5 accidentally transphobic phrases allies use and what to say instead

How To Be an Ally to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming People in the BU Community

LGBTQ

How To Be an Marry to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming People in the BU Community

Important tips about how to exist a supportive ally

"Transgender Awareness Calendar week is a calendar week when transgender people and their allies take activeness to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that touch the transgender community." (GLAAD)

With Transgender Awareness Calendar week now in full force, here are some important tips about how to be a supportive ally.

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Tips for transgender allyship:

i. Learn the terminology

Transgender terminology tin can exist confusing, and that'southward okay. However, it is not okay to intentionally remain ignorant of it because you experience that it does not directly apply to you. For your convenience, here are the main terms and their definitions that you should know:

• Transgender (adjective)
  • Describes a person who does not identify with the gender they were assigned at nascency. Often shortened to "trans."
• Cisgender (adjective)
  • Describes a person who does identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.
• Nonbinary (adjective)
  • An umbrella term that describes a person who does not place with the gender binary of "man" or "woman."
• Transition (substantive or verb depending on context)
  • Pace(south) a person takes to affirm their gender identity. This can exist in a social context and/or a medical context. Note: do non inquire prying questions about what betoken someone is at in their transition and practise not assume their "surgical status." Not every trans person will socially and/or medically transition for a variety of reasons.
• Biological sex (substantive)
  • Refers to the gender someone was assigned at birth based on chromosomes and external genitalia. In other words, biological sex or nascence sex. Note: sexual activity is often conflated with gender identity (east.g., saying "men" when yous mean "males" or "women" when you mean "females" and vice versa), just these terms are non the same.
• Gender identity (substantive)
  • The internal sense of one's own gender. At that place are many different gender identities.
• Gender expression (substantive)
  • The way that a person outwardly presents their gender, such every bit through wearable choice, speech communication patterns, and overall style. Note: gender expression does not have to equal gender identity and vice versa (eastward.g., a nonbinary person can have a feminine gender expression, merely that does non mean that person identifies equally a woman).
• Sexuality/sexual orientation (substantive)
  • A person's identity based on the gender(due south) to which they are attracted. Y'all should not assume a person'southward sexuality based on their gender identity and vice versa—the two are not the same.

For a more comprehensive overview of terminology, check out the PFLAG National Glossary of Terms and Trans Terminology 101.

two. Normalize introducing yourself with your pronouns

Pronouns are such an of import, often taken-for-granted aspect of one's identity. Using people's pronouns is an easy way to respect and validate a person's gender identity, and tin can exist a great first stride to trans allyship. Cisgender people rarely have to worry about being misgendered or referred to with the wrong pronouns, considering information technology is very common for their gender expression to match their gender identity. However, for transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people, being misgendered with the incorrect pronouns is unfortunately a very familiar feel for many.

If you accidentally accost someone with the incorrect proper noun or pronouns, make sure y'all correct yourself, take accountability (don't make excuses), and commit to getting it right next time. Here are some more than tips on how to do better at getting new pronouns right, and what to practise if you brand a mistake (it happens).

Help dismantle the idea that gender expression always equals gender identity by including your pronouns during introductions. For example, say: "My proper noun is Sam and my pronouns are he, him, and his." Calculation your pronouns when starting time introducing yourself to someone normalizes publicly acknowledging that not anybody'due south pronouns are hands discernible. This additional information may feel unnecessary to you if y'all normally do non get misgendered, but it is especially important for cisgender people to exercise. With regard to social media, put your pronouns in your bio. It's really simple and helps to create a safe environs for TGNC folks to share their pronouns and exist correctly gendered as well. To learn more nearly pronouns, check out this resources on personal pronouns.

3. Exist mindful of phrases or terms that are inherently gendered

Both American society and the English itself are heavily rooted in the gender binary. Yet, many mutual phrases are sectional of nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people. Try to make your vocabulary more inclusive by using gender-neutral terminology. For example, rather than saying "men and women," say "everyone" or "people" or "folks." Another example is instead of using "he or she" when speaking about a person with an unknown gender, you can say "they" or "that person."

You can also detect more tips on using gender-neutral language here.

4. Educate yourself on the history of transgender people, especially trans women of color

What is Transgender Day of Remembrance?

"Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was founded by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith equally a vigil to honor her retention of Rita Hester, a transgender woman whose life was lost due to anti-trans violence in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence that yr and began an important memorial that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance." (GLAAD)

TDOR is especially important this twelvemonth, as more than lives accept been lost to anti-transgender violence in 2020 than in any other year on record.

It'southward important to better understand the struggles that transgender people get through to better understand why trans allyship is and then of import, and that transgender people are not a "new matter." Transgender people have e'er existed. In fact, Marsha P. Johnson, a Blackness transgender woman, was one of the founders of the queer liberation movement. To learn more than nigh historical figures from the queer liberation movement, sentry this amazing crash-form video narrated by Laverne Cox: A Trans History: Fourth dimension Marches Forward And So Practise Nosotros.

It'due south also important to use resources to cocky-educate rather than relying on your trans friends to educate you. Not only is this tokenizing, merely non every trans person feels comfy speaking about their personal experiences. Information technology can experience very tiring and burdensome to have to constantly explain and justify your identity.

5. Donate!

Granted, non anybody has the means to do this, but if yous tin can spare a few bucks, consider donating to organizations that support transgender people. Transgender people experience greater rates of unemployment than the general public due to bias and workplace discrimination, especially transgender people of colour. Transgender people are also at college chance for substance abuse and chronic diseases like cancer and HIV, only face meaning barriers to receiving acceptable healthcare, such equally discrimination. The BU Queer Activist Collective ("Q") would like to highlight the following organizations that back up transgender people of colour to which you can donate:

• Black & Pink Boston
• Black Trans Femmes in the Arts Collective
• Black Trans Travel Fund
• Boston GLASS
• Brave Space Alliance
• Thou.50.I.T.S.
• Marsha P. Johnson Institute
• Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative
• Sylvia Rivera Police force Project
• TGI Justice Projection
• The Okra Project

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If you have boosted questions or would like to learn more, check out a non-exhaustive list of allyship resource that the BU Queer Activist Collective ("Q") has compiled here. If you desire to take your trans allyship even further, you lot tin can also familiarize yourself with LGBTQ+ wellness resources by checking out Q's official guides to BU and Boston LGBTQ+ resource.

Finally, electronic mail bostonuq@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or if yous would like to get involved with Q, Boston Academy'due south LGBTQ+ student organization. Q is dedicated to promoting awareness, visibility, well-being, and full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community at BU. Check out our Instagram @bostonuq to learn more.

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Source: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/how-to-be-an-ally-to-transgender-and-gender-nonconforming-people-in-the-bu-community/

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