Looking to increase trans visibility in America, GLAAD has teamed up with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) on a new national campaign, “I Am: Trans People Speak,” which invites trans viewers and their allies to upload their own videos and share their stories.
In the above clip, high-profile trans advocates Laverne Cox (I Wanna Work for Diddy), Isis King (America’s Next Top Model), Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund attorney Noah Lewis and spoken-word artist Kit Yan discuss the paths they’ve taken.
The “It Gets Better”-style campaign, which launches today, is an expansion of MTPC’s 2010 series of the same name, which focused on educating Massachusetts residents about transgender issues and speak to trans youth and adults who may be facing discrimination or other hardships. The new campaign brings the concept to the national level:
“The stories of transgender Americans remain relatively invisible in both national and LGBT media,” said GLAAD spokesperson Herndon Graddick. “These stories will not only empower members of the transgender community who rarely see relatable stories, but also educate Americans everywhere about the fact that the community is a valuable part of the fabric of our culture. The campaign will also shine a light on the high level of discrimination that our transgender brothers and sisters continue to face in schools, the workplace and in their own neighborhoods.”
