Ottawa NDP candidate on life openly trans, one-time homelessness: ‘People should have role models’

For Lyra Evans, the NDP candidate in Ottawa-Vanier, her experience as a homeless LGBTQ teenager has propelled much of her life as a community advocate and now political candidate. We spoke with her to find out more about her personal journey.

OM: How has the campaign been going so far?

Evans: It’s going really well. I get to talk to people about things that matter. We get to give people a sense of hope. So far we’ve seen so much cynicism about government but people are really, really hopeful for a change this time.

OM: How did you end up entering politics as a candidate?

Evans: I was a homeless teenager and I saw that the homeless kind of got a raw deal, where they weren't being treated well by society, they were constantly ignored. Politicians would prop them up as a ‘look, we need to help people’ and then fail them because they didn't help them enough or didn't give them the support they actually needed. So I began advocating for the homeless community. I began advocating first for myself and then for others. About two years go I was writing three grant (applications) to the same granting body, for different organizations, and I realized that it doesn't matter how much I volunteer and how much I personally try and make change, I can’t make the change I want to see without systemic change, without there being more money in the granting body.

OM: So you want to be a part of the process.

Evans: I want to see positive change happen in society. I realized that I couldn't volunteer society to change, I had to create systemic change. So I joined the NDP, just as a regular member. I was actually the activism chair of the New Democrats at the University of Ottawa and I was at a meeting when one of the presidents of the riding association came by and was like ‘hey we’re looking for people who might be interested in running, Lyra what do you think?’ And so I put my name forward.

OM: You’re also the first openly transgender candidate to run for a major Ontario party. How important is it that we see more LGBTQ politicians?

Evans: It’s important that we have LGBTQ representation in politics because the community has a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. Like the rates of suicide or mental health problems in the LGBTQ community are much higher than the standard population. I still get a ton of nasty comments on the Internet. People should have role models.

OM: Most people would be ashamed to say they were once homeless. Some wouldn't want to talk about the fact they are transgender. Why are you open about those two things?

Evans: I think having politicians that come from lived experience is something people want to see but don’t see enough of. There are plenty of lawyers in Queen’s Park and Parliament who have done very good things, but they don’t come at it from a place of ‘I have been at the other end of the shelter services.’ I have an experience that I can say very few of my colleagues in Queen’s Park will have.

OM: What motivates you?

Evans: Advocating for communities in need. The homeless is a big part of it, but like, LGBTQ community, advocating for people who struggle with addictions is another group.

OM: Do you have anything else you’d like to say?

Evans: I want people to recognize that I’m so much more than the first openly trans candidate. I am a longtime community organizer. I’ve gotten a lot of criticism for being a token candidate, who’s only being run because they’re openly trans. But I believe I bring so many experiences that politicians should hear from their colleagues.