50 Faces of SECC – Betania

Betania came to Canada in 2021 as a refugee claimant from Mexico. While living in Mexico, she experienced significant violence and discrimination for being a Transgender woman. Unfortunately, those experiences didn’t completely stop when she moved to Canada; Betania experienced workplace harassment in her new community.

Betania came to SECC for support.  It was important to Betania that her immigration documents reflected her gender and chosen name.

Throughout these challenges, Betanian has been able to rely on her Settlement Worker to help her overcome barriers and vent her frustrations.  Betania has been an active participant in SECC’s workshops for the Newcomer LGBTQ2+ community, where she has shared her experiences and supported others to successfully navigate life in Canada. Betania is now a protected person and has found employment at a company where she is safe from harassment and discrimination. Betania is a well-known member of the community and is always helping others. Her continued resilience and determination to build a better life and to support others through similar struggles has always been apparent.