November 13-19 marks Transgender Week of Awareness which leads into the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20. During this time, we are called to bring attention to issues faced by transgender and gender diverse communities. Awareness is one aspect which can bring us closer to liberation, but it cannot be without action and a commitment to end the violence against Two Spirit, Transgender, and gender diverse people.
This Transgender Day of Remembrance, Out In Schools invites educators and students to reflect on the ways which transgender, nonbinary, Two Spirit and otherwise gender diverse people experience the world, and how you, as allies, might come together to create safer and more celebratory spaces for gender diversity in your school and community. Educators can access our Film Catalogue to share short films in educational settings.
From Danny Lybbert (he/they), Out In Schools Program Manager:
When I started as a facilitator with Out In Schools back in 2016, our presentations were primarily focused on building awareness of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community; the majority of our time was spent on defining terms and explaining how various identities exist across spectrums. Our approach was based on the knowledge that hate often stems from ignorance and the assumption that awareness would therefore decrease hate. And, for many years, this assumption was correct; in 2018, SARAVYC found that students at schools who received an Out In Schools presentation experienced lower levels of harassment, discrimination, and exclusion.
However, the landscape has changed, due in part to the rise of polarizing social media algorithms on apps like Tiktok, Instagram and Twitter, and an increase in mis/disinformation campaigns. Where once, visibility helped our cause, it now can also have the opposite effect; trans visibility is a double edged sword which sometimes gives us access, and increasingly, makes us targets of hate.
Awareness is a necessary first step in creating social change and moving society towards acceptance, but it can’t stop there. Trans equality and trans liberation are essential in the fight for gender equality and equity – they are synonymous with supporting people of all genders to express themselves freely. For generations, the existence of gender diversity has been actively suppressed, largely by the forces of colonization and white supremacy. The resurgence of these identities is critical to creating communities where all of us can thrive.
When the Out In Schools team travels to schools throughout the various communities in British Columbia, the majority of students know what basic terms like queer and trans mean, but language and terminology don’t build empathy – stories do.
How do we tell our stories when people are not willing to listen?
We need you. We need you to help share our stories.
Out In Schools uses personal narrative and short films as a way to engage our audiences in developing a deeper understanding of who we are and how to support us.
Thanks to the transgender ancestors and activists who came before me, I have access to the language I need to understand myself.
Effective awareness showcases both our struggles and our celebrations, and can move people to support us in our right to exist.
Positive and plentiful narratives can help trans folks have hope for the future. Affirming and authentic representation of our stories can help humanize our experiences, and build empathy and understanding.
Awareness is where our work begins, not where it ends.
To our cisgender allies: you can use your privilege to offset our vulnerability; when my cisgender friends and colleagues take on the work of introducing and explaining pronouns at meetings, correcting gender mistakes, or ensuring that I can safely access a bathroom, it makes it easier for me to exist.
I have been so heartened by the work of educators across BC, many of them cisgender allies, shaping school environments where trans students feel valued and protected. These allies continue to advocate for inclusive policies in the face of direct backlash, holding firm to the belief that all youth deserve a safe, supportive learning environment where they can be their authentic selves.
This Transgender Day of Remembrance, we encourage you to keep the learning alive and ongoing with your students. Seek out stories, check out our Film Catalogue, and explore the resources below.
If you’re an educator, consider using our curated film playlists to start conversations and explore the topic of gender identity in your classroom. You can also find additional resources below.
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