Feel the Fear (and do it anyway)

13 Aug Feel the Fear (and do it anyway)

Posted at 16:23h in Blog by Aby Hawker

This incredibly unflattering pic is me hurling myself off a rock, into a canyon, in Spain.

The image captures the way it can sometimes feel as a cis woman working in trans inclusion and awareness, something in which I have specialised for the past seven years.

Despite living and breathing what I do and being fully committed to getting it right, I am still terrified of getting it wrong. Yet, in spite of that fear I push on.

Why? Because I know that without those who are supportive of the community joining the conversation, widespread acceptance and inclusion will take far too long. I am also conscious that my discomfort is, in the grand scheme of challenges currently facing trans and non-binary people, laughable.

Like most of us, I will get it wrong from time to time. When that happens I will do what I have been taught by my trans and non-binary colleagues, who time and again prove themselves to be incredibly generous, kind and understanding in the face of a society which so often proves itself to be anything but.

1. Acknowledge the mistake
2. Apologise
3. Correct yourself
4. Move on

Of course, I also mitigate the risk of getting it wrong through continuous learning, listening and crucially by bringing in those who know better than I do, those who have first hand experience of what it means to be gender diverse in the world today (hint: get in touch and we can help you to get it right too – aby@transmissionpr.com!)

We need to supercharge our efforts so that all those who are marginalised, because they do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, feel supported, accepted and most importantly free to be themselves. Given that the trans community represents around 1% of society, that means those of us who believe in equality, need to step up.

As allies, our job is not to speak on behalf of anyone with first hand experience, our role is to stand alongside our trans colleagues and lift them up, to educate and empower other allies, to encourage businesses to get on board and see that trans inclusion is a no brainer.

It will make your employees more aware, which will lead to a more accepting, kinder environment which will in turn, make your business a better place to work – and we could all do with a little more of that.

As for my burgeoning side gig as a professional canyoneer… let’s just say I won’t be giving up my day job!