GLAAD and the MTPC (the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition) have released four new videos for the I AM: Trans People Speak campaign, as first reported by BuzzFeed. The I AM: Trans People Speak campaign, started locally by MTPC, 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. These latest videos feature prominent transgender advocates sharing their experiences and views, including 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. You can participate in the I AM: Trans People Speak campaign by submitting your own video here.
The release of these new videos coincides with Transgender Awareness Week, (November 12-19), when individuals and organizations around the country work to raise the visibility of transgender people and the issues they face. Transgender Awareness Week culminates with the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors those whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence.
"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."
For those in Massachusetts, you can attend Fenway Health's event for Transgender Awareness Week that will feature videos from the I AM: Trans People Speak campaign. You can find out more about Transgender Awareness Week and the Transgender Day of Remembrance by visiting www.glaad.org/transawarenessweek and www.glaad.org/tdor.
