November Project is a community where everyone is invited to #JustShowUp and Come As You Are – something we value so much, it’s our first Community Agreement. Today, on International Transgender Day of Visibility, we are excited to celebrate some of our transgender Co-leaders and community members.
Here, we hear from D.A. (they/them) – a community member who started to #JustShowUp at NP Madison before moving and finding the NP Calgary crew. November Project has been fortunate enough to have D.A. share their talents as a teacher and facilitator many times and we’re excited to include them in our celebrations today.
- Name
D.A. Dirks
- Pronouns
they/them
- NP Home City
Calgary
- Have you #traverbaled to any other NP cities?
Montreal; Washington, D.C.; Milwaukee; Chicago
- What words do you use to describe your full identity/all your identities?
Trans, nonbinary, queer, German-Canadian, working class, living with disabilities, teacher & social justice activist
- Who are some of the transgender athletes in the world of running/sport that you look up to?
Chris Mosier, Kye Allums, Quinn, Jaiyah Saelua, Andraya Yearwood
- When did you first #JustShowUp to NP? How did you come across NP? What is it that you were looking for in a fitness group? How did NP provide that? What was an “extra” that NP has that you found value in?
I did my first #JustShowUp to an NP workout shortly after I moved to Madison, Wisconsin in October of 2014. I had heard about NP because Bojan and Brogan had been on the cover of Runner’s World. When I moved to Madison, I met a couple of other Canadians who mentioned that they went to NP. I was looking for a fitness group that would accommodate me. In 2014, I could barely run any longer, due to severe foot cramping, but I wanted to stay active. At NP I was often the slowest runner, but I made friends and felt supported. I didn’t know many people in Madison, so NP became my community, my family. The same thing has happened in Calgary. I joined NP Calgary as soon as I moved back in 2017, and hung in with the group as it lost status and became FitFam, and then five years later, in 2022, repledged to become NP Calgary.
- What apprehensions did you have as you considered coming for the first time? What was your first impression? Why did you keep showing up?
I am a pathologically shy introvert, so it took me a while to build up the nerve to go to a group workout by myself. I found nice people at the very first workout, including the Co-leaders, and kept showing up because I needed the community and the free workouts. Unlike a traditional running group, I didn’t get left behind because of my cramping foot (which, it turns out, was runner’s dystonia, an early sign of Parkinson’s disease). I made more and more friends at NP. Coffee after workouts became a real joy in my life.
- What does it mean to you to be transgender? What does it mean to your community? What does it mean to our global community?
Being trans is an important part of my identity. I’m proud to be part of a long history of gender outlaws. I think trans people bring a lot to our communities; we help people see beyond a binary gender. The more diversity of all kinds that folks bring to NP, the richer the worldwide community will be.
- How has your NP community made you feel affirmed in your identity? What more could they do to make you feel affirmed in your identity?
I appreciate that there aren’t any workout activities divided by binary gender. NP is my family, but people do still struggle with they/them pronouns. I also prefer words like “folks and friends” instead of “guys.” I plan on doing a little pronouns workshop with NP Calgary to help people get more information about why pronouns are important.
- How does being trans influence your movement/running? Did you transition while you were coming to NP? If so, what was that like?
It’s exciting to see that some races are offering up a nonbinary category for runners. It helps me feel affirmed in my enby identity to not have to choose to register as the sex I was assigned at birth.
- Do you have any advice for cisgender NP members on creating a welcoming environment for transgender NP members? What is something that an ally has done to make you feel included and welcomed that has stuck with you?
Use inclusive language; design workouts that aren’t divided by binary genders. I always appreciate it when friends correct other people’s misgendering of me and use my pronouns. It makes me feel supported.
- The state of the country is…oof when it comes to legislation on transgender citizens. How can cisgender allies show up for you outside of workouts to make you feel supported and safe?
I think it’s important for cis folks to be aware of what is going on politically and why it’s happening in terms of trans people being targeted. There is so much misinformation/lies about trans people. Support trans youth! I teach trans history and contemporary trans topics, so it’s natural for me to do educational labor; but much like white folks should not expect BIPOC folks to teach them about systemic racism, I don’t think that people of trans experience should be asked constantly by cis people to explain genderism or cissexism.
- How do you celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility? How can others celebrate you or celebrate with you this day? How can we celebrate you all year long?
I post to my social media accounts and check in with other trans folks in my life. I sometimes do a workshop or teach students in my classes about a related topic. We can celebrate all year long by valuing people of trans experience and nonbinary people instead of targeting us. Get educated. If you are cis, educate other cis people. If you are able, donate funds to organizations that fight for trans rights or support people of trans experience in your own community; for example, in Calgary the Skipping Stone Foundation does excellent work.
- What else do you want people reading this to know?
Being a nonbinary trans person is an important part of my identity, but it’s my only social identity. I’m also a teacher, friend, partner, sibling, unty, animal lover, person living with disabilities, social justice activist, pop culture maven…and so much more!
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