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Helpful Tips for
Providing Access for We are grateful to the youth
of Trans Youth Toronto Remember that gender is self-defined. Sometimes this may not correspond with a person's physical appearance (their birth sex) but service providers need to accept gender identity as defined by the individual rather than by their own perception. This may mean practicing referring to a trans person by their chosen pronoun (he or she) and staff reminding each other when mistakes are made. Transition can take a long time and passing is difficult and expensive and therefore, not a reflection of how "real" or "serious" someone is. With all the discriminationÉ it is very unlikely that anyone would pretend to be trans. Outing yourself as trans does not usually result in invitations to gala luncheons and film premieres! Be proactive and change your intake procedure. Asking new residents if they identify themselves as male, female, or transsexual/transgendered allows a trans person the opportunity to disclose and ask for any services they might need. It also allows for a non-trans person to ask "what's that?!" at which point you can explain. For example, the intake procedure at a women's hostel might include stating that "we have many different women here. We have women of different races, different religions, women with mental health issues, lesbian women, and transsexual women". At which point they could explain what a transsexual woman is, why she might not look like a woman to you, and why she is welcome in a women's hostel. The new resident could then make an informed decision of whether or not to stay. Training, training, training. Contact the Meal Trans Programme at The 519 to schedule workshops for staff and/or residents. A workshop for staff is a good chance for them to ask questions, brainstorm difficult scenarios, and become more confident in their work with members of the trans community. A workshop for residents is a good time for them to meet trans people, ask questions, break stereotypes, and see the ways in which our struggles are not so different. Make changes on paper as well. Staff turnover in the hostel/shelter system can happen pretty quickly so relying solely on the experience of staff will not always work. Make changes to policy that will exist even after knowledgeable staff have moved on. See an example of an effective trans inclusion policy written and adopted by Dixon Hall's Heyworth House Emergency Shelter. Making policy change can be challenging, especially in organizations with a mandate to serve women only. For a useful outline of this process see the Trans Inclusion Policy Manual for Women's Organizations. Make discrimination unwelcome. Work toward a climate where differences are respected. Staff need to take the first step toward this. Having posters, pamphlets, books, or videos about trans people (or diversity in general) sends a strong message about who is welcome. Creating an atmosphere where staff can be "out" about who they are, can sometimes be the first step. Create a safety zone. We realize this may be out of the question for some hostels already struggling with spaceÉbut if your hostel/shelter has an area with semi-private rooms, consider offering this to people (not just trans people) who have greater safety concerns. Just be sure it doesn't get used as a place to segregate people and that a trans person who wanted to stay in a gender specific dorm would still have the support of staff in addressing discrimination. Be sure to remember that the problem lies with the transphobia, and not with the trans person. Acknowledge the many barriers. If residents at your hostel/shelter are expected to work on their goals as part of their stay, be sure to recognise trans specific goals as well. Tasks such as getting a legal name change, getting on hormones, attending regular doctor and counselling appointments can all be quite overwhelming and often need to be completed prior to pursuing other goals such as housing, employment, and education. |
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