Today, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), announced the national launch of new I AM: Trans People Speak videos, featuring New York Times bestseller Professor Jennifer Finney Boylan, actress Laverne Cox, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) attorney Noah Lewis, and performance poet Kit Yan. The campaign aims to spotlight the stories of transgender Americans and their allies in an effort to educate the public about transgender issues, as well as speak to transgender youth and adults. The videos’ release coincides with Transgender Awareness Week, a national campaign to raise visibility and awareness of transgender people and issues, Nov. 12 – 19.
“The stories of everyday transgender Americans remain relatively unheard in both national and LGBT media,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “These stories will not only empower members of the transgender community who rarely see relatable stories, but also educate Americans everywhere about the fact that the community is a valuable part of the fabric of our culture. The campaign will also shine a light on the high level of discrimination that our transgender friends, family and neighbors continue to face in schools, the workplace and in their own communities.”
“By providing a place for transgender people, family members and our allies to share their stories, we hope to empower our community and the general public to advocate for transgender equality and move the culture towards acceptance of transgender youth and adults, said Gunner Scott, executive director of MTPC. “With GLAAD’s leadership on this project, we will be educating the public and be a resource to the mainstream media about the reality of transgender peoples’ lives and the unique challenges they face due to pervasive bias, stereotypes and misunderstanding.”
Transgender Awareness Week culminates with the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) Nov. 20. TDOR is an annual observance that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
Out – “You don’t look your age. “