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1. What is Trans Day of Visibility?
Trans Day of Visibility (TDoV) celebrates and highlights the accomplishments of trans people. Trans Day of Visibility embodies the quote by B. Parker, “give us our roses while we are still here.” It’s a chance to celebrate trans people, as well as highlight the challenges currently faced by the community, and to acknowledge what still needs to be done to continue to support the trans people in our lives.
I recommend checking out the Trans Week of Visibility and Action (#TWOVA, @trans_week) campaign, created by Chase Strangio (civil rights attorney) and Raquel Willis (activist and writer). They are focusing on taking actions to support young trans people, as well as the organizations and communities supporting them.
2. What does being trans mean to you?
Generally speaking, if someone identifies as transgender, they have a gender identity or gender expression that is different from the one that they were assigned at birth. For instance, I identify as non-binary, which is different than the gender I was assigned at birth. For me, being non-binary means I don’t identify as either male or female and I use they/them pronouns (note: not everyone who identifies as non-binary also identifies as transgender).
I feel grateful to work at a place like CyberCube, where I can feel comfortable and safe being “out” and visible as a trans person. I am relieved I can bring my full self to the workplace, and hopefully my being visible can help other members of the LGBTQ community feel safe and supported as well. A workplace can be difficult to navigate as a trans person, and I am grateful to trans colleagues who have paved the way for me in the past.
For more information about what it means to be transgender, please check out these frequently asked questions by the National Center for Transgender Equality.
3. How can colleagues be supportive allies to their trans and non-binary coworkers?
1. Always use the pronouns your coworkers have in their signatures or zoom names
2. Add your pronouns to your signature or zoom name
3. Normalize sharing your pronouns at the beginning of meetings
4. If you aren’t sure what someone’s pronouns are, just ask! You can say something like: “My name is Megan and my pronouns are she/her. What about you?”
5. By sharing your pronouns, it makes it more comfortable for a trans person to share their pronouns
6. If you use the wrong pronoun, just apologize quickly, correct yourself, and move on. There is no need to make a big discussion of it
4. Where can people go to find out more?
Check out Trans Week of Action & Visibility, created by Chase Strangio and Raquel Willis, for concrete ways to support trans people this week, particularly around the myriad of anti-LGBTQ legislation. Additionally, Schuyler Bailar, the first trans athlete to compete for an NCAA D1 men’s team, has excellent resources, particularly around advocacy for transgender athletes, both on his website and his instagram.
5. How are you participating in TDoV?
Personally, I will be following along and participating in the actions outlined by Trans Week of Action & Visibility. In addition to this, I am assisting in hosting an internal LGBTQ history Jeopardy-inspired event as part of CyberCube’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, CyberQbers. It will be a great way to connect with members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, as well as learn more about TDoV in a safe and inclusive work environment.
