Happy Transgender Awareness Week!
Transgender Awareness Week is held November 13-19 every year and culminates in Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, a day to honor those who have lost their lives due to violence.
It’s about more than just being “aware” of transgender people.
It’s about uplifting the voices of our trans family, friends, and neighbors.
It’s about understanding the challenges, struggles, discrimination, and violence faced by the trans community every day.
It’s about understanding how their safety and equal rights are affected by conditions and systems inherent in our culture.
How can cisgender allies show up for transgender people, now and always?
Educate yourself
Don’t rely on transgender people to be Google for you! Listen to experts. Learn the terminology. Be a sponge. Here’s my resource list to get you started (please let me know what else I should add!).
Start small
Talk with friends and family about the importance of gender inclusivity. And when you hear transphobic or homophobic slurs, jokes, or misinformation, say something! You might say, “Hey, that joke is inappropriate and harmful to the transgender community, and here’s why.” Or, “People don’t use that word anymore; it’s considered offensive. Use the word [X] instead.”
Get involved
Take action against anti-trans legislation and policies. Call and/or email your government representatives and leaders to voice your support for transgender communities. Check out the excellent website Track Trans Legislation for action steps and calling/emailing scripts.
Donate to trans-led organizations and causes
This means organizations led for and by transgender people. Here are a few to get you started:
Black Trans Advocacy Coalition
Black Trans Liberation
Lavender Rights Project
Marsha P Johnson Institute
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Transgender Law Center
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
TransLatin@ Coalition
Diversify your feeds and entertainment
Go to the source! Follow more transgender people and organizations to learn more about their identities, experiences, and needs. Poke around on my resource list for ideas.
Celebrate trans joy
Share stories of trans joy and resilience! People need to see trans folks thriving, creating, and achieving. Check out the video I made this week featuring transgender people talking about trans JOY!
This is just a start. What other ways do you make the world safer and more just for transgender people?
List inspo from The Crafty Queer (check out their website – super fun stuff), ks Stanley, PsyD, QTAP, and Transgender Together.