Cardioncè Ross-Derèon: Trans Asylum Support and Mutual Aid | Canadian Refugee Systems

On this episode, Cardioncè Ross-Derèon (Mz. Cardioncè) joins Caroline and Lusi for a conversation that moves through survival, migration, faith, and the material work of building support networks for trans people navigating violence and displacement. Mz. Cardioncè traces her early experiences with gender identity in a conservative Christian environment, the impact of domestic abuse, and the barriers she faced in education and healthcare while seeking affirmation outside formal systems.

She speaks about her current work supporting trans and queer asylum seekers, including coordinating community-based efforts that helped a gay man flee homophobic violence in Uganda and resettle safely in Toronto. The discussion centers the practical realities of mutual aid: social media as infrastructure, informal fundraising, cross-border coordination, and the role of trans-led networks in providing housing, documentation support, and pathways to stability.

The conversation also explores Mz. Cardioncè’s ongoing education in child care, her plans to expand nonprofit work focused on safe spaces for trans and gender-diverse people, and the importance of representation, self-belief, and collective care.

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About the Guest

Cardioncè Ross-Derèon is a Toronto-based trans androgynous, female-identifying artist, community advocate, and creative voice. Her work and lived experience sit at the intersection of self-expression, resilience, and community structure. Through art, public engagement, and digital platforms, she uses storytelling as a tool to support gender-diverse and marginalized people with an emphasis on authenticity, visibility, and collective care.

Her background includes organizing within women-centered spaces and developing group structures that prioritize resource-sharing and pathways toward independence. As she continues her education, her work has expanded to focus more intentionally on transgender, queer, and socially segregated communities, reflecting an ongoing commitment to growth alongside the people she serves.

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About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is an international storytelling and archival platform dedicated to preserving trans and gender-diverse lives through long-form narrative. With over 150 episodes across five seasons and listeners in more than 80 countries, each episode documents lived experience as historical record.

🎙️ Trans or gender-diverse? Share your story at [e-mail] 🏳️‍⚧️

Created and Produced by Caroline Essence

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus

Featuring: Talk my Ear Off by Mateo Briscoe and Cameron Love, with the local Slothbois

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Resources

Suicide Hotline: [phone]

Trevor Project: 1 866 488 7386

National Domestic Violence Hotline: [phone]

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1 800 662 4357

S A F E Self Abuse Finally Ends: 1 800 366 8288

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1 800 313 1310

National Human Services Hotline: [phone]