The race for Ward 27 in Toronto’s upcoming fall election is getting attention for two reasons. The first is the crowd of candidates who have already signed up to replace 19-year council veteran Kyle Rae. The second is that two openly trans women are running, Enza Anderson and Susan Gapka.

A win for either Anderson or Gapka would be a historic first in Canada. That being said, both candidates stress the election is about municipal politics, not their respective gender identities. Gapka herself couldn’t be clearer.

“I don’t want people to look at me as a trans woman,” Gapka said. “I want my skills and experience in community organizing to come through.”

Gapka can talk at length about issues within the ward. She discusses the density of subsidized housing and social services in the area. She says that affordable, decent housing is a priority for low-income residents.

“In Ward 27 there’s a growing disparity between those who have resources, privileges and power and those who don’t,” Gapka said.

It’s an understatement to call Ward 27 a diverse riding. It encompasses the affluent Rosedale, the Church-Wellesley LGBT village and the low-income Moss Park neighbourhoods.

With prestigious international events such as the Pan Am games and World Pride happening right within the ward, Gapka says low-income people are feeling even less welcome.

At the same time, she acknowledges others may feel there is too much emphasis on public housing and social services. She talks about building bridges between those different communities.

“I can tell you if we go to a meeting in this area, around Moss Park or Allan Gardens, that community safety takes on a different meaning than it does north of Bloor,” Gapka said.

Then there’s the issue of businesses closing on Church street. While Gapka says she doesn’t have a policy position about it yet, she has an opinion. To her, the problem is about how the street has been developed in the last twenty years.

“We’ve really developed a tourist feel here,” Gapka said. “But I think now that we’re in a little tougher economic times, and the cost of having a business in this area, the revenues don’t match. Tourism doesn’t work all year around.”

It’s clear that Gapka is not afraid to speak her mind. She is hardworking and tirelessly champions the causes she’s committed to.

She’s also open about her past homelessness and use of addiction and mental health services. Her online biography cites the 1999 Courage to Come Back award she won from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as one of her achievements.

“I think one thing I’ve become skilled at is taking a disadvantage and turning it into an advantage,” Gapka said. “My record of success in the last decade indicates that I am able to do that.”

Part of her record of success is that after an eight-year battle, Gapka lead a group that succeeded in getting re-instatement of OHIP funding for sex reassignment surgery.

She’s also pushing to have gender identity included as an enumerated ground under both the provincial and federal human rights codes. There are currently active bills in both levels of government.

And as for the significance of her winning a seat on city council, Gapka relates it to Kyle Rae’s win 19 years ago when he became the first openly gay city councillor in Toronto.

“We may not be making history but we may be repeating history with a different flavour,” Gapka said. “That can only inspire someone like myself because it’s been done before, right here in our neighbourhood. … I think it’s important as we move forward (to) look at our history, it can really be important in forming our future.”