Cities of Calgary and Edmonton support trans advocacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Thursday, March 28, 2013 -- Alberta
CITIES OF CALGARY AND EDMONTON SUPPORT TRANS ADVOCACY
The Trans Equality Society of Alberta (TESA) is pleased to announce Proclamations from the City of Edmonton and the City of Calgary supporting TESA's efforts to be a witness and a voice for matters concerning trans-identified Albertans.
"As recent debates about the federal Bill C-279 on 'gender identity' show, trans-identified people face many barriers and discriminatory beliefs," says TESA board member Leslea Herber. "TESA is pleased that Alberta's largest cities support efforts to overcome those barriers."
Proclaiming March 31, 2013 as "Trans Day of Visibility" in Calgary, Mayor Naheed Nenshi's proclamation notes that "Trans-identified and gender variant individuals may deal with exclusion based on a lack of recognition and awareness" and that "TESA has come into contact with hundreds of people from Calgary and the rest of Alberta, requesting information and support in efforts to address their identity and the discrimination and marginalization they face ...".
Proclaiming March 31-April 6, 2013 as "Transgender Awareness Week" in Edmonton, Mayor Stephen Mandel's proclamation notes that "citizens of Edmonton have a responsibility to treat all individuals with respect and compassion regardless of background, age, race, sex or gender" and that "lack of recognition of trans-identified and gender variant individuals is a damaging form of gender-based exclusion ...".
"Many trans people remain afraid of the very real consequences of visibility," Herber says. "Someone beginning transition often expresses very legitimate concerns about coming out to their families or their employers. It's quite common to hear personal stories about harassment from friends, family, employers, doctors, and even landlords and others, that begins and continues simply because a person is known to be trans."
Herber hopes that municipal acknowledgement of these issues is a sign that things are improving. "When trans issues are invisible, they're hard to fix," says Herber. "Any time a city, company, union, or even an individual speaks out openly in favour of supporting the right to be treated with respect, we move forward. Speaking out brings all of us a little closer to seeing and fixing the issues. Visibility is a key element to educating the public that Trans people are first and foremost, human beings deserving of human rights."
More information about TESA can be found at www.tesaonline.org
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CITIES OF CALGARY AND EDMONTON SUPPORT TRANS ADVOCACY
The Trans Equality Society of Alberta (TESA) is pleased to announce Proclamations from the City of Edmonton and the City of Calgary supporting TESA's efforts to be a witness and a voice for matters concerning trans-identified Albertans.
"As recent debates about the federal Bill C-279 on 'gender identity' show, trans-identified people face many barriers and discriminatory beliefs," says TESA board member Leslea Herber. "TESA is pleased that Alberta's largest cities support efforts to overcome those barriers."
Proclaiming March 31, 2013 as "Trans Day of Visibility" in Calgary, Mayor Naheed Nenshi's proclamation notes that "Trans-identified and gender variant individuals may deal with exclusion based on a lack of recognition and awareness" and that "TESA has come into contact with hundreds of people from Calgary and the rest of Alberta, requesting information and support in efforts to address their identity and the discrimination and marginalization they face ...".
Proclaiming March 31-April 6, 2013 as "Transgender Awareness Week" in Edmonton, Mayor Stephen Mandel's proclamation notes that "citizens of Edmonton have a responsibility to treat all individuals with respect and compassion regardless of background, age, race, sex or gender" and that "lack of recognition of trans-identified and gender variant individuals is a damaging form of gender-based exclusion ...".
"Many trans people remain afraid of the very real consequences of visibility," Herber says. "Someone beginning transition often expresses very legitimate concerns about coming out to their families or their employers. It's quite common to hear personal stories about harassment from friends, family, employers, doctors, and even landlords and others, that begins and continues simply because a person is known to be trans."
Herber hopes that municipal acknowledgement of these issues is a sign that things are improving. "When trans issues are invisible, they're hard to fix," says Herber. "Any time a city, company, union, or even an individual speaks out openly in favour of supporting the right to be treated with respect, we move forward. Speaking out brings all of us a little closer to seeing and fixing the issues. Visibility is a key element to educating the public that Trans people are first and foremost, human beings deserving of human rights."
More information about TESA can be found at www.tesaonline.org
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