'Still struggling to change my name': Advocates says trans issues are 'diluted' in pride movement

On Sunday, Montreal's pride parade will celebrate a broad and diverse community of two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual people and more.

But the fight of gender-variant people is different than that of sexually variant people, advocates say.

Trans messaging is "diluted" in the massive pride movement, explained Phillie Drouin, general director of trans advocacy group Divergenres.

That's why each year, a separate trans march takes place in Montreal.

"Trans people have many political demands which do not correspond with the ones queer people in general have, and are oftentimes ones that are neglected by the movement," said activist and public educator Celeste Trianon.

Trianon, 18, was at the forefront of the push against Bill 2 -- legislation which would have partially reversed trans identity markers on legal IDs.

But thanks in large part to her activism in mobilizing the community, as of June 17, a new version of the bill now allows for non-binary people to use an X as their gender marker.

"I just found out one person has managed, for the first time in Quebec, [to get] a non-binary marker on their birth certificate."

But many, like Frankie Lambert, are still waiting for the province to catch up.

"I'm still struggling to be able to change my name legally or access surgery, and that's why I'm marching today," Lambert told CTV News.

Quebec Solidaire's Manon Masse says she wants the province to move faster on applying these changes, which she calls life-saving.

"Transphobia and homophobia [are] not done yet. We still fight, our people still fight, for their life, against prejudice," said Masse, who herself is a lesbian.

The fight for equity, visibility and human rights will culminate Sunday in Montreal's biggest pride parade in two years.