The Behold: Diana! Project
Back in September of 2020, I was invited to take part in a special project that was being developed by Borderland Pride and my fellow local LGBTQ+ community members in Fort Frances, ON. Borderland Pride was producing a podcast honoring a transwoman named Dianna Boileau, who had grown up in Fort Frances and had lived parts of her life in the surrounding regions such as Winnipeg and Toronto. What makes Dianna’s story so inspirational and amazing is that she began transitioning in the 1960s and 70s, during a time where transgender people were relatively unknown and there was virtually no access to gender affirming healthcare in Canada.
Unfortunately, Dianna also gained national attention for being transgender, and she experienced transphobia and discrimination throughout her life because of this. She was outed to the public, sent to psychiatric hospitals and lost jobs due to her transgender status. In 1972, Dianna released a memoir titled “Behold! I am a Woman” which details her life and experiences with transitioning.
What I found particularly moving about Dianna Boileau’s story was how closely it followed the narrative of transgender people’s experiences in the modern world. Even though Dianna transitioned in the 1960s — over 60 years ago! — she still faced the same barriers that trans people face today. Lack of accessible gender-affirming health care, discrimination and judgement, and longing to be her true self amidst a world that does not understand. We still live in a world where trans people are treated as a spectacle at best, and as an abomination at worst. The LGBTQ+ community has been fighting for respect and equality for decades, and society has come a long way — but have we come far enough? How many people today face the same path that Dianna walked so long ago?
While reading her memoir in preparation for the podcast, I was struck by Dianna’s undeniable spirit, her wit, and her perseverance. Even at her lowest point, she had an indomitable will to survive. She did not stop fighting to be herself and celebrated her femininity unashamedly, and she did so in an era in which there was no representation, no role models, no other examples of people who transitioned and survived to live as their authentic selves. She was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ and transgender communities in Canada, and should be honored as monumental figure in Canadian history.
Read the full story, along with other resources, at borderlandpride.org
The podcast effort was led by Douglas Judson, co-founder of Borderland Pride, which is the pride organization in Fort Frances (and which represents the smaller surrounding townships as well.) The podcast consists of a dramatic reading of Dianna Boileau’s memoir by the Fort Frances Little Theatre. Selected members of the local LGBTQ+ community, including myself, were invited to partake in a discussion panel at the end of the reading, in which we discussed Dianna’s experiences and the experiences that LGBTQ+ people face in small communities in the modern day.
I also joined Doug for the CBC radio spotlight that was done on the project, answering some questions about the podcast and issues facing Dianna and LGBTQ+ people in small communities.
Behold: Dianna! was a wonderful project that combined my love of history with my love of LGBTQ+ and trans activism. I am so honored to have been included in this project, and as always, I look forward to supporting future initiatives that bring Pride to the remote communities of Northern Ontario!
The podcast can be streamed (for free) on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and BuzzSprout. Please take a listen!