Breaking the Binary – Personal Reflections

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Written by Bek Rengel (They/Them) and Alex Gibbings (They/Them)

Trans Awareness Week spans from November 13th to 19th and culminates in Trans Day of Remembrance on the 20th. It’s a time to commemorate lives lost to anti-transgender violence and it’s also a call to action. This week urges us to confront the political, legal, and societal challenges that persistently face the trans and gender-diverse community. Against the backdrop of a year marked by alarming increases in hate crimes, political assaults on trans rights, and media vitriol directed at this marginalized group, we wanted to share our personal reflections on navigating struggles and trans joy. 

Facing Struggles: Navigating Challenges (Alex) 

With so much hate targeted towards trans people through media and a cultivated culture war, it can be hard to keep good spirits. I have been finding it harder to navigate myself in my career, my social circles and, generally, my life. Every day I am facing some form of hate whether it is direct or indirect and I know this is the same for many trans people during this time. However, my saving grace, my ability to navigate these situations and maintain my bubbly personality has been through the support I gain from my community.   

Coming from a small village in South Wales, I never saw myself represented. Therefore, it took me longer than most people to find others like me and to gain friends that shared my experiences. I know this is the case for many trans people and I know there’s been research on queer identities in rural areas but why should queer people move into cities to feel a sense of belonging? I guess that’s another question for another day. Anyway, it took me until I was 22 to finally live as my authentic self. Why did it take me so long? Why did I not live authentically before? I know these are questions I repeatedly asked myself, but the answer is as simple as this; I did not see people like me growing up. I did not see trans people on tv, I did not see trans people in the community I grew up in, it was not until I was 22 years old that I would finally meet someone like me. The relief this gave me to feel included and not on the outskirts. To feel like I was not abnormal and to feel I belonged. It was amazing to finally not feel alone. This representation mattered to me and was enough for me to start navigating the challenges trans people too often face and declare my authenticity.  

I guess what I’m trying to say through this short piece is that I am now able to navigate the challenges, the hate, the constant berating in media for political gain because I have representation and a supportive community. Representation of people matter, and I am so thankful to all the trans people before me that have given me the privilege to be my authentic self. However, not everything is a struggle and there is so much joy that comes with being trans.  

Trans Joy: Shattering Stereotypes (Bek) 

Contrary to the narrative often perpetuated by the media and anti-trans hate groups, being trans or gender-diverse is not synonymous with misery. The prevalent fear expressed by families—of loneliness, lack of companionship, and a bleak future—is an outdated perspective. 

For myself and so many other trans people, being trans and non-binary is a source of profound joy! I have found it deeply liberating to live authentically with the right name, correct pronouns and access to essential gender-affirming healthcare. I’ve found an amazing sense of community, meeting so many incredible trans and gender diverse people as part of the committee of Trans Pride South West, Bristol’s local trans pride organisation. Working with a group that is deeply committed to improving the lives of trans and gender diverse people in the region through events and advocacy has given me the confidence to live more openly and authentically.  

I recognise that I speak from a place of privilege that is not afforded to every trans and gender diverse person. I want to use my privilege to create a world where those people can experience trans joy and live authentically. To accomplish that, we need the support of cisgender (non-trans) people. I encourage you to read personal stories, educate yourself about the challenges facing our community, and speak up for us when we can’t do it ourselves.  

A fantastic starting point is supporting local trans prides such as Trans Pride South West—whether through donations, volunteering, or attending events throughout November 2023. By actively engaging with our community, you can not only gain insight into our experiences but also share in the celebration of trans joy! 

Trans Day of Remembrance 

Now we have discussed the ways we have navigated challenges and we have found an abundance of joy in being trans, it is important to not forget those that have unfortunately lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence. I remember my first experience of attending a vigil for Trans Day of Remembrance. During the vigil we read out the names of people who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence in the last year and I remember hearing the name of someone who happened to have the same name as one of my close friends. It hit me hard and I felt sorrow and fear that next year I could be at another vigil hearing his name read out. These feelings are often a sad reality for trans people as each loss of a member of our community is one of profound sorrow. We mourn those who are now gone, and we commit to strive relentlessly to improve the lives for the living.  

Join us in creating a world where authenticity is met with understanding and joy for every individual, regardless of their gender identity. 

Black Horror: Pam Grier, Voodoo Queen

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By Jasmine Gurung

This is a picture of Lisa Fortier (played by Pam Grier) in Scream Blacula Scream 1973. The picture depicts Lisa Fortier stood in a dark shadow filled room. Her hair is in afro style and she dressed in black with a red scarf around her neck. She is holding what looks to be a male doll and is staring intently at it.
Lisa Fortier (Pam Grier) in Scream Blacula Scream, directed by Bob Kelljan, American International Pictures, 1973.

There has been a shift in horror in recent years with filmmakers like Jordan Peele flipping the script and writing horror with fully fleshed out Black protagonists. In his work, Peele often depicts Black people being misled or tricked by their white counterparts, as in the modern classic Get Out (2017). His stories are radical, highlighting the scary reality of living as a Black person in America. This wave of revisionist Black horror has been seen before with blaxploitation horror movies made in the 1970s – a genre of films influenced by the Black Power movement and with predominantly African American casts. Although controversial for their representation of crime, the films make a point to lean into and reclaim stereotypes that the white media projected onto them.

Perhaps the most important actress in the blaxploitation genre, Pam Grier played the powerful heroines in Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974) – and inspired Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997). By taking on these roles, Grier challenged both the racial stereotypes and sexism that Black actresses faced at the time. In Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973), the sequel to Blacula (1972), she plays Lisa Fortier, the apprentice of the Voodoo queen, Mama Loa. Recognising her rare combination of intelligence, strength, and respect for the traditions of their craft, the dying queen chooses Lisa as her successor. Lisa goes through an empowering narrative arc that symbolises the passing of knowledge and responsibility between women, one generation to the next. Pam Grier is fantastic: her portrayal of Lisa is fearless and sexy, and she brings both beauty and resilience to the heroine. Carving her own mark onto a genre that was pioneering in its own right, Grier is an icon you should definitely watch on screen this Black History Month.

Further Black horror viewing for Halloween:

Scream Blacula Scream (1973) available on YouTube

Ganja & Hess (1973) available via Kanopy

Sugar Hill (1974) available via Internet Archive

Get Out (2017) available via Box of Broadcasts

Candyman (2021) available via Box of Broadcasts

Taking Action! The political life of Christa Wolf in her own words

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By Machaela Nicholls

Screenshot of Christa Wolf, from Time Loops: In Conversation with Christa Wolf (1990), directed by Karlheinz Mund, DEFA Film Library.

Christa Wolf was a revolutionary German novelist whose personal writings empowered the German people to stand up against oppression and the patriarchal society. In Time Loops: In Conversation with Christa Wolf (1990), we are allowed into Wolf’s home as she tells us of her involvement within the political sphere and the change she helped to enact.

We are shown archive footage from political and literary meetings alongside in-home interviews. Some of this is interlaced with Wolf’s voice-over reading from her novels and speeches. Through this we gain understanding of what inspired her artistic work.

She explains that she writes from a very personal place and is constantly questioning herself, which she brings into her writing. She talks about the effect growing up in Nazi Germany had on her writing and how she always advocated for a better government. Wolf is also inspired by love in her writing, stating that writing would suffer without love and that you need love to be able to write.

Wolf also advocates for women’s rights and the importance of women having a voice. This led her to founding a woman’s writing club in the 1980s where they would meet and discuss politics and their artistic work.

This film brings a voice to a great woman whose involvement in politics and writing changed Germany for the better. She decided to take action even when she felt that everyone was against her.

You can watch Time Loops: In Conversation with Christa Wolf on Kanopy

Further viewing:

Divided Heaven (1963) – based on Wolf’s novel, Der geteilte Himmel, directed by Konrad Wolf

All My Girls (1979) – directed by Iris Gusner

35 Photos (1984) and Winter Adé (1988) – directed by Helke Misselwitz

Celebrating the Women behind the Camera

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By Machaela Nicholls

Screenshot from Women Behind the Camera, written, directed and produced by Alexis Krasilovsky, Canyon Cinema Foundation.

Women Behind the Camera (2007) is a film made by women for women. It brings to the forefront the pioneering women who pursued a life of camerawork in a male-dominated profession. It takes us all around the world, interviewing an array of inspiring women including Agnès Varda, Joan Giummo, Brianne Murphy, Hilda Mercado and Leelaben Paben as well as many others.

The film is broken up into chapters, with each one delving into different aspects of what being a camerawoman has been like, drawing on archive and on-set footage as well as interviews. This ranges from the struggles within the industry, to balancing being a mother and a cinematographer to the distinct visual styles they have. For example, Lisa Rinzler tried to create a sense of heightened reality when working on Menace II Society (1997); taking a liking to this type of cinematography, she focuses on giving each shot meaning.

These women tell us their stories of getting into the industry. They faced sexism, racism, discrimination, and sexual harassment. They persevered despite all the hardships and kept going. Many men in the industry told them they didn’t belong or ignored them all together – but they kept fighting for equality. This led to the founding of Behind the Lens in 1984, an organisation created by women who struggled to find work, in order to support and promote each other.

We hear these women’s voices and hear their inspiring stories. They advocate for women’s involvement in film and call for more women’s voices to be heard as they are so incredibly valuable. This is an excellent celebration of women and of a profession that is often pushed into the background. Here, we finally see the women behind the lens, who help tell our stories.

You can watch Women Behind the Camera on Kanopy.

Further viewing and reading

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) (2019), cinematographer Lisa Rinzler, available on Kanopy Nikki Baughan (2018) ‘17 Female Cinematographers to Celebrate

Sisters with Transistors – electronic music’s forgotten pioneers

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By Grace Woodwards

Screenshot of Maryanne Amacher from Sisters with Transistors (2020), directed by Lisa Rovner, Aspect Ratio Films.

Lisa Rovner’s first feature documentary, Sisters with Transistors (2020), takes us through the forgotten history of pioneering women who shaped electronic music. From mathematicians to classical musicians, the history of electronic music is one of discovery and experimentation but also the erased relationship between women and technology. Delicately narrated by Laurie Anderson, a pioneer herself, Sisters with Transistors presents us with another case of women finding their own space in industries dominated by men.

From rare footage of Clara Rockmore expertly playing the theremin (an instrument played without physical contact) to Delia Derbyshire’s iconic composition of the Doctor Who theme, this documentary foregrounds the intelligence, charisma and determination of women directing the evolution of sound, from the post-war and countercultural period, into what we recognise today. However, their careers were not always taken seriously or credited. When Bebe Barron and her husband, Louis Barron, composed the first all-electronic film score for Forbidden Planet (1956), it was not taken seriously by executives simply for being ‘electronic’. Suzanne Ciani describes the preconceptions of being a female music composer, walking into studios where men assumed she was a singer.

Rovner lets the pioneers talk for themselves through archival footage. Her articulate and understated filmmaking is like viewing a postcard. The quality of many of these clips is like watching stagnant time, but seeing these pioneering women move freely and passionately with technology is as liberating as their discoveries. Their remarkable lives and hard work are lifted off the screen by the dissonant, vibrating and oscillating sounds of their machines.

You can watch Sisters with Transistors on Kanopy.

Further viewing:

The Sensual Nature of Sound (2005) – Dir. Michael Blackwood

The Girls in the Band: Female Jazz Musicians (2013) – Dir. Judy Chaikin

Bombshell (2017) – Dir. Alexandra Dean

How Fairtrade transforms the lives of women

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By Charlotte Woods – former Sustainable Development in Practice masters student

As it stands, we live in a world where women do not share the same level of protections, treatment, or respect as their male counterparts. This unfair treatment is recognised globally as unacceptable witness goal 5 ‘Gender equality’ of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and action must be taken to create a fairer world. In this blog we explore how Fairtrade is tackling the issue.

The Picture is taken from a Fairtrade Campaign. It reads ‘She Deserves a Living Income – Don’t feed exploitation, choose Fairtrade’.

First a bit of background on how Fairtrade works: it is a globally recognised set of standards which are geared towards supporting the sustainable development of small producers and agricultural workers in developing countries. The Fairtrade certification system ensures that producers comply with these standards to promote fairness and equality for all workers and to guarantee workers’ rights, safe working conditions and payment of a living wage.

Fairtrade is dedicated to providing woman and girls with more opportunities and skills to empower them in all aspects of life so that they can to thrive. One in five Fairtrade farmers are women, and nearly 50% of those working for other producers. With this reach, Fairtrade can be a really powerful tool in tackling gender discrimination.

For many years, the Fairtrade Foundation has implemented their own gender policy; as provided for in Principle 6, there is a commitment to gender equality and non-discrimination throughout the entire supply chain, making sure women and girls can participate equally and have access to all the Fairtrade benefits.

By incorporating the Fairtrade Premium as part of the conditions of achieving their accreditation, Fairtrade has provided an effective vehicle to support women. The premium is extra money paid on top of the selling price that farmers and workers can invest in development programmes of their choice to build for the future in their communities. The funds help to support welfare and development programmes such as education for woman in the latest technology and finance to enable girls to go to schools. In recent times, a greater priority is being given to woman to enable them to express their experiences and give them a platform to voice their desires and dreams. Putting woman at the centre of the conversation, Fairtrade emphasises the need to empower woman at all levels of their lives.

As a result, women in Fairtrade are challenging gender-based patterns and fighting for their right to ownership. For example, in 2014, 470 women overcame historic landownership constraints and became the first Indonesian all-woman coffee cooperative. For the first time this gave them independence and power over trading operations and income, rightfully, allowing them the opportunity to decide their future.

Crucially, these steps have given women the self-confidence, knowledge, and skills to stand up for themselves. They have set standards that can help influence other women around the world and influence future generations to take action.

While we are still a long way off, Fairtrade is allowing woman to be seen and heard and providing them with security and protection within work that will continue to make positive future changes.

To help make those changes purchase fairtrade products and support a positive change towards equality and sustainability. We must work together to continue this change.

For more information see https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/six-ways-fairtrade-is-empowering-women/

Committed: Bringing a Stylistic Flare to The Dark Tale of a Hollywood Great

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Written by Harris Montgomery

Screenshot from Committed (1987), directed by Sheila McLaughlin and Lynne Tillman, First Run Features. 

Acclaimed novelist and cultural critic Lynne Tillman and feminist director Sheila McLaughlin combined creative forces to direct this stylised biographical piece that depicts the involuntary commitment of famed actress Frances Farmer. Noted for her work across numerous films and theatre productions, Farmer also gained notoriety for her public image, which was centred around her leftist political views. McLaughlin and Tillman’s expert directing shines new light on the tale, providing particular contexts that help to portray Farmer’s thinking and powerful persona.  

The film presents a strong protagonist/antagonist dynamic. Frances, portrayed excellently by McLaughlin, is painted as a beacon of charisma throughout the narrative struggles. The ‘men in suits’ approach to the dominant male ideology, highlights those in power as oppressive clones who constantly try to gaslight Farmer; and other women like her, into believing a diagnosis of mental illness purely for questioning the social norms. Their constant discussions of ‘freedom’ amidst their role as gatekeepers adds an undeniably humorous hint of irony, and the manner in which the narrative recounts Farmer’s life hammers home her position as a victim of society. 

The film’s stylistic choices capture the bleak nature of its events. The lack of score forces its audience to listen to the discussions it portrays, highlighting the importance of the injustice that unravels on screen. The monochrome cinematography enforces the contrasts between light and darkness, emphasising the social conflict that acts as a backdrop to the unjust events inflicted upon Farmer. The runtime of 75 minutes makes McLaughlin and Tillman’s writing efforts all the more impressive, pulling no punches and portraying its message with intense efficiency.  

You can watch Committed on Kanopy

Further Viewing: 

She Must Be Seeing Things (1987) – directed by Sheila McLaughlin  

An Angel at My Table (1990) – directed by Jane Campion  

Committed to gender equality? Learn more about Athena Swan at UWE.

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Athena Swan is a charter mark that drives UWE’s work on gender equality. The Athena SWAN Steering Group leads the application to the charter mark and ensures the development of strategic actions. The team are currently seeking new members from across the university to support UWE’s gender equality journey in a number of departments. This will be an excellent development opportunity, for those committed to advocating for equality, diversity and inclusion. 

What is Athena Swan? 

Athena Swan is a global charter mark, used in the higher education sector to support and transform gender equality. It is a framework to recognise gender equality efforts, and also helps institutions identify areas of development. Athena SWAN awards usually last five years and applications require institutions to submit gender-disaggregated data and provide an action plan, outlining key objectives for gender equality. During renewal processes, applicants must assess their development against their action plans. A key outcome is to ensure universities can be held accountable against their proposed action plans. As a Steering Group member, you will ensure the university is ambitious in its approach to progressing towards gender equality goals, feeding back concerns at a high level, and sharing best practices.  

Athena Swan at UWE 

UWE’s action plan, created in 2017, maps out key focus areas including; addressing issues related to the intersection of gender and ethnicity, reducing gender pay gaps, improving gender balances in promotional rounds and increasing awareness of family-friendly policies.  

The university currently holds a Bronze award at institutional award and several awards at departmental level: 

  • Department of Health and Social Science (Bronze) 
  • Departments of Allied Health Professions and Nursing and Midwifery (Bronze) 
  • Department of Engineering, Design and Mathematics (Bronze) 
  • Architecture and the Built Environment (Bronze) 
  • Applied Sciences (Silver) 

Due to the upcoming re-structure within the university, these awards will be extended to allow colleges and schools to align. During this transition process, the Steering Group is responsible for ensuring that the university continues to have a robust approach to developing the outputs mapped out in the action plan.  

UWE’s Athena Swan steering group 

The Athena Swan Steering group is currently chaired by Martin Augustus and Sarah Grabham, and the Vice-chair is Clare Wilkinson. Suzanne Carrie and Vicky Swinerd are key representatives from EDI and Grace Biddulph is the EDI officer for the meetings. The Steering Group is made up of colleagues from across the university all working on gender equality. Currently, topics on our meetings agendas are family-associated leave, the impacts of COVID on different genders, trans health care provisions, levels of women in promotional rounds and much more.

The Steering Group should be representative of the university community and have at least two representatives from each department (soon to be college) and service across campuses. We are particularly keen to have representatives who may have lived experience of a protected characteristic (for example, race, sexual orientation or disability) but welcome applications from anyone interested in getting involved. Members may be designated areas of responsibility and should represent a mixture of grades and roles representing different stages of the career ladder, including students. As this work is focused on gender equality, we particularly welcome staff who identify with diverse gender identities, expressions or sexual orientations, for example, people who identify as trans, non-binary or gay. 

“Athena Swan is an important part of our university commitment to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion. Colleagues from all areas across the University play an important role in championing and embedding gender equality, enabling us to continually challenge ourselves to strive for excellence”. 

Amanda Coffey, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost

What next? 

Vacancies are currently available in:

  • Art and Design  
  • Education and Childhood
  • Business and Management
  • Law
  • Computer Science and Creative Technologies
  • EDM
  • School of Health and Social Wellbeing
  • Applied Sciences
  • Research Representative
  • Awards Officer
  • Marketing
  • HR

For an informal discussion about the roles please contact Martin Augustus (Martin.Augustus@uwe.ac.uk) or Sarah Grabham (Sarah.Grabham@uwe.ac.uk). 

Applications should be submitted to the EDI team on edi@uwe.ac.uk by Friday 20th May using the expression of interest form (Word). Please ensure you check with your line manager if this role is suited to your work commitments. Please state which vacancy you are applying for. 

Currently, meetings are held online on teams. We expect new members joining to be available for an initial in-person meeting, to meet peers and the Athena Swan team. This will take place Tuesday 14th June, 12-1pm.  


An Evening of Gender Exploration Through Performance and Art.  

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Continuing conversations after LGBTQ+ History Month, Arnolfini hosted an evening of visual work which included a performance of ‘Beyond the Buzzwords’ by internationally renowned queer artist and icon, Del LaGrace Volcano.  This was a collaboration with UWE’s School of Art & Designs Visual Culture Research Group and Social Sciences Research Group.



The evening was opened by UWE’s Rachel Miles, Senior Lecturer of Visual Culture, and Bristol performance artist Tom Marshman with a rendition of ‘Deuce 2’. The performance explored gender and sexuality whilst growing up in the 80s. The performance focused on finding solidarity and friendship in other LGBTQ+ individuals and was structured around a Vanity Fair cover, released in 1993, with Kd Lang and Cindy Crawford. The image was deemed progressive for the time for being a visual representation of queer relationships in media. 

Next up was Del LaGrace Volcano, an international photographer known for their work documenting LGBTQ+ lives, and promoting queer culture. Del LaGrace shared their creative inspiration, which is embedded in the firm belief in non-hierarchal societies and relationships. Their feminist methodology centralises working with people, rather than objectifying bodies as sites for consumption. Del La Grace talked openly about ageing, relationships, raising children as non-binary and the societal resistance they have faced in this decision. 

Del LaGrace shared their personal and professional journey through imagery, with an expansive archive of photographs taken throughout their career. From growing up attending political and civil rights events to years attending art school in San Francisco, Del LaGrace portrays the often-overlooked LGBTQ+ communities in America since the 80s. They also shared multiple, powerful images of global pride marches with well-known icons such as Ian McKellen.    

Del LaGrace was assigned female at birth but now identifies as a gender queer, intersex artist. They have focused on raising awareness of intersex, queer, trans and marginalised lives through photography, focusing on portrait images and images of the body as a site for exploration and expression. Threaded throughout the talk was the consistent message of making queer bodies more visible, and how they have been historically contested in media and society. They discussed the use of photography as a form of activism and as a way of celebrating gender non-conformity.  

The event was attended by UWE staff and students and the general public. Thank you to the event organisers for an insightful and engaging evening. You can read an interview with Del LaGrace Volcano, with Bristol magazine, 24/7 here.  

Why Transgender Day of Visibility matters

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by Cal Russell-Thompson, Project Officer, FBL

Transgender Day of Visibility takes place on 31st March. It was founded in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall to celebrate transgender and nonbinary people – and mark their struggle for civil rights around the world.

What is being transgender?

Gender identity is who you are, your self-perception, and how you would describe yourself.

Most people feel comfortable with the gender assigned to them at birth based on their primary sexual characteristics (cisgender).

Some people are transgender (trans). Trans women are typically presumed to be male at birth, but actually feel feminine, and would much rather live as women. Meanwhile, trans men are typically presumed to be female at birth, but actually feel masculine, and would much rather live as men.

In addition, some people are nonbinary, meaning they don’t see themselves as strictly “male” or “female”.

Each trans and nonbinary person is unique, and the community is as diverse as any other. Being trans and nonbinary is not a “new” phenomenon; gender fluidity has a documented history spanning thousands of years, and is likely as old as human society.

What’s it like being trans in the UK?

It would be amazing for Transgender Day of Visibility to be a simple day of celebration. But while public attitudes are broadly positive, two thirds of British trans people still hide their identity, fearing that others might react negatively.

Many things motivate this fear. 25% of British trans people have experienced homelessness, while 28% have faced domestic abuse from a partner. Transphobic hate crime is also increasing, with trans people in England and Wales currently twice as likely to suffer crime. There’s also been an increase in negative coverage of trans people in British media over the last decade.

This is complicated further by legal barriers to recognition. You still can’t legally self-define your gender outside of the “male” and “female” binary; and if you’re a trans man or woman, you still can’t legally change your gender without medical permission.

Sadly, these system-wide factors have exacerbated poor mental health outcomes for many trans and nonbinary people in the UK.

What does the future look like?

There are glimmers of hope. Social attitudes are changing, and this is beginning to have an impact. A recent employment tribunal ruling extended protection against workplace discrimination to nonbinary and genderfluid people. Eventually, medical barriers to gender recognition will likely disappear altogether, as in countries like Norway, Brazil, France, India, and Ireland. And as trans and nonbinary voices become more prominent in the media, the world will start to feel like a safer place to come out.

So, there does appear to be a better future for trans and nonbinary people. But it can only be realised if progress continues to be made in how society represents, treats, and understands us.

It is for this reason that we celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility: as a reminder of how far we’ve come, and how far we have to go.

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