What are the Trans and Nonbinary communities?
Definitions
Transgender: According to the Human Rights Campaign, transgender, or trans, is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth.
Nonbinary: People who do not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. They may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between or as falling completely outside of these categories. They can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender fluid. (hrc.org)
Pronouns
A great way to show support and respect for trans and nonbinary co-workers is to use their correct pronouns.
If you don’t know someone’s pronouns, it’s okay to ask. You can say, “What pronouns do you use?” or “What pronouns do you go by?”
Always use someone’s chosen (preferred) pronouns unless you’ve been asked not to do so for a specific reason (e.g., safety or privacy concerns). (hrc.org)
The following items provide some insights.
Articles:
In 2024, The ACLU is tracking 523 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S.
How to be Respectful and Supportive of Nonbinary Identities
Trans Agenda for Liberation (Transgender Law Center)
Videos:
National Center for Transgender Equality: Introduction to Transgender People (4m5s)
Tinder: 5 Non-Binary People Explain What “Non-Binary” Means to Them (7m32s)
Samy Nour Younes (TED): A Short History of Trans People’s Long Fight for Equality (6m14s)
Scott Turner Schofield: Ending Gender (16m25s)
Engage:
Know Trans Rights in the US: https://transequality.org/know-your-rights
National and State Action Centers: https://transequality.org/action-centers
Equality California: https://www.eqca.org/take-action/
Follow @TransEquality on X/Twitter. The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning lifesaving change for transgender people.
Follow @TransPOCC on X/Twitter. Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC) is the only national social justice organization that promotes the interest of Trans People of Color
As you engage with the resources above, we invite you to reflect:
What biases or assumptions might you have about people who are trans or nonbinary? How might those assumptions show up in the ways that you engage with others at work? How might you mitigate them?
What are some ways you can use more inclusive language in informal conversations with colleagues, clientele, and your community? For example, can you use gender inclusive or neutral language when talking to someone about their partner(s) rather than assuming what their gender(s) might be?