OUT Georgia Business Alliance is proud to honor International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), an annual observance occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people’s contributions to society and raising awareness of discrimination and violence faced by transgender, gender expansive, and nonbinary people worldwide, especially for Black and Brown transgender women.
- Transgender people are 4x more likely to experience violence than cisgender people
- The average life expectancy of transgender women of color living in the Americas is 30-35
- In 2021, 57 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means, the majority of which were Black transgender women
- 2022 has been aanother heart-breaking year for anti-trans legislation, and there have been at least 8 deaths of transgender and non-binary people so far this year
OUT Georgia recognizes the transgender and gender expansive members of the community who impact and influence countless across the state, despite the increasingly hostile political and cultural assaults. Your resilience, courage, and leadership inspires our organization to better serve and center those who need it most.
TGX360
In 2021, OUT Georgia launched TGX360, a new employment and entrepreneurship initiative created by and for Georgia’s Transgender and Gender Expansive (TGX) community.
The mission is to advance economic equity for TGX Georgians by providing full-service support, programming, and solutions to individuals on their employment and entrepreneurship journeys, and in turn improve access to healthcare, affordable housing, and other social determinants of health and prosperity.
We assembled an Advisory Committee of leaders and diverse voices guiding our development, and we launched the TGX360 Employment & Entrepreneurship Survey in English and Spanish to capture data and better understand the community’s needs.
On Tuesday, March 29, OUT Georgia held the first TGX360 Town Hall event, highlighting the TGX360 Survey results and next steps for the initiative in 2022/2023. The full presentation and report can be downloaded here.
We’re also proud to announce that OUT Georgia was recently awarded the 2022 National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) & Wells Fargo TGX Initiative Grant, which is the first time funding has been secured to specifically impact our transgender and gender expansive work.
As we celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility, we charge allies to do evaluate and expand what you can do to make a difference in the lives and success of our transgender and gender expansive siblings.
Educate Yourself
Invest the time to educate yourself about transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people. There are so many resources available today to support you in this endeavor, including these tips for allies of transgender people, this guide to being an ally to transgender and nonbinary youth, and this article highlighting how to make transgender employees feel valued at work. Do NOT rely solely on TGX individuals to educate you; over time, that becomes a heavy left. Help us carry that burden by doing your own work.
Educate Others
One of the best ways to remember what you’ve learned is to share it with someone else. So, share with people, in your personal and professional life, the things you’ve learned that can debunk common myths and misperceptions that people have about TGX individuals.
Sponsor a TGX individual
There are multiple ways you can sponsor TGX people, from financially supporting their legal name change, gender marker change and/or birth certificate amendment to recommending them for a promotion in their workplace.
Use Your Pronouns
Display your pronouns in your email signature, LinkedIn profile, Zoom profile, website bios and on your name badge. When everyone shares their pronouns, it becomes the norm, and keeps TGX people from feeling like the odd person out and from having to advocate for our own visibility. If you’re cisgender, remember that you probably have the privilege of having a name, gender expression and vocal register that match cultural assumptions about your gender identity; but not all of us have that. Use this pronoun guide and this document highlighting strategies for inclusion in the workplace.
Don’t Let Offensive Talk Slide
Pushback on offensive jokes and comments, whether you know you’re in the presence of a TGX individual or not. The reality is, you may not know you’re in the presence of someone who’s gender diverse, or the parent or loved one of a TGX person. When someone says something inappropriate, use it as an opportunity to create an educational moment. Say something like, “Speaking of trans people, I recently learned that…” and share something you know to be true. People are more inclined to hear what you have to say when it’s presented as a learning moment instead of as a reprimand. Check out this article highlighting how to combat transphobia in the workplace.
Support Local TGX-Led Organizations
Learn about and support these local TGX-led nonprofit organizations:
- La Gender, Inc.
- Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative
- Southern Fried Queer Pride
- TRANScending Barriers Atlanta
- Trans(Forming)
- Trans Housing Atlanta Program
- Trans Housing Coalition
- Trans Gentlemen of Excellence
- Ubuntu, Inc
About OUT Georgia Business Alliance
OUT Georgia Business Alliance proudly serves as Georgia’s only LGBTQ+ and Allied Chamber of Commerce.
Since 1994, OUT Georgia Business Alliance (formerly the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) has served the LGBTQ+ and Allied business community by advocating for the most inclusive and equitable business environment; providing support and resources to fuel economic growth; and driving meaningful community connections and impact across the State of Georgia.
OUT Georgia Business Alliance is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and is a proud affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. For more information, contact us at OUTGeorgia.org or info@OUTGeorgia.org.