5 Things / an inclusive future
This week was Transgender Awareness Week and today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the lives lost to violence. I'm a better human for having great transgender friends and team members in my life. Not because they're trans, but because they're just wonderful people beyond that tiny detail of their identity.
To show up as a great ally for transgender and non-binary people, here are a few tips:
Share your own pronouns everywhere to normalize this practice so trans people feel more empowered to come out when they feel safe enough to do so. This also sends a signal that you're an ally.
Educate yourself on trans issues and culture by watching documentaries such as Disclosure (about trans representation in media) on Netflix and Transhood (about trans youth) on HBO Max.
Educate yourself on anti-trans legislation in the U.S. For example, 16 anti-transgender laws have already been passed in U.S. states this year alone. Donate and contact your legislators.
Celebrate trans youth by watching the awesome young people who are part of The GenderCool Project.
And, FYI, we have a great trans 101 workshop called Blurred Lines with a couple of incredible facilitators.
Here are some of the good vibes I learned this week:
One way to reduce bias in reporting is to have diversity among the sources of new stories. This article shares some ways journalists can diversify sources but I particularly like what Wisconsin Public Radio did. When reporters file a story, their software prompts questions about the sources, which include questions about their race and gender. This matters because diversity in sources can present a more balanced and less biased view in the news.
The International Olympic committee released new inclusive guidelines for transgender and intersex athletes, dropping controversial and archaic policies. The new framework matters to transgender athletes like Chris Mosier who said the framework "takes the next step in centering human rights as the foundation of sport.
Next week, be sure to cheer on the California School for the Deaf, Riverside Cubs Varsity football team, which is 11-0 this season (against all hearing teams) and is headed to the division championship game. The players and coaches all use American Sign Language to communicate. This matters because the deaf players are just like other kids, playing, as they should be.
I was initially in disbelief, but Sesame Street finally has its first Asian American muppet, Ji-Young. I would have expected this long ago. Ji-Young is Korean and loves skateboarding and playing her guitar. This matters because representation matters and the presence of Ji-Young will help Asian American kids feel seen.
After noticing racial disparities in health care, British medical student Malone Mukwende developed Mind the Gap: A handbook of clinical signs in black and brown skin. The handbook details the clinical presentations on skin of color for more than 20 common conditions. The response to the handbook has been phenomenal, and global. This matters to medical professionals who now have a resource to better care for BIPOC, who in turn will receive better care. Thanks to Wendy Ryan for this story.
Image by Dyu - Ha