A note on language and perspective: trans and gender diverse people, brother boys, sister girls and two spirit folk have different understandings of the complex and vast experiences of gender than Western structures. Each young person will need something slightly different, so ensure you’re being led by the young person you’re working with.
We see it all the time. To be inclusive, youth organisations create programs and do research with women and nonbinary young people—and lump us all in together.
While their heart is in the right place, using this language and grouping us trans and gender diverse folks with women without acknowledging our unique experiences is harmful and to be honest, feels pretty yuck.
When I was 20 and had only recently come out as nonbinary, I was keen to get involved in advocating for young people's mental health and staying connected during the COVID 19 lockdowns. I joined a women's health organisation’s online program for The x signals that the program is inclusive for anyone identifying as a woman.Womxn’s Health Empowerment.
As a nonbinary young person, I felt included to be a part of the program, as the description said, ‘open to young people who identify as women, gender fluid or non-binary'. But when I attended the 5-week online program, I found myself flinching multiple times; at the assumption that I experienced discrimination or mental health issues in the same way women do.
We didn’t unpack the nuance and complexities that trans and gender diverse young people experience in navigating the world or how protective and lifesaving finding affirming health care is.
I don’t think the facilitators understood that much of my mental health struggles came from society and hetero and cis normativity. Don’t get me wrong, people of all genders are impacted by this, but more resources are used to create women’s health organisations and care, whereas I have to explain, for the fourth time, why there was no chance of me being pregnant even though I was sexually active, to my local GP.
The program helped me feel more connected in an isolating time and gave me a project to channel my passion into. I got a few new tricks to support my mental health, but ultimately, I felt on the outer.
I did what so many of us trans and gender diverse young people do; take what we can and ignore or compartmentalise the microaggressions; every time we are misgendered, feel overlooked or are triggered by language or practice.
Once the program was done, we were invited to give feedback. I am that type of young person that loves giving feedback, so I did. I told them the exclusionary language used throughout the program made me feel othered, invalidated and frustrated.
They accepted the feedback, grateful for the chance to grow their practice, but I wish they had held space for me. I would have liked an apology, for them to ask if I needed any support or even ask more questions about my experience if I felt comfortable to share.
Why someone might say their opportunities or research are for women and/or trans and gender diverse people
- They want to be inclusive but aren’t sure how to include trans and gender diverse young people
- Want to capture the experiences of people who are marginalised
- A young person has come out in a program, and they want them to feel included
- Don’t want to attract public criticism from hate groups
- Lack of funding to create trans and gender diverse only spaces
- Tokenism
Not all these points are negative—wanting to make a program or project more inclusive, dynamic and relevant for young people is a great place to start when building trans and gender diverse safety in your organisation. But there are some vital first steps that need to be taken to avoid the harmful experience I had a few years ago.
How to make programs, projects and research inclusive for trans and gender diverse young people
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Run relevant and appropriate trainings for your organisation and any key workers involved, to ensure workers are confident and empowered to support trans and gender diverse young people
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Ensure there are firm policies in place that prevent discrimination, both in group and from adults
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Include the voices and perspectives of trans and gender diverse young people in the design of your programs and research
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Be clear on the purpose of including trans and gender diverse young people. Is it because you want to capture our unique experience? Orinclude a young person in a program?
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It’s okay to create gendered spaces! If you need to hear from women in relation to health promotion research you’re doing; create a women-only research group (which uses inclusive language, so you hear from all women), or create a trans and gender diverse peer support group for trans folk. Excluding a group of people from something because the content is not relevant or safe for them is not discrimination, let's not be afraid that it is.
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Ensure you have inclusive and safe supports available to participants before, during and after their involvement in your program or research
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Be proactive about receiving feedback from participants on how you can improve inclusive practice- but be sure not to burden young people with educating you on their needs
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Recognise the value of young people’s lived experience by paying them!
Language tip!
You might be inclined to use phrases like 'people with uteruses' or ‘assigned male at birth’ in an effort to be inclusive. You’re just referring to people who have specific body parts, right? But as a trans person, this feels gross. You’re limiting my experiences to that of my body parts, rather than focusing on an experience or piece of knowledge I have.
For me as a trans man, telling me I’m included in a program for people with uteruses is triggering, not only due to the dysphoria I feel around certain parts of my body, but because this signals to me that the important parts of my contribution to a workshop, program or resource comes from how I was born, rather than the skill, knowledge or understanding I have of myself and my place in the world. Instead, we recommend using language like ‘young people with X experience.’
I ask all you amazing workers and volunteers to start thinking deeply about the language you use in your programs, projects and research. Design meaningful inclusive spaces that centre the experiences, desires and passions we have in common, not body parts. Don’t be afraid to create gendered spaces with thought and care.