Trans Awareness Week ran from November 13 to November 19, culminating in Trans Day of Remembrance. This year it’s more important than ever to combat discrimination with awareness, pride and meaningful allyship.

In the lead up to the US presidential election, Donald Trump and his supporters ran anti-trans ads. It was clear through this campaign tactic that this branch of conservatives are happy sowing the seeds of division and discrimination to score political points – no matter the harm they could be doing to real people.

One great Australian not for profit championing Trans Awareness Week is Minus 18. Their website has a heap of resources to help you mark Trans Awareness Week, and to combat the rise in discrimination with inclusion, education and pride.  

These resources include a downloadable toolkit to educate yourself  on issues impacting the trans community, free classroom resources for schools, and training resources for workplaces. Minus 18 also offer allyship training, so you can learn how to support the trans people in your life and the wider community.  

The end of Trans Awareness Week, November 20, marks Trans Day of Remembrance. This day honours the memory of the trans lives lost to acts of transphobia and discrimination.

There are events around the country, where the trans community and allies can remember those lost, celebrate strength in the face of adversity and commit to fighting transphobia to create a more inclusive future.

Trans Awareness Week and Trans Day of Remembrance are more important than ever this year because the sad fact is that discrimination and transphobia is rampant. The Human Rights  Commission reported last year that there was an epidemic of violence against the transgender and gender non-conforming community in the US.

While that data is out of the US, thanks to the interconnected nature of our lives in the digital age, hatred and discrimination is touching the whole world. The intersectional data gap  also means that we’re rarely armed with all the information we need to capture the issues impacting the trans community.

What we do know is that the vast majority of trans and gender diverse young people, 96%, will experience abuse due to transphobia.

And shockingly, one survey of Australians found that only 79% agree that transgender people should be protected from discrimination in employment, housing and access to business, such as restaurants and stores.

While 79% might sound like a comfortable majority, it’s shocking that over 20% of people surveyed think transgender people don’t deserve the basic protections against discrimination that all people should enjoy.

The same survey found that only 52% agree that government-issued documents, such as passports, should include an option other than ‘male’ and ‘female’.

And proving that discrimination against trans people is a global issue, these numbers are all very similar to international figures.

One area where trans allyship is particularly important is in the workplace. Work can be full of stress, not least of all the fear of losing a job can loom over workers. In workplaces that are not inclusive, trans people may feel they have to suppress one of the most fundamental aspects of who they are – their gender identity – to keep their job, avoid abuse or maintain their career trajectory.

But it doesn’t have to be this way, ACON offers trans affirming workplace training that can help businesses create the kind of environment where everyone feels secure to be themselves.

Verve Super’s parent company Future Group has a gender affirmation leave policy which is open source – meaning you’re totally welcome to lift and shift it for your own workplace!* This policy puts in place special leave entitlements for trans and gender diverse employees as well as dedicated support and flexible work arrangements.

 

*Please obtain appropriate advice and consider the specifics when determining suitability for your organisation.