YouTube: Mardi Pieronek

Show: BEYOND TRANS with Mardi and Friends (YouTube)
Episode: My Transgender Journey: 1970s to Today
Release Year: 2017

On April 14, 2017, Mardi Pieronek, a transgender woman and advocate, shared her powerful and deeply personal journey in the video “My Transgender Journey: 1970s to Today” on her YouTube channel BEYOND TRANS with Mardi & Friends. In this video, Mardi discusses the complexities of her life as a transgender individual, from her transition in the 1970s, when she was just 15, to her present-day existence as a visible and outspoken member of the transgender community. The journey is not only one of personal transformation but also of societal change, touching on the challenges, joys, and lessons she has encountered throughout her life.

 

Mardi’s transgender experience began in the late 1970s, a time when the world was far less understanding and accepting of transgender individuals. Born in 1962, Mardi grew up in the prairies of Canada, where conservative attitudes dominated society. She began questioning her gender at a very young age, feeling an inherent sadness when she observed the gender divisions imposed in school. In the second or third grade, she noticed that boys and girls were separated, which deeply troubled her. "Why is everybody breaking up? Why do we have to divide?" she recalls, reflecting on the early signs of her gender confusion. Even as a child, Mardi exhibited signs of femininity, which were recognized by others around her. 

 

This effeminacy allowed her to be treated as a girl when she was out of her home, even though she was a boy. This experience gave her insight into how gender expression could shape her life, and she quickly learned that it was easier to go along with others’ perceptions rather than challenge them. It was around this time that she began to understand that she did not feel aligned with the gender she was assigned at birth. Her transition journey truly began when she was 15 years old, running away from home to the big city to live authentically as a girl. Growing up in a small town, Mardi felt stifled by the conservative culture that prevailed. But in the city, she found a more open and accepting environment. There, she found support in the theater community and among gay individuals, who helped her feel at home. During this time, Mardi also began exploring ways to physically transition. She visited doctors and endocrinologists, seeking ways to change her body to reflect her inner truth. Luckily, her transition was aided by her naturally low testosterone levels, which led to her being prescribed a minimal amount of hormones. This cautious approach would ultimately help protect her health, unlike many others who took larger doses of hormones in those early years and faced tragic health consequences. 

 

The 1970s and 1980s were not kind to transgender individuals, and Mardi’s journey was fraught with hardship and danger. The stigma and lack of acceptance she faced were profound, and the world was not as progressive as it is today. Transgender individuals were rarely seen in media or public life, and Mardi was part of a generation that struggled to find visibility. "Back then, to even think that you would be terrified to even voice that," Mardi recalls, acknowledging the fear that many trans people felt in an environment where they could not express their true selves. The 1970s were an especially challenging time for transgender women, and Mardi’s experience as a transgender teen was one of survival. She worked in drag and as an alternative performance artist, and also entered the adult entertainment industry. 

 

Her work as a SeggsWorker, as she puts it, was one of necessity, and it allowed her to navigate a world that was hostile to her existence. As Mardi transitioned in an era when trans people were seen as pariahs, she faced objectification, discrimination, and danger on a daily basis. Despite this, she continued to seek self-empowerment and identity, even if it meant finding refuge in communities that weren’t necessarily accepting but provided a space to survive. Her life in the adult entertainment industry was not easy, and by 1991, Mardi found herself in the depths of addiction. It was a vicious cycle of addiction to substances, to the money she made, and to the power dynamics of her work. But by the early 1990s, Mardi hit rock bottom. After struggling with substance abuse, she entered 12-step recovery, marking the beginning of her healing process. This shift allowed her to begin addressing her internal struggles and work on her personal growth. "I began the shadow-work on my diseases of more," Mardi states, acknowledging that her path to recovery wasn’t just about quitting substances but also about confronting her past and its impact on her identity. 

 

After entering recovery, Mardi began a new chapter of her life. She went back to school and pursued a career in social work, helping others who faced struggles similar to hers. In Vancouver, British Columbia, where she lived for many years, she also studied and taught yoga. Yoga became a vital part of her recovery and personal healing. Through meditation, breathing techniques, and mindfulness practices, Mardi was able to relax her mind and body, find peace, and start to rebuild her life. Her dedication to yoga led her to teach others, and her lessons weren’t just for transgender individuals. As she mentions in her videos, “I’ve taught a lot of people throughout my years as a teacher, from all walks of life.” The yoga and meditation practices that helped her find stability and peace became an integral part of her life’s work, and she began to share these tools with the broader community, hoping they would help others as much as they helped her. 

 

In 2017, Mardi took another significant step in her journey by launching her YouTube channel, BEYOND TRANS with Mardi & Friends. The channel is a platform for Mardi to share her experiences and offer support to others. In her videos, she focuses on her past, her recovery, her experiences as a transgender woman, and her passion for yoga and meditation. Mardi’s goal with her channel is clear: “I want to talk about transgender health, especially older women, and transgender health, and men,” she says in one of her videos. 

 

Through her ESH (Experience, Strength, and Hope), she aims to help others who are struggling with similar issues or are in search of guidance. Her advocacy work isn’t confined to just one area. Mardi has spoken out about the importance of visibility for older transgender individuals, especially women. She reflects on how the world has changed since her early days of transition, when visibility was nearly nonexistent, and how important it is to continue the fight for acceptance and equality. She is particularly proud of the trans rights movement, saying, "There’s been a big fight that has been fought so that we can have hashtag trans lives matter," acknowledging the struggles that have led to the relative acceptance that transgender individuals have today. Her YouTube channel also features regular video podcasts, live-stream events, and meditative sessions, all of which are designed to help people connect with their inner selves and with the transgender community. Mardi recognizes that her voice, though unique in many ways, is part of a larger conversation, and she is passionate about being part of that conversation. As she puts it, “This old gal just wants to play her part." 

 

In one of her videos, Mardi discusses her experiences with relationships and sexuality, including her marriages to heterosexual men. As someone who lived much of her life as a non-operative transgender woman, Mardi reflects on the complexities of her sexual identity and the challenges she faced in romantic relationships. She speaks candidly about the experiences of objectification that she faced as a transgender woman, but also about the positive shifts she has witnessed in how trans individuals are viewed by society. There has been a growing acceptance of gender fluidity, and Mardi now sees a new generation of men who are open to loving and supporting transgender women, a marked shift from the fetishization and marginalization of the past. Mardi’s journey has not been easy, but it has been one of resilience and growth. She is now an advocate for acceptance, for transgender visibility, and for the ongoing dialogue about what it means to be transgender in the modern world. Through her videos and her advocacy, she seeks to empower others to embrace their own journeys and share their experiences. 

 

Mardi's story is not only one of personal survival but of a deeper, ongoing commitment to support others and transform the narrative surrounding transgender lives. Her decision to speak openly and publicly about her transgender journey is a courageous step that many will find inspiring. The world has changed dramatically since Mardi began her transition, but her experience proves that there is still much work to be done, both in the medical and societal spheres, to ensure that all transgender people can live their lives authentically and without fear. Through her YouTube channel, her work in social work, her advocacy, and her yoga teachings, Mardi continues to touch lives and offer hope to others who are navigating their own paths. She stands as a testament to the power of resilience, transformation, and the ongoing fight for equality and acceptance. As Mardi herself puts it, "We all just gotta grow up." And in doing so, she hopes to continue growing alongside her community, offering love, understanding, and support along the way.

 

via: youtube

Image credits: YouTube and Instagram