13-19 November: Trans Awareness Week

Starting today, from 13-19 November, we honour Trans Awareness Week and on the 20 November we observe Transgender Day of Remembrance.

During this week, individuals and organisations celebrate the transgender and gender non-conforming communities. According to non-profit Out & Equal, it’s a crucial time to “uplift the voices and experiences of the transgender and gender non-conforming community through education and action”. Professional LGBTQ+ communities and platforms such as GLAAD, Stonewall, Out & Equal and myGwork have great resources and stories for companies and organisations to better support trans and gender non-conforming staff all year-round.

Trans Awareness Week also helps to raise the visibility of transgender people. It’s a week when transgender people and their allies take action to educate the public about who transgender people are. They share stories/experiences and advance advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination and violence that affect the transgender community.

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is observed annually on the 20th November to honour the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith started TDOR to honour the memory of Rita Hester. She was a transgender woman who was killed back in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence that year and has since become an important annual memorial event.

You can participate in TDOR by attending/organising a vigil on 20 November to honour lives lost to anti-transgender violence. Transgender advocates or LGBTQ+ organisations typically host TDOR vigils at community centres, parks, places of worship or other venues. For more information on Trans Awareness Month & Week, check out the GLAAD, myGwork and Out & Equal websites.

TRANS EMPOWERMENT

This week, myGwork is hosting a panel geared entirely towards transgender empowerment and visibility. Joining us on the panel will be trans employees and allies from across various industries, discussing their experiences, offering unique perspectives and acknowledging the importance of trans visibility.

As the world progresses, trans visibility is becoming an increasingly discussed topic, with more people able to express their identity and be their authentic selves. Whether it’s representation in the media, in fiction, or in the workplace, there is an increasing demand for the transgender community to be given a voice in a world that has sought to silence them for so long. Trans Day of Remembrance provides an annual opportunity to shine a light on these issues and reflect upon the treatment of the transgender community throughout history.

Speaking on the panel is Valtech’s Georgina Partington; Alexandra Austin, Diversity Inclusion and Wellbeing Partner at Brewin Dolphin; FIS’ Brae DeRocher; None’s Human Rights Defender Megan Steven; Pearson’s Senior Humans Resources Manager Kevin Lyons; and Parexel’s Liam Paschall. The panelists will give their thoughts on how to lift the voices of the trans community, and what constitutes being a good ally. Register to join the panel at 16:00 GMT on 16 November here.

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