Are You Transgender Aware?
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Are you?
FACT: Many transgendered persons experience some form of victimization as a direct result of their transgender identity or presentation. This victimization ranges from subtle forms of harassment and discrimination to blatant verbal, physical, and sexual assault, including beatings, rape and even homicide. The majority of assaults against transgender persons are never reported to the police.
FACT: In six studies conducted between 1996 and 2006, 20% to 57% of transgender respondents reported having experienced employment discrimination at some point in their life. More specifically, 13%-56% were fired, 13%-47% were denied employment, 22%-31% were harassed, and 19% were denied a promotion based on their gender identity. (Source: Bias in the Workplace)
FACT: Transsexual people face a unique set of emotional health issues. Living in a body that feels foreign, and being perceived widely as a gender that feels wrong and unnatural is enormously challenging. In addition, the process of transitioning to the other sex brings up a myriad of specific challenges, some anticipated and others harder to predict.
FACT: Persons who are contemplating the process of transitioning from male-to-female (MTF) or female-to-male (FTM) may encounter a range of emotional reactions both in themselves and among those around them. Some of these reactions may be anticipated and prepared for; others may be unanticipated and difficult to manage. From a very early age, our culture makes a large and specific set of assumptions about individuals based on perceptions of gender. Sex role socialization is a powerful force that our culture uses to define “appropriate” and “inappropriate” boundaries and activities for each gender. Transgender individuals often experience anxiety and stress as they attempt to fit into a gender role that may match the outward appearance of their physical body but not their emotions or their more internal sense of their gender.
FACT: The decision to transition is often the result of a long and difficult process. Many transgendered individuals identify a sense of great relief that comes with finally being able to acknowledge their true selves and live in the body and gender role that is most natural for them. The transitioning process can also bring with it a new set of difficulties (and sometimes dangers) that result from the reactions of acquaintances, loved ones and the larger society to the transitioning process.
New problems that may arise include:
- Employers and colleagues who are not prepared for, understanding of or sympathetic to the issues of transgendered individuals. Many individuals find themselves either fired from their jobs or facing workplace hostilities that force them out of employment. The risk that individuals will experience acts of hostility and even violence directed against them is real.
- Family members and friends who are not able to understand or accommodate the change process. Many transgendered persons begin the transition process long after they have married and raised their own families. Spouses, domestic partners, parents, children and close friends may be confused by the transition that is occurring and will need education and support to help them deal with what is happening. Some relationships end; others are able to survive the transitioning process. Sometimes children remain emotionally close to the transitioning parent; at other times children have taken years to reconcile with the transitioned parent, if they ever come to terms with the issue at all.
Although societal acceptance of transsexual and transgendered people is far from complete, there is a growing and active community of transgendered people, both MTF and FTM, and transgender allies particularly in the coastal areas of the United States. There are also increasing numbers of books and online information and support for transgendered people.
FACT: Most transgender individuals report that the joy they experience in becoming more fully themselves makes the journey worthwhile.
Dora Speaks…
Dora has a wonderful ability to communicate with people where they are. She creates a safe environment for those unfamiliar with transgender life issues and addresses questions and comments in a winsome way that honors everyone’s experience and leaves everyone with greater awareness.
-Greg Eicher
HIV Outreach Worker, Tri-County Health Department, CO
Dora has worked with several organizations with their transgender awareness needs and she is now offering you and your employees or congregation the opportunity to do the same. Learn not only about transgender men and women, but also how to interact and support them within your business or organization. For more information go to the Presentations and Workshops Information page or contact Dora today and let’s talk!
Transgender Basics
Looking for Dora’s Thoughts… Q & A From Family and Friends? [Popular!]
Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace
Transgender people are more visible today then ever before. From General Motors to Google, more companies are agreeing to add protection for transgender men and women from workplace discrimination. Defense contractors Honeywell, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, automakers Ford and General Motors, hotel firms Hilton, Starwood and Marriott and Internet giants Yahoo and Google have all added protections for transgender workers. About 70 large companies offer comprehensive medical coverage for transgender employees, including those in transition, according to the HRC.
Ultimately, employers that incorporate gender identity in non-discrimination policies and other business practices:
- Stay ahead of evolving local, state and federal laws.
- Bolster employee recruitment and retention efforts that emphasize diversity.
- Mitigate the risk of legal discrimination claims.
Transgender Awareness in the School
If educators, healthcare providers, and parents had at least a rudimentary understanding of [transgender] issues, they would be able to create safe spaces for transgender children to live and learn, and many of the current problems would no longer exist. Until this happens, trans kids will continue to face incredible difficulties with not only school but their lives as a whole.
Transgender children are some of the most vulnerable students in America’s schools. Nobody knows how many there are, and very few educators know what to do with them. Despite extensive advocacy efforts, trans youth are subjected to bullying and harassment in the classroom; diagnosed with nonexistent learning disabilities and psychological problems; and generally misunderstood by their doctors, teachers, and classmates. As a result, these students get lower grades than their classmates and are less likely to pursue higher education. The lack of a basic understanding of trans youth puts them at an extremely high risk for failure and unsatisfactory performance in schools. Source: Research Shows Lack of Support for Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth in U.S. School Systems
Is Your Church a Welcoming or Affirming Congregation?
Many religious groups and Christian denominations have become, or are now exploring the concept of becoming a Welcoming, Affirming or Reconciling Congregation.
What is a Welcoming Congregation?
- Celebrate the lives of all people and welcome same-sex couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and equally affirming displays of caring and affections without regard to sexual orientation.
- Seek to nurture ongoing dialogue between bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and heterosexual persons and to create deeper trust and sharing.
- Speak out when the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people are at stake.
- Celebrate the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.
Live & Learn
- Dora Answers Questions & Comments from Family & Friends (Popular!)
- Transgender Basics (Introduction video)
- Genderpalooza! A Sex & Gender Primer
- Trans 101 – Introductory “Transgender Awareness” articles and videos from Dora’s Live and Learn section.
- How to Respect a Transgender Person
Get TG/TS Support
- Suicide… Read this first
- TG/TS Support Group in the Demver Metro Area
- Colorado LGB/T support organizations and websites
- National LGB/T support organizations and websites
- Denver/Colorado directory of LGB/T Faith Communities who self-identify as LGB/T friendly and respectful places. (Courtesy of PFLAG Denver)
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