Canadian Trans History conference organizers know exactly who to blame for plummeting attendance

The chair of transgender studies at the university said registration is down by 40%.

PUBLISHED 5 DAYS AGO

The conference, running from Thursday to Sunday, brings together activists, scholars, and artists to discuss transgender history and rights.

Victoria, Canada: The 'Moving Trans History Forward' conference at the University of Victoria is experiencing a sharp decline in attendance this year, with organizers blaming fears among American transgender and nonbinary individuals about returning to the US under the Trump administration’s policies.

Aaron Devor, chair of transgender studies at the university and founder of the biennial conference, said registration is down by 40%, with only 300 attendees expected compared to the usual 500.

"The difference I attribute almost entirely to Americans being afraid to leave their own country," Devor said. The concern stems from a January executive order by President Donald Trump declaring that the US government only recognizes "male and female" as immutable biological sexes.

The order requires all federal IDs, including passports, to reflect a person’s biological sex, eliminating the "X" gender marker for nonbinary individuals. "Trans-plus people from the US are very nervous about crossing into Canada because they have to return," Devor explained.

The conference, running from Thursday to Sunday, brings together activists, scholars, and artists to discuss transgender history and rights. While some US participants are joining virtually for the first time, organizers say the drop in-person attendance reflects growing anxiety.

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Social justice lawyer Adrienne Smith, a panelist at the event, said the Trump administration has fueled transphobia, making many feel "very unsafe". "Trans people have always lived in the shadow of danger, but that danger is much bigger now," Smith said.

Devor accused Trump of attempting to "erase any evidence that trans people exist," while Smith noted a surge in US trans individuals seeking Canadian immigration. "The administration wants us to withdraw from public life," Smith said. "It’s intentional, and it’s working."