Ways to help the transgender community
I’ve recently researched different things that we can do in order to help and support transgender people. An article posted on GLAAD, a website dedicated to tackling tough issues in the transgender community, lists different tips to use when talking to a transgender person. For one, you shouldn’t make assumptions about a transgender person’s sexual orientation. Gender identity is different than sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is about who we’re attracted to. Gender identity is about our own personal sense of being male or female. Transgender people can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many transgender people aren’t comfortable with everyone knowing that they are transgender. You should not share with others a trans person’s information, considering that this is an invasion of privacy and can have negative consequences for the transgender person. Trans people could lose their jobs, housing, friends, or even their lives when be exposed of their identity.
You should also respect the terminology a transgender person uses to describe their identity. There are many different terms that the trans community uses to describe their identity, such as transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, cross-dresser, etc. If a person isn’t sure what label best identifies them yet, give them time to figure it out for themselves.