Transgender Day of Visibility: Supporting the Young Person in Your Life
By Catherine Davis
Image description: arm raised holding the Transgender Flag which consists of 5 horizontal stripes, two light blue, two pink, and one white in the center.
March 31st marks International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day where we celebrate trans and non-binary individuals, in addition to raising awareness of the discrimination they face. As a company that works with young people, Equal Education hopes to create a safe and accepting environment for the students who receive tuition from us. However, we also hope for a world where young trans people are accepted everywhere, not just in small circles. A peer-reviewed study from 2020 found that 10.7% of cisgender males had attempted suicide in comparison to 34.7 transgender males. When looking at women, the study found that 16.8% of cisgender females had attempted suicide in comparison to 27% of trans women. The same study showed that 23% of nonbinary individuals who were assigned male at birth had attempted suicide and 25.1% who were assigned female at birth had attempted. These figures are staggering but there are things that can be done to lower the trans suicide rate.
As allies, we should respect the names and pronouns by which people wish to be referred. Some young people may try several different names and pronouns until they find what feels right, we should be flexible and open to change how we refer to an individual based on their preference. We can also let them know that they are supported and cared for, it is okay for identities to change, and that it’s also okay for them to maintain this identity for the rest of their lives. The high suicide rates among trans youth is not a result of being trans itself but are instead the result of transphobic systems and people present in our daily lives.
It is important to ensure the trans individuals in our life feel safe and comfortable around us. The above examples are simply the minimum expectation we should meet when interacting with trans individuals. It is important to remember today and everyday that trans people deserve a place in society as any cis person would and that they deserve to live safe, happy, and fulfilling lives.