By Tim Collins

This is the story of a courageous man who has travelled a tough road to find himself.

His name is Eli Mitchell.

He lives in Sidney and two years ago, at 62 years old, he chose to transition from being a woman to a man. But before we talk about Eli, let乌鸦传媒檚 consider a little background.

The evolving nature of gender identity has galvanized opinions around the world and, some would say, created a disproportionate level of concern on the subject. Canadians have not been immune to this phenomenon.

A 2023 Angus Reid survey found more than half (56 per cent) of Canadians are entrenched in their view that individuals should be identified as male or female 乌鸦传媒� while 34 per cent said that is too limiting 乌鸦传媒� and hate crimes against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are on the rise, according to Canadians United Against Hate.

The 2021 census and information compiled by Statistics Canada found that one in 300 people in Canada aged 15 and older identified as transgender or non-binary.

Protests that mirror the transphobia, biphobia and homophobia wave that has engulfed parts of the United States have been on the rise in Canada. Books have been banned while protests and threats of violence have been on the rise.

Within that context, let乌鸦传媒檚 get back to Mitchell.

Elizabeth Mitchell moved to Sidney in January 2018 after retiring from a career as a radio operator for the Canadian Coast Guard.

She started attending St. Paul乌鸦传媒檚 United Church and became a valued volunteer, joining the property committee and then branching out to take on other volunteer jobs in the community such as driving seniors to their medical appointments.

Then life changed.

乌鸦传媒淚 was on a cruise in 2022 and something happened,乌鸦传媒� Mitchell said. 乌鸦传媒淚 can乌鸦传媒檛 explain it, but something happened. Eli woke up and I realized that what I was doing just wasn乌鸦传媒檛 working. That乌鸦传媒檚 when I came out to myself.乌鸦传媒�

It wasn乌鸦传媒檛 long after that, returning home, Mitchell announced his epiphany to the congregation of his church.

乌鸦传媒淚 stood up in church one day 乌鸦传媒� and I had no idea that this was coming 乌鸦传媒� and I went up to the mike and told them [that I wanted to transition]. It was something I just needed to do.乌鸦传媒�

According to Mitchell, this awakening took a long time coming.

乌鸦传媒淚 grew up as a girl but never felt like a girl or, later, a woman. I was definitely never a lady,乌鸦传媒� Mitchell said. 乌鸦传媒淚f someone had called me that, I would have slugged them.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淲hen I was a little kid, I wanted my mother to put a fly in my pajamas. She wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 do it,乌鸦传媒� Mitchell added. 乌鸦传媒淚n grade four at school, I always wanted to line up with the boys. I liked going out when I was eight or nine wearing shorts and no top, just like the other boys. In high school, I wanted to take shop instead of home economics. The list goes on, but all the markers were always there.乌鸦传媒�

And in terms of sexual attraction, things were equally confusing.

乌鸦传媒淚 was never a lesbian. I乌鸦传媒檓 not attracted to women; I乌鸦传媒檓 attracted to men. But all the boyfriends I乌鸦传媒檇 had had not been right because they were straight. I was attracted to gay guys, but they were not accessible to me.乌鸦传媒�

Mitchell also relayed how he乌鸦传媒檇 always wanted a beard (he has one now) and how he finally has been able to join a men乌鸦传媒檚 choir, something he乌鸦传媒檇 wanted to do for 30 years.

But beyond the numerous 乌鸦传媒榤arkers乌鸦传媒�, Mitchell said he乌鸦传媒檇 always known he was not in the right body.

After coming out to the community, Mitchell started his hormone therapy and began his surgical transition. He also changed his name to Eli and was re-baptized under that name.

And while Mitchell reports that he is now happy with himself, perhaps for the first time in his life, he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 see himself as an advocate for the trans-community or for 2SLGBTQIA+ issues.

乌鸦传媒淚 won乌鸦传媒檛 stand on a soapbox and try to change people乌鸦传媒檚 minds about things; all I know is what was right for me,乌鸦传媒� Mitchell said.

Asked about his feelings on the anti-trans sentiment that seems to be on the rise, he乌鸦传媒檚 philosophic.

乌鸦传媒淚t saddens me,乌鸦传媒� Mitchell said. 乌鸦传媒淯nderstand that I didn乌鸦传媒檛 have a choice. It wasn乌鸦传媒檛 me making a choice. It would have been a choice not to do it once I had woken up. If I can just talk to people openly as I meet them and maybe change a few minds or educate some people, then I乌鸦传媒檝e done my job.乌鸦传媒�

And while Mitchell is now at peace with his transition, he wondered how the community had reacted.

乌鸦传媒淲hen I made my announcement in church, all I felt was the love and acceptance all around me,乌鸦传媒� Mitchell said.

Reverend Cheryl Black confirmed Mitchell乌鸦传媒檚 perception.

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 think there was a single person (in the congregation) that was negative about it,乌鸦传媒� Black said. 乌鸦传媒淓lizabeth was well known by the congregation and people didn乌鸦传媒檛 know exactly what it meant乌鸦传媒� nor, I suppose, did Eli. We just said, 乌鸦传媒榃hatever this transition is, we love you; whatever happens乌鸦传媒�.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淧eople can now see the difference in his zest for life. Becoming himself has released energy and his enthusiasm for life. He now has an anticipation of what the days are going to bring and is comfortable in how he thinks and presents himself. It乌鸦传媒檚 in congruence with who he乌鸦传媒檚 always been.乌鸦传媒�

Mitchell乌鸦传媒檚 neighbour (who asked to go unnamed) agrees.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e known Eli since 2015 and I乌鸦传媒檓 very happy for him. He seems so much happier,乌鸦传媒� said the neighbour. 乌鸦传媒淚t takes some courage. Even if he isn乌鸦传媒檛 facing people who openly take him on right now, you know that he乌鸦传媒檚 going to encounter some at some point乌鸦传媒�even if it乌鸦传媒檚 just microaggressions.乌鸦传媒�

The neighbour is particularly relevant to the situation since, more than two years ago, one of his two sons began the transition process and is now identified as a girl.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been apparent for years that she is trapped in the wrong body. She乌鸦传媒檚 on hormone blockers now and we are working with her to allow her the time to develop the maturity she needs to make her final decisions,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭his fall, she乌鸦传媒檒l be attending a new school where some of the kids know her, but for the most part everyone has been very supportive.乌鸦传媒�

Mitchell spoke about witnessing this transition as an important, perhaps critical factor in his own awakening.

乌鸦传媒淚 saw this little girl doing this very hard thing and I saw that she had the courage to do what I wished I乌鸦传媒檇 done when I was young,乌鸦传媒� said Mitchell. 乌鸦传媒淭here are people who oppose transitioning and come up with excuses like the (monetary) cost to society. My response is that you can pay those costs, or you can deal with the costs of cleaning up after people who turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with a broken life. Even worse, you can deal with suicides.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淎ll I know is that I乌鸦传媒檓 happy now,乌鸦传媒� said Mitchell. 乌鸦传媒淚 know that I won乌鸦传媒檛 be dying in the wrong body.乌鸦传媒�