Local business offers gender-affirming care through voice lessons

A local business owner is helping trans people find their voices.

Kylie Wayne is a gender-affirming voice coach in Edmonton, offering training for trans and non-binary people looking to feel more confident with how they speak.

Wayne offers online classes and consultations as well as free guides on techniques, vocal health and insight into the nuances of male and female communication styles.

Not all trans people want to feminize or masculinize their voice, Wayne said, but many do.

"There are people out there who experience a lot of what's called vocal dysphoria," she added. "[That] can lead them to withdrawing from society, isolating themselves … and part of my job is to give that back and give them their voice back."

Wayne's journey started during her transition in 2020.

"I got put in touch with an amazing voice coach, and she taught me everything I knew, and kind of took me under her wing and showed me the field," Wayne said. "I couldn't get enough of voice work."

After two years of voice coaching in her spare time, Wayne decided to pursue it full-time. In 2023, she started her business Voice by Kylie. 

Wayne said her work has become even more meaningful as young trans and non-binary people prepare for legislation limiting access to some gender-affirming medical treatments.

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While the medical transition process is long and can be difficult, Wayne said, voice work is something anyone can do.

"(When you're transitioning) you're waiting on doctors, you're waiting on medical professionals, you're waiting on everyone," Wayne said. "Voicework, that is the thing that people can take into their hands … and it can really give them a newfound confidence that I guarantee they've never expected they'd ever have."

Eryna Thomas, who hails from the greater Toronto area, worked with Wayne in 2023. She said feminizing her voice was an important step for her in her early transition process.

"Voice is so important because people, when they hear you, will tend to overlook everything else as long as you sound correct," Thomas said.

The training was physically challenging, Thomas said, but she pushed herself and completed her work with Wayne in just four months.

"At the beginning stages, because it's very muscle-based, it hurts a lot," Thomas said. "It's like training a muscle. You're gonna tire out your voice after a while."

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Thomas said she's "delighted" with her results. She feels better about herself and it's changed how she's perceived by others.

"These days, I call people and I have to give them my dead name – because it's still my legal name – and they're kind of like, 'Are you sure?'" she added. "It makes me smile every time."