By Peter Berton

TORONTO – Samantha Lauzon may be young, but her life story already seems like the stuff of which movies are made.

A transgendered woman, Lauzon nearly died 14 years ago as the result of a hate crime. Since then, she’s transformed not only her gender, but also her outlook and the lives of others. An appearance on Oprah Winfrey Network’s Life Story Project led to the opportunity to speak directly to at-risk youth via a particularly inspiring “It Gets Better” public service announcement. Today she’s an outspoken advocate for young people seeking an identity.

As bubbly and gregarious as Lauzon is now, it’s difficult to believe she hasn’t always led a charmed life.

YNOT: Let’s start with the basics: Name, age, shoe size….

Samantha Lauzon: My name is Samantha Diane Lauzon. How old I am is none of your business! [She laughs.] I was born in May, and like any true Gemini, I have two sides to my life and story.

I was born in Cornwall, Ontario. Having moved around a lot as a child and young adult, my family finally settled in Hamilton. As an adult, I’ve decided to stay in Toronto, as it seems to be a bit more understanding of my plight in life.

When and why did you decide to transition?

First and foremost, no one “decides” to be transgender any more than a black person chooses to be black. The only decision I made was to be happy.

There are so many people who decided to live the life that they think society has given them permission to live, and all the while they’re miserable with who they are. Why grow old and be miserable? My choice was to be happy.

Making a living is often a challenge for T-girls. How did you cope?

Like many trans women going through a transition or just trying to pay the bills, I went the way of escorting and being a webcam girl. I’ve always maintained a day job to have some sort of normalcy and whatnot.

When did things really start to take off for you?

When I stopped using being trans as an excuse for not living. I think it’s something that kept me from doing a lot.

Recently I went to Paris and was terrified the entire time: “What if someone finds out?” and “How will customs deal with my gender?”

My fear comes from my life experience: In 1999, I was attacked outside a club and left for dead. My friends found me in a pool of blood so deep and dark that it stained the sidewalk for weeks afterwards.

I was rushed to the hospital, where they discovered my jaw was broken in two places and a tooth kicked [had been] out of my mouth. I was admitted to the ICU Step-Down unit — I was that close to death.

The episode made me very codependent, so traveling and such was not something I saw in my future. It took me years to push myself past that point and take control of my life.

How did the Oprah Winfrey Network appearance come about?

My appearance on the OWN-produced Life Story Project is a great story. Within two, maybe three, weeks of [taking a job] at Shoppers Drug Mart, a woman came in during my first evening closing shift. Guiditta was her name. She asked if she could ask me a few questions on camera. I asked her to wait for my break, and she did.

While answering some of her questions, I came out to her as transgender. She was shocked, and her questions reflected that.

I had no idea she would later submit the video to Corus Entertainment, OWN’s Canadian counterpart. Corus asked her for my contact information and then, three phone interviews later, I was sitting on the purple couch with Dale, the Life Story Project host, telling my story.

Months later, I started getting messages: “We saw you on TV on OWN!” A few weeks after asking fans and friends to tape it for me, I finally saw [the show].

Telling my story in that way on that platform was scary, because I was outing myself to my neighbors. But I reminded myself that if one person saw [the broadcast] and learned something from it — my story — then it was all worth it.

You have received a lot of positive attention for your popular “It Gets Better” video, which also includes other presenters like U.S. President Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Glee’s Chris Colfer. Tell us about the campaign.

The purpose of this campaign is to let young people know they are not alone. We all had a fight with something as a child — obesity, gender, sexuality, even color.

Ending your life when you’re young is not the answer. If you just persevere through it, you’ll realize all of the things that got you down as a youth are the things that empower you to greatness as an adult.

You’ve just made a big career move, correct?

Yes. I recently left Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique to do more freelance makeup, as well as try to break into the acting world.

So, how is life for you today?

Life is great! I recently auditioned and won the opportunity to be on E!’s new game show Pop Quiz. [Ed.: At press time, filming had just begun.]

What are your future plans?

My future plans include a lot more travel, that’s for sure. Going to Paris, seeing the sites and whatnot have really put the bug in me to travel more. I would also like to break into the acting world.

What don’t most people know about you?

I’m a pack rat. I have movie stubs and magazines from years ago. I recently cleaned out two large garbage bags from my closet and condo, and it still seems cluttered to me.