Reflections of Resilience: Commemorating Trans Day of Remembrance with myGwork

This week, myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community, organized a poignant and thought-provoking online event to mark Trans Day of Remembrance. This event served as a platform to honor the lives of transgender individuals who have tragically lost their lives due to transphobic violence, and also shared the stories of trans people, in their personal and work lives, and explore how transphobia affects them as well as how allies can do more to tackle this.

Attendees were not only given an opportunity to reflect on the impact of transphobia but also to celebrate resilience and courage. The event, a panel discussion featuring diverse transgender voices, hosted by myGwork’s Business Development Director, Michelle Raymond, shed light on the important role that allies play in combating discrimination and fostering inclusivity.

Photographer: Shingi Rice

The event was proudly supported by Lloyds Banking Group, Oracle, and Novartis with speakers Yerram Raju Behara, Manager at Novartis; Elizabeth Tomanguilla, Recruiter at JP Morgan Chase; Jak Matthews, DEI Professional at BT Group; Emrys Moore, Associate at RPC LLP; Río Amani, Senior Clinical Consultant at Oracle; Chloe Yourston, Reporting Analyst at Lloyds Banking Group; and Taj M. Smith, Training & Outreach Coordinator at Trans Advocacy & Care Team (TACT).

Sharing personal journeys

These panelists, all from a variety of backgrounds and professions, shared their personal and professional experiences. For example, Chloe shared how she grew up under Section 28, a law that prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools. This meant that until the early 2000’s, it was illegal to talk about LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom, so she had no information or education about trans identities and no one she could speak to about this either. She later came out to herself at 17, but because of the negative connotations with trans identities in the media, she did not come out publicly for another decade. It was only with the support of her therapist she was able to transition and then saw how supportive her workplace, friends and family turned out to be.

Emrys also shared his journey to being able to fully accept himself and live authentically. He shared how moving to Bristol in 2017 coincided with him beginning to transition. Arriving in a new city, he was able to surround himself with a new queer community, and meeting other transmasculine people living authentically as themselves became a lightbulb moment for him on his own journey.

Elizabeth shared her journey, with similar themes facing a lack of visibility or representation, but that she was able to find strong supporters throughout this process. “Along the way I’ve gained many great allies and chosen family,” she shared, adding that her workplace has also been a place of vital support.

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Taj then spoke on the origins of trans awareness week, which was founded in 1999 to memorialize Rita Hester and Chanelle Pickett, two Black trans women who were tragically murdered in Massachusetts. Living in Massachusetts himself, this holds a poignant reminder to him of what is often the reality of living as trans in today’s society, even twenty-four years after their murders. “Being a Black trans person is also living with the grief of what it means to be Black and trans in the United States right now,” he added.

Misconceptions, representation and allyship

The misconceptions many hold about the trans community were also discussed, as well as the lack of representation, with many of the panelists speaking on how this impacted their early life. Yerram added to this by sharing their experience growing up with no visible role models but noted that this is changing, and now that there is access to connect to one another, they hope younger generations are able to find solace in this. They also had a message to trans young people, which was: “You are not alone.”

The power that organizations hold in pushing forward trans equality was also highlighted, as well as how workplaces can create inclusive environments. Throughout her work in diversity and inclusion, Jak noted that she often sees organizations reluctant to do the work needed to support trans employees because they think they don’t have any. However, she also knows first-hand from her time in the professional world spent in the closet this is often far from the truth - what they have is a workplace environment where people don’t feel they can be honest about their identity. She also commonly sees organizations that want to stand by the trans community but are too scared of getting it wrong, and to this, her advice was simple: “You don’t have to get it perfect; you just have to do something.”

Final thoughts

Trans Day of Remembrance serves as a reminder of the crucial need for education and awareness that is needed to create a world where every trans person can live freely and safely. The event aimed to enlighten attendees on the importance of understanding gender identity and the unique challenges faced by the trans community. By fostering empathy, it sought to eradicate ignorance and promote inclusivity.

Though the event honored the lives lost, it also served as a beacon of hope. Attendees were inspired by the panelists' resilience, bravery, and determination to create a world that embraces and celebrates gender diversity. By providing a platform for transgender individuals to share their stories, the event instilled a sense of empowerment in both trans attendees and allies.

The myGwork online event offered an invaluable opportunity for reflection, remembrance, and celebration. By shedding light on the impact of transphobia and showcasing transgender voices, this event fostered empathy, understanding, and inclusivity. Attendees were galvanized to become proactive allies in the fight against discrimination faced by trans people globally. As we remember those who are no longer with us, this event served as a call to action, urging society to create a world where all trans people are respected, celebrated, and protected.

Río closed the event with a reminder to anyone struggling with their gender identity: “You know yourself better than anyone else. Your identity is yours – no one else’s – and you matter.”