TRANSGENDER AWARENESS WEEK: GLAAD RELEASES RESOURCES FOR JOURNALISTS, ELEVATES CONVERSATIONS WITH TRANSGENDER THOUGHT LEADERS, AND HIGHLIGHTS TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Transgender Awareness Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of transgender people, and an opportunity to address barriers to the safety, equality and acceptance for all transgender people, including youth and families. It is commemorated every year from November 13-19.

GLAAD: “Research from GLAAD shows that fewer than 30% of non-LGBTQ Americans personally know someone who is transgender. That means accurate, varied, and authentic  representation in news, entertainment, and social media is critical to becoming more familiar with  transgender people and the realities of our lives. Transgender Awareness Week is an annual reminder of transgender people’s contributions to society as family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, even as they face relentless attacks and consistent violence, baseless anti-trans legislation, and vitriolic rhetoric online and in the real world. GLAAD’s resources offer an opportunity for people to see and hear transgender people through media, and help celebrate their rightful place in all communities.”

(Monday, November 13, 2023) GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is releasing comprehensive resources for Transgender Awareness Week to inform the media and the public about the experiences and contributions of transgender people, even as they face an onslaught of anti-transgender legislation.

“Research from GLAAD shows that fewer than 30% of non-LGBTQ Americans personally know someone who is transgender,” Alex Schmider, Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD, said. “That means accurate, varied, and authentic  representation in news, entertainment, and social media is critical to becoming more familiar with  transgender people and the realities of our lives. Transgender Awareness Week is an annual reminder of transgender people’s contributions to society as family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, even as they face relentless attacks and consistent violence, baseless anti-trans legislation, and vitriolic rhetoric online and in the real world. GLAAD’s resources offer an opportunity for people to see and hear transgender people through media, and help celebrate their rightful place in all communities.”

Resources include:

• A 3-part video series: “Community Conversations: Wellness and Justice in the Trans Community with GLAAD and Arianna’s Center, Powered by Gilead,” to discuss legislation targeting transgender people, the fight for social justice in the trans community and for people living with HIV, and mental health Participants include GLAAD consultant and writer Raquel Willis (The Risk It Takes to Bloom); activist Daniela Arroyo from Puerto Rico and Arianna’s Center of South Florida; Tori Cooper, Transgender Justice Initiative Director at the Human Rights Campaign; Peppermint, Actress and GLAAD Board Member; Schuyler Bailar, author (He/She/They) and former NCAA athlete; and health care providers from the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The conversations are available on GLAAD’s YouTube.
• Comprehensive information for media and the public on transgender people, terminology and topics via GLAAD’s Trans Awareness Week Resource Page
• GLAAD’s LGBTQ Books and Authors Showcase, celebrating LGBTQ writers and stories, which are among the most challenged and banned in the U.S. The month of November will specifically feature transgender voices, including Tre’vell Anderson, Schuylar Bailar, Katie Barnes, Munroe Bergdorf, Elliot Page, Geena Rocero, Amy Schneider, and Raquel Willis.
• Guidance for parents about transgender and gender nonconforming people and youth, and how their voices and views must be included in any discussion of “parents’ rights”
• Recommendations for allies of transgender people to advocate for their acceptance and safety
• GLAAD curated IMDb list of must-see films and documentaries featuring trans characters, protagonists and stories on IMDbPro and highlighted on the home page.

• Virtual conversation hosted by Rotten Tomatoes and the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (NLGJA) will examine the double-edged sword of visibility with trans and nonbinary journalists and thought leaders. Alex Schmider, Director of Transgender Representation, will join Tre’vell Anderson, Raquel Willis, Kristal Sotomayer, Oliver-Ash Kleine, and Sophie-Marie Prime, moderator and critic community manager at Rotten Tomatoes. Register here to watch and listen.
• GLAAD co-hosts screenings of BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER in New York and Los Angeles, featuring four protagonists Chin, Octavio, Trevon, and Kisha from the seminal documentary THE AGGRESSIVES. Two decades later, we are reunited with them as they reflect on and envision their futures as trans masculine people of color.

Transgender Awareness Week leads into Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th. GLAAD will again host its Digital Vigil, honoring the transgender people killed by violence over the last year, including the ClubQ deadly shooting one year ago on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance.