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"Trans women are women," "Trans men are men, "Non-binary people are non-binary," "The sky is blue."
Not to be bitter for these crumbs, but for this #TransAwarenessWeek
I'd like to see people who want to openly voice their support engaging with more substance. https://twitter.com/RequiemPluie/status/1328704899782152192
Not to be bitter for these crumbs, but for this #TransAwarenessWeek
I'd like to see people who want to openly voice their support engaging with more substance. https://twitter.com/RequiemPluie/status/1328704899782152192
"But isn't that also a form of support?" Here's the thing. When acknowledging the most basic facts of our existence is the bar, that's not a very promising start for the long discussion on healthcare, legal rights, housing and workplace discrimination- the list goes on.
If you were thinking of tweeting about how you too are aware that trans people exist and are telling the truth about who they are, I would like to suggest some helpful alternatives:
1- Share the work of trans writers and artists creating work about trans people. Better yet, find works of this description you personally enjoy and/or helped you learn a lot. Share what you can recommend to your friends with genuine personal enthusiasm.
2- Research organizations devoted to supporting and fighting for trans rights. Share information about their programming and how they accept donations. Prioritize programs led by trans people. Especially those that center the needs of QTWOC, migrants and sex workers.
3- If you are living in a country that supports them, signal boost regional surveys requesting trans participants to assess their needs around discrimination, violence and systemic inadequacies. These are tools for change.
4- On that point, if you are actively engaged and want to position yourself as a vocal ally, do the research. Be very careful with what sources you trust (TERF rhetoric is insipid and commonplace). Be aware of what trans people in your region are actually fighting for.
5- You may be thinking this a good time to share statistics and news reports about how bad trans people have it. Consider this option CAREFULLY. Who are you sharing this with and why? Are you sharing it in a way that could retraumatize someone? Always fact-check before retweet.
On 5-(cont'd) Consider that trans people hear about tragedies and injustices in our communities all the time. This week tends to have an especially high concentration of such info. Be mindful of contributing in a way that inspires hope and action, rather than despair.
I may add more points later (also feel free to comment with your ideas- fellow trans people especially). For now, if you are a cisgender person who wants to demonstrate support and you've done any of the above, you're already doing more good with this than "trans ____ are ____"
6- Share the stories of historical trans people. We have existed across histories and cultures and contributed to the world around us. There isn't a single country where we "do not exist" or are "a 21st century Western invention."
6- (cont'd) Most of the the trans historical figures I see circulated on social media are from the 20th-century USA Stonewall era. Trans history is older and broader than that. Considering broadening your search to other countries, cultures and time periods.
