TRANSGENDER AND GENDER-NONCONFORMING people continue to fight for equal rights, despite persistent attacks from conservative lawmakers in the United States and abroad. While many members of the LGBTQ+ community might not feel safe at all, given recent events, trans women of color remain the most vulnerable to discrimination and violence. To help you better understand how to support members of your community, WIRED spoke with three advocacy groups that work to protect and empower trans people.
If you’re a cisgender person (no, it’s not a slur), where can you start? It’s quite simple. “The most humane thing to do is to recognize our humanity. Some people are truly of the belief that we don’t deserve a place in the world,” says Tiommi Luckett, a senior national organizer for Positively Trans at the Transgender Law Center. “I think they need to see our humanity and recognize that we’re not asking for special rights.”
Don’t assume you understand the nuances of a trans person’s lived experience based on preconceived ideas or someone else’s opinion. While it’s important to recognize the difficulties and discrimination faced by trans people (or people of any marginalized group), the vibrancy and nuances of their lives are not often represented in the media. “We need to see trans joy more visibly present in the world,” says Camila Camaleón, an administrative coordinator at Gender Justice LA.
