Today marks a time to celebrate trans and non-binary people and to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by the community. It is an opportunity for allies to learn more about how they can offer support.
We spoke to Chaz from akt, who told us about their Trans pathway project. It is a targeted service for trans young people who are facing homelessness, or living in a hostile environment, in Manchester. It allows young people to work with a caseworker and join a weekly youth group. This model of support aims to ensure the provision of personal, centred and a wrap-around approach to supporting young people.
Chaz told us about the one year anniversary of the Trans Pathway Project and the importance of safe and creative spaces for young trans people:
To mark the one-year anniversary of the pathway, our youth group ran a six-week art project, culminating in a hugely successful exhibition at The Horsfall gallery. The project created a safe space for many of our homeless young people by giving them the time, space, and resources to express themselves creatively.
Much of the project was led by one trans young person, meaning the group was led by trans young people and for trans young people. The sole intention was to enjoy the process and encourage expression, which was powerful to see. The final pieces they created spoke volumes to this, which you can see below.
Trans day of visibility is an opportunity to learn more about the trans and non-binary community and find ways to stand in solidarity with them. Alongside akt, Homeless Link encourages you to be actively inclusive to everyone, including trans and non-binary people.
Click the link below to find out more about how your homeless service can be more inclusive and support trans people.
Please see some definitions of terms used in this blog:
- Cis: Someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.
- Trans: An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth.
- Non-binary: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’.
