A Ukrainian refugee says Manitoba’s rejection of her requests to help her remove her deadname from official documents leaves her exposed to transphobia and infringes on her right to express her gender.

Martha Hozha, 25, says she’s been trying to change her legal name since she arrived in Canada about two years ago, but the provincial government will not accept the documents she has proving her identity.

“This misrepresentation creates a loop for harassment and transphobia,” Hozha said.

“Using [the] right pronouns and right names, legally, is [a] pretty important thing.… It basically affects [the] majority of your life.”