6 things you may be able to do RIGHT NOW for transgender Americans
This is just one 30-something trans guy’s non-expert opinion. But we’re in crisis, and every little bit counts.
1. Delete the Facebook app once per month.
Choose one app from Instagram, Facebook, or X to uninstall from your phone on the spur of the moment, one time per month (or week).
Touch and hold until that little menu pops up, drag the icon into the trash, or whatever your device requires. You can always re-install and log back in later if you want to. In the best case, you never needed the app to begin with. And in the worst case, five more precious minutes were spent not feeding the feeds in this futile fight that trans people didn’t sign up for.
They say that all press is good press, but I’ve come to believe that this notion only applies to the powerful. For the most vulnerable, it feels like the absolute opposite is true.
So take a moment, take a breath, and opt out. Well-intentioned scrolling and white knighting just emboldens more backlash (have you ever once witnessed a change of heart in the middle of a comment thread?), and the trans community is paying the price in real life, again and again.
So, please: delete one app for us.
Here’s a recurring Google calendar reminder that you can copy for yourself.
2. Make sure you TRULY understand us.
If I told you that I am a “gender non-conforming trans man,” would you confidently know what I mean by that?
Take five minutes — right now, after work, or this weekend — and learn at least one new thing about the trans community and our incredible variety of experiences.
Try skimming at least one of these:
- The Our Trans Loved Ones PDF from PFLAG
- A primer on biochemical dysphoria
- The lived experience of a gender non-conforming trans person (spoiler: it’s me, but I’ve gotten good feedback on this one and really think it might help.)
- A short summary of Gender Identity vs. Gender Expression
3. Support overseas work for your transgender employees who wish to emigrate.
Many of us feel bound by the relative security of our jobs and wouldn’t dream of leaving our companies in a different world. But for a lot of us, it really has come to that point.
So, depending on the industry, one of the best things you can do now as an employer is make a concrete plan to support remote work outside the U.S. Delegate someone (or two) to begin the research this week — or to lay out the steps this quarter.
You might consider:
- Digital nomad visas, such Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa or Iceland’s long-term visa for remote work
- The Employer of Record pathway
- Financial or social support to relocate within the United States in the near term (e.g., a move from Texas to Colorado or from Florida to Massachusetts)
- Creative solutions, like short-notice, judgement-free time off to reduce moving stress — or even a period of unpaid leave to keep future possibilities open
If you’re outside the U.S., you can get creative, too. If nothing else, make sure your applicant tracking system isn’t automated to immediately exclude candidates who don’t (yet) have a work permit in your location.
4. Be your trans loved one’s travel agent.
You don’t have to be an employer to help someone feel a little safer and more grounded. If your trans loved one has expressed a desire to leave the United States, ask them (in specific, concrete terms) if you can:
- Help book a temporary stay (hotel, Airbnb, friend abroad, or otherwise) for a few weeks in a safer location that they can use as a logistical home base during the tourist visa period.
- Research and recommend specific legal or immigrant-focused organizations that can help them once they arrive in the target country.
- Offer to make calls or write emails that connect them directly to such an organization — and keep following up until the right paperwork is in motion.
…and those are just a few ideas.
It’s hard to even begin to answer “how can I help?” when your world is already being taken apart.
Having someone’s back — and taking on some of the logistical or social burden yourself — might mean the world to a trans person in your life, even if they don’t have the right words to ask for it outright.
5. Donate $1 or $5 right now to an organization that supports transgender people.
You don’t have to make it recurring. Just take fifteen seconds to find and confirm the “one time” option, and go for it. Type in a smaller number if the suggested amounts are too much.
Here are the donation pages for a few of my favorites:
6. Buy a piece of LGBTQ+ art.
Does your city have a local maker’s market? Start with an afternoon walk there today, tomorrow, this weekend, or next month.
If your town has a website or a calendar of events, open a tab next to this one and find it. Invite an acquaintance or colleague for a coffee and meet up.
