Today is International Trans Day of Visibility!
An annual commemoration dedicated to raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.
One of the core tenets of the culture at AA is that everyone should feel able to come as they are, that the environment we foster shouldn’t cause anyone to feel discriminated against, or unable to be their whole selves no matter the reason.
Sadly, we know this often isn’t the case, and that discrimination against the transgender community is still a painful part of everyday life for many people.
Why International Trans Day of Visibility is so important?
After a poll 1000 different workplaces, it was found:
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43 percent of employers said that they are “unsure” if they would hire a transgender person in their workplace.
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Out of the 1 in 3 employers admitting they are “less likely” to hire a transgender person.
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8 percent said that they believe they should have the same rights to be employed as a cisgendered person.
(Source - Crossland Employment Solicitors)
Additionally:
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More than four in five (83 per cent) trans young people have experienced name-calling or verbal abuse.
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Three in five (60 per cent) have experienced threats and intimidation.
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and more than a third (35 per cent) of trans young people have experienced physical assault.
Mermaids UK
2020 has been a particularly difficult year, with a lot of long running issues coming to a head in the media and the courtrooms. Notably the December High Court Ruling that trans youth would have to petition the courts to gain access to/remain on life-saving puberty-blockers.
In light of this, we’ve decided to align ourselves with Mermaids, a leading LGBTQ+ charity here in the UK for the fantastic work they do to help support, empower and protect gender diverse young people and their families.
‘Active about Inclusion’ is Mermaids new campaign which aims to help young people find inclusive local sports opportunities, as well as encourage schools, clubs and national governing bodies to improve trans and nonbinary inclusion in sport.
Find out more about this amazing initiative and how you can support it here:
https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/sports-inclusion/
What support can Mermaids offer?
If you are looking for advice or support, Mermaids has a variety of dedicated services available for trans-youth and their caregivers:
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A helpline and webchat run by qualified operators.
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An online forum to meet and connect with other transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse youth.
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Events and local community groups (resuming after COVID restrictions lift!).
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A website stocked full of resources.
How can you help Mermaids?
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Donate directly through Mermaids website.
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Have look at applying for volunteering opportunities when COVID restrictions start to lift.
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Spread the word about their services and initiatives!
