While organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination, attempt to educate and advocate for LGBTQ issues, few of the major news networks extensively cover everyday discrimination trans folx face. When researching for this article, I became frustrated with the lack of coverage on trans issues.
During this conversation, I realized how little I knew about the issues, or even the jargon surrounding trans folx. She explained her careful process in choosing her name - the cultural reason for claiming a new last name, and the ways she and those close to her have been processing and reacting to seeing her birth name in print. This includes anything from bathrooms to prison cells.Īfter my mistake, I sat down with Vidhya to discuss what needed to happen next. Even when courts approve of such changes, administrative processes to have their name present on all forms of legal documents are both difficult and burdensome.īesides names, trans folx often have little legal protection when it comes to workplace discrimination, or are forced to use facilities of their gender assigned at birth, rather than the one they identify with. On a legal level, trans folx face high levels of institutional discrimination, particularly in their attempts to change their names. Having information like birth-names publicly disclosed puts trans folx at a greater risk of being publicly outed or harassed. Using the birth names of trans folx in such a public sphere not only causes damage to their person, but can also put them in danger. The media has a prominent voice in the issue, and with power comes responsibility. High-profile examples of this include reporters continuing to use Caitlyn Jenner’s assigned birth name, rather than the name she chose for herself. Furthermore, news outlets often use dead names or improper pronouns for trans folx. Cis people often use dead names or improper pronouns when speaking with or about trans folx, creating discomfort and sometimes harm to the person’s mental health. It crossed my mind if I should ask what last name she wanted used, but in the chaos of production, I let myself to think “good enough.” I wrote the last name used in her uniqname rather than asking her, like I should have. When transcribing Vidhya’s interview, I realized she had not provided her last name. It would be false to say that my privilege as a cisgender woman did not play a role in this. In assuming that Vidhya would keep her last name (which she did not), I unfairly took away that power by overlooking the complexity of names, and ignoring her Indian cultural heritage. In doing so, I caused undeniable harm to her individually, in addition to the trans community at large.Ī person’s chosen name is an important part of their identity and self. , I, in my role as co-managing editor, made a mistake.
If your body positivity and body acceptance movement/content/photography/artwork/writing doesn't include fat and/or disabled folx, then it isn't positive or accepting. However, it’s also used to refer to all people while being inclusive of people in marginalized communities.Īpply to this!! I was able to get to GDC last year because of this scholarship and it had such a resounding impact on my career, allowing me to meet so many folx in person I wouldn't have been able to meet otherwise. A queer MC will have a different perspective than a non-queer MC. A BIPOC heroine will always approach and experience power dynamics differently than a white heroine. Sometimes the term is used as a collective way to refer to people in the LGBTQ community or a particular subsection of it, e.g., lesbian folx.Īnd this is one of many reasons why I seek out so many books by marginalized folx btw. Folx is most commonly found on social media platforms and blogs.
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