I used to think being me would be a barrier': transgender woman honoured

WATCH:An Alberta woman is being honoured with a humanitarian award for paving the way for transgender people. Su-Ling Goh has her story.

EDMONTON Marni Panas is easy to like. Shes friendly and chatty and funny. On Wednesday, International Human Rights Day, shes receiving an award for paving the way for transgender people.

Marni is being honoured witha humanitarian award from Edmontons John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, where she will make a speech about her life. Shell be charming and completely win over the crowd.

But Marni wasnt always so confident and outgoing.

Marni was designated male at birth, and named Marcel. In small-town Alberta, Marcel didnt fit in. He often chose girl toys and was told he was too emotional. The other kids ignored, even rejected, him.

I liked to play with the girls, and I liked what the girls had to share with me, but of course the girls didnt want to play with the boys, so I was quite alone, Marnirecalls.

Then in 1996, Marcel met the love of his life, a woman named Laurina.

She was just raised in an environment that you dont judge, that you accept all people for all they are.

I think thats why maybe I was attracted to Laurina in the first place.

Marcel told Laurina about his struggle with gender identity. The couple married and had a son, Alex. Over the years, Laurina not only accepted, but encouraged her husbands love of performing as drag queen Marni Gras.

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I used to think being me would be a barrier': transgender woman honoured