Flight or Fight

I have written in the past that if I ever had to flee the country I was born and raised in—and had hoped to die in—I would flee to Canada… BUT!

No papers, an expired passport, a REAL ID—that’s all I have in the way of documents. It wasn’t impossible, but it was bleak.

However, it seems like our friends in Canada have recognized our plight and our need to seek asylum. So…

A pathway to safety for trans Americans

“The CBA is calling for changes to Canada’s immigration system, as it’s ill-equipped to respond to the emerging crisis south of the border and the surge of inquiries from people fearing violence and persecution.”

— Canadian Bar Association

BY Sue Bailey, 20 Nov. 2025

GPat Patterson knew it was time to leave the United States when surveillance vans showed up outside their Ohio home.

The Kent State University professor teaches women’s gender and sexuality studies and is one of the few openly trans faculty members.

“I have a target on my back,” Patterson said from Toronto, where they and their husband, who is also trans, are now living. The couple is seeking asylum in Canada.

Patterson was moved to tears while reading a letter sent last month to Immigration Minister Lena Diab by the Canadian Bar Association’s immigration law section, its Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance, and its equity subcommittee.

It raises several alarms. They include “a surge in inquiries from trans individuals in the U.S.”—a term used for transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse people—“citing fears of violence, denial of healthcare, and other forms of persecution.”

“Refugee claims have already been filed and are before the Immigration and Refugee Board. However, Canada’s current immigration framework is ill-equipped to respond to this emerging crisis,” the letter states.

Pop! There goes my hope… “Canada’s current immigration framework is ill-equipped to respond to this emerging crisis”!

But wait! The article goes on:

It proposes that Canada unilaterally withdraw from the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) with the U.S. or negotiate an exemption for trans people.

Continued enforcement of the STCA risks violating Canada’s international human rights obligations and undermining its commitment to refugee protection.”*

The letter notes this country has historically denied refugee claims from Americans under the presumption of “state protection and internal flight alternatives.”

“This presumption is no longer valid given the systemic targeting of trans people across the U.S., from the federal government and through the introduction of anti-trans legislation in nearly every state.”

Whoa! They recognize our plight and are trying to change the status of the U.S. as a “safe” nation you can’t seek asylum from into one that is unsafe for trans people. Just like during the Vietnam War, when people could flee to safety there, it might also become true for us.

The CBA calls on IRCC to set up a special immigration measures program for trans people, extending protections to third-country nationals who are living or have previously lived in the U.S., regardless of their U.S. immigration status.

The U.S. asylum system cannot be presumed safe for trans claimants when the U.S. government itself denies their existence.”*

Further recommendations include training for IRCC staff “to develop immigration responses that are trauma-informed, inclusive, and rights-based for the trans community.”

You got that… they want to open the doors for us because of Trump!