Local Trans ID clinic celebrates fifth anniversary  

Legal clinic supports trans individuals in obtaining documentation that properly reflects their name and gender  

This is an updated version of the article that was published June 29 in print. The article has been updated to include a statement from Mela Swayze, who volunteers as a peer support worker at the clinic.

The entire purpose of identification documents is to confirm your identity. A lack of proper identification makes it difficult to access basic services including health care; education; secure housing or even the ability to vote.  

However, the process of obtaining or updating these documents can be bureaucratically confusing at the best of times, overwhelming and impossible at worst.  

Every third Thursday of the month, the Trans ID clinic runs at the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic on Main St. E as part of the Queer Justice Project. The clinic offers support and legal advice for trans-identifying individuals who are beginning or in the process of obtaining documentation that accurately reflects their name and/or gender.  

The initiative began in 2018 as a collaboration between the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, the Compass Community Health and Pro Bono Students of Canada. 

Mela Swayze has been with the clinic since the beginning and volunteers as a peer support worker there. 

“I was working as the [2SLGBTQIA+] advocate at Compass Community Health and along with other community workers noticed a high demand for support with legal name and gender marker changes. The process is extremely onerous and few people can get through it without support,” explained Swayze in an email statement.  

At the clinic, folks have the opportunity to meet with a lawyer and a peer support worker to ask questions about the process of completing applications. The clinic also provides notarial services and, in more complex cases, additional legal support.  

“People come at all phases [in the process] including never having seen the forms before, to having them somewhat started, to having them complete and simply needing a once over and commissioning. We sometimes see folks once to go over the forms, and once to review and commission,” said Swayze in an email statement. 

The clinic is also able to connect folks with other services who may be able to provide financial support during what can be a costly process.  

The clinic quietly celebrated their fifth anniversary this year.  

While they’ve shifted locations a couple times and operated completely virtually at the of the pandemic, the Trans ID clinic has been a constant in the Hamilton community ever since it opened. Over the years, they’ve held around 50 clinics and helped nearly 300 people.  

The Trans ID clinic runs from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. every third Thursday of the month in person at 100 Main St. E., Suite 203 and virtually available. There are limited drop-in spots, and to make an appointment call HCLC at 905-527-4572.