did 2 years of a bachelor in history back in 2011, and a year and a half of gender studies at Concordia University in 2017.<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What queer\/trans\/gender non-conforming role models did you have growing up?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: None (laughs). I first had access to the internet when I was 14 years old, I did a few research on lesbian and gay stuff, but never about gender identity. I always felt a discomfort with my gender, but never had the words to describe it. I first started to hear about trans stuff when I got to university and met Sophie Labelle in 2013. Being friends with her really opened my eyes to what being trans is, and how I don\u2019t need to live with the discomfort my whole life.<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What was your coming-out<\/a> experience with your family, friends and colleagues?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: For friends, I mostly had LGBTQ+ friends, so rather easy. For my family a bit harder, I\u2019m still dealing with a bunch of feelings regarding that, so I prefer not to talk about it too much. You can hear me talk about my coming out story in the first episode of my podcast \u201cC\u2019est quoi mon genre<\/a>\u201d (in French).<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What is something you wished a younger self would\u2019ve known in regard to self-love and acceptance as a queer\/trans person? About your relationships with other people?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: That I\u2019m not alone, that it will be hard but worth it. That being trans and queer is not as lonely as I think and that I will discover myself along the way.<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What do you think the next steps in advancing queer and trans rights would be? What issues should be brought to the spotlight?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: So many issues! Rights for trans migrants, easier access to surgery and hormonal replacement therapy for everyone, more coverage for trans-feminine affirming surgery (including Facial feminisation surgery<\/a> and hair removal), etc.<\/p>\n

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AS<\/strong>: What advice would you give to queer\/trans people starting to discover their true selves?<\/p>\n

JP<\/strong>: If you can, follow trans people on social media platforms, surround yourself with digital trans acceptance. You don\u2019t have to come out<\/a> if it\u2019s not safe or accessible, for you.<\/p>\n

Alex Simon<\/strong><\/p>\n