'We exist': Public art project gives India's transgender community a voice

A handful of initiatives are underway in Japan to improve working conditions for members of the LGBTQ community. One, called Work With Pride, organizes an annual International Coming Out Day and educates workplaces on how to create an inclusive space. They have since certified almost 200 employers in LGBTQ-friendliness. Another, called JobRainbow, is an employment agency for LGBTQ and helps organization improve their diversity.

Bebo Haider, a transgender woman, was turned away from beauty salons in Pakistan so many times that she created her own salon open to people from all walks of life. The salon, called "Trawah," opened in January 2019 and aims to serve people from mainstream society as well as trans-communities in order to create a dialogue between the two. The salon also serves as a livelihood for trans people, with 25-35 customers a month, and is also funded by the Sub Rang Society and Oxfam Pakistan.

A program out of Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce called TransWork aims to ease anxieties surrounding the experience of trans people in the workplace. They held a job fair in fall 2019 and educated the employers participating on inclusivity and safety for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming folks. For the attendees, the program helped ease anxieties of having to perform twice as hard and benefitted from resume and interview workshops and a job board. The program has received positive feedback and will continue expanding to offer resources for trans people in Philadelphia.

The Episcopal Church advised Dioceses to be more inclusive of LGBTQIA and differently abled children and youth, particularly in light of the high numbers of LGBTQIA youth suicides. Rather than wait the years it could take for specific how-to guidance, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta trained 30 volunteers to lead “Safeguarding” sessions where church members hear first hand accounts of the needs and concerns of LGBTQIA and differently abled youth and can form relationships with them and their families. The sessions are booked two months out and all clergy in the Diocese are being required to attend in person.

Several individuals and groups like Columbus Community Deathcare and Live Without Regrets doula services are emerging to offer LGBTQ+ people adequate deathcare as they often don’t have access to the same resources, autonomy or dignity as cisgender people. End-of-life doulas and other providers that embrace the Death Positive Movement are offering holistic care that honors a dying person’s wants and needs while respecting their identity.

The state police in Raipur, India, is recruiting transgender candidates to its ranks for the first time. 13 out of the 97 trans women who applied were accepted to the program. The Indian transgender community faces severe discrimination which inhibits their ability to access professional opportunities.

When gentrification made housing unaffordable for many people in Houston's historically Black Third Ward neighborhood, local activists sought remedies beyond standard federal tax incentives for affordable housing. A city-sponsored Community Land Trust developed a plan for more affordable housing. At the same time, a development catering to low-income, older LGBTQ residents, adjacent to the Third Ward, got developed on donated land. Charlotte has many similar challenges, making Houston a model for what is possible.

Artolution provides art education and supplies to Rohingya Survivors in Bangladesh refugee camps, all of whom experienced severe trauma, to create life-affirming and informative murals. Topics range from safe hygiene practices to the dangers of domestic violence. The group trains artists to become muralists and teachers and pays them an annual stipend. The murals help artists heal, provide important public health information to the community, and amplify the cultural traditions they had to hide for so long. The nearly 200 murals are on almost all surfaces of the refugee camp from latrines to “monsoon walls.”

The production model of the documentary Disclosure prioritized diversity, inclusion, and empowering transgender people both on screen and behind the scenes. Over 120 trans people contributed to the film. Nine trans Fellows, many of whom have since made their own films, received stipends, mentoring, hands-on training, and networking opportunities. Trans representation behind the camera increased interviewee openness and all interviewees were compensated for their time. While a controversial practice in documentary film making, it was implemented to avoid exploitative and extractive storytelling practices.

When in-person meetings became impossible during the pandemic, Epicenter's youth-run, drop-in resource center for youth made its LGBTQ+ support group virtual, and attendance went up. The group, called Our Gente, provides a place for youth to support each other. Those trapped at home with families that are unsupportive can still participate online using text chats, rather than having to speak aloud. Youth at the center create their own programming, but work closely with Epicenter's deputy director, who grew up queer, non-binary in a family that at first did not support them.