UW Combined Fund Drive

May 24, 2022

Amplify transgender voices this Pride month

If you need a refresher on gender terms, Human Rights Campaign has a comprehensive glossary for your reference.

In recognition of the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which – among other factors – prompted the Gay Liberation Movement, June is Pride Month.

Pride month celebrates the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community, honors those whose lives were lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS, and serves as a catalyst for equity advocacy.

We at the UWCFD affirm and celebrate people of all sexual and gender orientations, identities, and expressions.

The June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a weeklong series of protests for gay equality, was prompted in part by the advocacy efforts of Marsha P. Johnson, a self-identified drag queen, AIDS activist and co-founder of the Gay Liberation Front.

Considered a trailblazer as a transgender woman of color fighting for trans rights, Johnson was the probable (but never determined) homicide victim of anti-transgender violence – an issue that today has become an epidemic, particularly aimed at people of color.

In recent legislative sessions around the country, dozens of harmful and discriminatory anti-LGBTQ legislation were proposed. Organizations like the ACLU have been tracking and actively fighting these acts in court. These acts are especially harmful to youth, many of whom report bullying and harassment at school.

A national survey by GLSEN, a nonprofit focused on making America’s schools safer for all, found that regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, 75% of transgender youth feel unsafe in school and 59% are denied access to the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity.

According to research from The Trevor Project, the incredible stress of denying one’s identity and the continuous burden of defending and advocating for themselves, in addition to the increased likelihood of experiencing harassment, are causes of the increased experience of depression, suicidal thought, and hopelessness in transgender youth.

Read more about UWCFD member mental health and wellness organizations

As part of the TransYouth Project, a large-scale, national longitudinal study of more than 300 socially-transitioned transgender children, researchers are finding that transgender youth who feel supported by their families and communities measure closely to the mental health of their cisgender peers.

Allowing transgender youth to participate in sports teams in line with their gender identity, asking youth how they identify and using pronouns, and creating space that offers psychological safety all support avenues for LGBTQ+ youth to thrive in the community.

Outside of the courtroom, there are many actions you can take to protect transgender youth and proudly stand with the LGBTQ+ community this Pride month:

Resources

  • Human Rights Campaign’s Be an Ally – Support Trans Equality resource page  offers a checklist of things you can do to become, or become a better, ally to the transgender/nonbinary community.
  • A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth: It can be tough for transgender and nonbinary people to bear the burden of educating others about their lived experience. This guide will help begin your education on the basics of gender identity and expression.
  • Black and LGBTQ: Approaching Intersectional Conversations – For people who hold multiple marginalized identities, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to explore the layers of these conversations with others — especially those whose lived experiences are different. Here are some approaches to consider before, during, and after a difficult conversation to make sure the dialogue — and your mental health — stays safe.
  • How to Support Bisexual Youth – This guide is an introductory educational resource that covers a wide range of topics and best practices for supporting the bisexual youth in your life, which may include yourself! Educating ourselves is an ongoing practice, and how we define and express identity is an ongoing journey.
  • The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “See Each Other. Save Trans Lives” campaign is amplifying everyday stories of resilience, joy and humanity among the trans community by working to break the connection between anti-trans stigma and violence against the transgender and non-binary community. HRC began tracking fatal violence against trans people in 2013 and has seen a dramatic increase in recent years.
  • LGBTQ+ Student Rights: This guide, created by UWCFD member organizations GLSEN, ACLU, PFLAG, and National Women’s Law Center, outlines LGBTQ+ students’ rights. Anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination is illegal.
  • LGBTQ+ Allyship: How to Show Up for the LGBTQ+ Community, UW Medicine Right as Rain

Support

Consider making a one-time contribution or setting up payroll deduction to one of our CFD member organizations working to positively impact the lives and well-being of LGBTQ+, transgender and gender nonbinary people:

Human Rights Campaign (charity code 0315683): HRC envisions a world where every member of the LGBTQ+ family has the freedom to live their truth without fear, and with equality under the law.

The Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) (charity code 0456944): GLAAD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

GLSEN: Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (charity code 1479258): Eight of ten LGBT students are bullied or harassed in schools. We make America’s schools safer for all, regardless of sexual orientation / gender identity.

Camp Ten Trees (charity code 1468090): Camp Ten Trees offers residential summer camp sessions for LGBTQ+ and allied youth and for children of LGBTQ+ families. Since 2001, Camp Ten Trees has been a place for campers to build skills, strengthen resiliency, and make lifelong friends.

Entre Hermanos (charity code 0524060): Works to improve the health and well-being of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Latino/a community in a safe and culturally appropriate environment.

The Q Center at UW (charity code 0493258): The Q Center is the professionally-supported resource, advocacy, and mentoring center for queer students and concerns at the University of Washington. It provides consulting for various departments on campus with regards to bolstering safety and respect for queer students, and also coordinates numerous programs, social organizations, and educational initiatives.

The Trevor Project (charity code 1479131): The Trevor Project offers life-saving, life-affirming programs and services to LGBTQ youth that create safe, accepting and inclusive environments over the phone, online and through text.

Lambert House (charity code 0320828): Lambert House empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth through the development of leadership, social, and life skills. Online support groups and virtual programming includes BIPOC only youth space, weekly space for LGBTQ+ youth to chat, and interest based activity sessions. Check out all their resources here.