Trans Awareness Week runs from November 13-November 19, concluding with the Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience on November 20. GLMA President Nick Grant, PhD, and Executive Director Hector Vargas, JD, issued this statement:

“Tomorrow is the Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience, a time to mourn members of the trans community who have lost their lives to violence each year. It’s also a time to honor the persistence and strength of these communities in a climate bent on erasing them. This year as before, Black and Latinx trans women have borne the brunt of this violence at the nexus of transphobia, misogyny, and racism. We invite you to learn about those who were taken from us too soon, and to honor their lives.

 

“Trans communities, led by Black and brown trans leaders, have called for more than remembrance. Trans Awareness Week, which culminates in TDORR, asks us to uplift, celebrate, and learn from trans people in the present. In the face of unprecedented legislative attacks as well as ongoing violence, trans communities persist and flourish.

 

“And trans communities must have solidarity from healthcare professionals.

 

“Healthcare systems have been and continue to be complicit in stigma and discrimination against trans people. For too many trans people, healthcare settings are spaces of violence rather than care. But healthcare providers can also be unique advocates for trans health, safety, dignity, and life—and we must be. We must fight transphobia, racism, and misogyny in our communities, our practices, our institutions, and our legislatures. GLMA remains committed to fighting for gender-affirming care, and for policies that protect and support trans people in all aspects of life.

 

“We believe in a future where trans and gender nonconforming people are met not with violence and discrimination, but rather with dignity and respect—in healthcare settings and beyond.”

 

During Trans Awareness Week, we call on all healthcare professionals to seek out education on gender-affirming care (GLMA’s Annual Conference is a great place to start) and to:

 

• Commemorate those who were taken from us too soon, and honor their lives: Read HRC’s report of the 47 trans and gender non-conforming people lost to violence in 2021

 

• Amplify trans voices: Pledge to take or share the 2022 US Trans Survey

 

• Learn from trans leaders of color: Watch the recording of NASEM’s webinar The Well-Being of Black and Other Transgender People of Color, which explores research on the disparities affecting BIPOC transgender communities described in the 2020 National Academies report Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations

 

• Learn about the harms of legalized anti-trans healthcare discrimination: Read The Fenway Institute’s new brief on anti-trans bills