Transgender Awareness Week isNov. 13-19 with the Day ofRemembrance on Nov. 20. Whatis OUTMemphis planning?We’re going to do a week-longevent on our social mediaaccounts, having LGBTQcommunity members postphotos and quotes about theirexperiences of what it means tobe part of the community.It’s important to have theweek of awareness before theday of remembrance so that wehave something that focuses onthe positive aspects of the transcommunity. While I think it’simportant to hold space for ourcommunity members who werelost, it’s also important toconsider how we can stop theviolence. We can do that bynormalizing the existence oftrans people.What resources doesOUTMemphis have for transpeople?We are in the process of goingthrough our Trans Best ofMemphis survey, updating thisyear’s guide to doctors, gyms,and many types of places wheretrans people have told us theyfeel comfortable going.The Latinx trans community ishelping us by translating thesurvey into Spanish. The surveyis still open. We want the bestcommunity resourcerepresentation possible beforewe end the survey and publishthe guide.If someone needs a specificresources now, email info@outmemphis.org or call (901)278-6422. Trans Lifeline is alsoavailable for communitymembers in crisis. Call (877)565-8860; all the operators aretrans-identified.Does OUTMemphis still havesupport groups?Yes! We have weekly virtualgroups on Zoom for transidentifiedfolks. For LGBTQ+ orallied youth, we have two groupssplit by age: for ages 13 to 17, wehave PRYSM; those 18 to 25 canattend GenQ.Virtual T is another group forages 18+ on the trans spectrumincluding gender nonconforming and non-binaryfolks. Some people attend GenQand Virtual T, especially if theyneed that space to connect withother community members.How can CIS people learn moreabout the trans experience tobe good allies?Look up people like JanetMock and Laverne Cox, whohave really good social mediapresences, written works, andinterviews that are easy to find.Great websites include GLSN(Gay, Lesbian and StraightEducation Network - infoespecially for youth); HRC(Human Rights Campaign - basicinformation); TSER (TransStudent Educational Network);the National Center for TransEquality; GLAAD; and others.Books, even older ones likeTransgender Warriors, talk aboutTRANSGENDERAWARENESS WEEK and DAY OF REMEMBRANCEtransfocusby Sarah Rushakoff with Alexander Hauptman, OUTMemphis Transgender Services ManagerAlex Hauptman (left),OUTMemphis TransgenderServices Manager (he/him),and Mackenzie Williams (she/her), who currently holds theTrans Services Fellowship withOUTMemphis).how long trans and gendernonconforming people havebeen in different culturesthroughout history. It makes thepoint that we’ve always existedand we’re not just going to goaway. It’s important that peopleunderstand that, acknowledge it,and celebrate it.What can we change inMemphis to better supportpeople on the trans spectrum?No one thing is gonna maketrans people safe, and get jobs,and get housed. I think even justdoing the work in your own headto check your assumptions,educate yourself, and learn howto call people out and disruptsome of the harmful patterns inour society. You have the abilityto improve your behavior, andmodel it for others.Do what you have the powerto do. If you’re working in anoffice and you deal withpaperwork, make sure peoplecan list their pronouns and thename they go by if they haven’tchanged it legally. If you work inan apartment complex and seetrans people being discriminatedagainst, speak up for them. Itdoesn’t take a lot to start shiftingsystems to be more welcoming.Even for me, someone who“passes” pretty well, there arestill plenty of men’s bathroomsthat I can’t use because there areno stalls and no lock on the door.That’s my pet peeve, not beingable to pee.What changes would you like tosee in Memphis and beyondbetween now and TransgenderAwareness Week 2021?Access to gender-affirminghealthcare and medical transitionmeasures, finding doctors whocare about interacting with transpatients in a respectful mannerand who put the effort intoactually learning about hormonetreatments would be huge.With trans youth, there’s aripple effect. If a child doesn’tfeel safe in school, they’re notgoing to go. If they don’t go toschool, it’s hard to get good jobs.When they’re bullied andharassed and kicked out of thehouse, sometimes they have toturn to alternate means ofgetting by. They’re more likely toturn to self-medicating, attemptsuicide, become incarcerated,and end up with HIV, which hasinfection rates that are muchhigher in the trans population.A lot of progress has beenrolled back over the past fewyears when it comes to creatingsafer spaces in schools for transyouth. Legislators have beengoing after access to sports,extracurricular activities, and thebathroom. With better policies,and teachers who are supportiveand use the correct names andpronouns and shield vulnerablekids from bullying, kids cansucceed rather than fail.Recently there was anothertrans woman murdered inLouisiana, which was the year’s32nd reported murder of a transperson, the highest reportednumber of any year so far. Westill put our focus on theviolence. Why aren’t we alsoputting effort into addressingthe unhealthy masculinity thatperpetuates it? Giving theseperpetrators access to mentalhealth tools without shame orstigmas, so their own internalizedissues aren’t causing someoneelse to be assaulted or murdered.That’s a piece of theconversation that’s typicallymissing.For a full list of OUTMemphis’trans services, go tooutmemphis.org/programsservices/transgender/Trans Awareness Weekactivities are on facebook.com/outmemphis/?ref=page_internalPage 22 / focusmidsouth.com / NOV+DEC 2020 / GO!
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