In recognition of "Trans Day of Visibility" on Saturday, March 30, the Rochester Rainbow Union is hosting a workshopfor people who want to be allies of the trans community.
Workshop leader Jaesic Wade is a life coach and peer support specialist who identifies as non-binary.
They say allyship means actively showing up and speaking up for trans friends, family members, and co-workers.
"And believe your trans people," Wade added. "Believe any trans person that is telling you, 'Hey, I'm experiencing harm.' Listen to their lived experience."
While growing up in Rochester in a conservative, Christian home, Wade felt confined by the prescribed gender norms. After leaving to attend the University of Michigan, they began to realize they related more to the changing seasons than the traditional roles assigned to men and women.
"I feel closer to a falling leaf or a salmon swimming in the stream than I do 'pink is for girls and blue is for boys,'" Wade said.
The Rainbow Union is conducting a mutual aid campaign to raise money to support trans people in need. The grants will range from $20 to $250. While any person identifying as transgender, non-binary or genderqueer is eligible, the organization's website states that applicants from western and central New York will be prioritized.
The campaign's tag line is "Trans Day of Staying in and Having a Nice Snack." Wade said this refers to trans people's desire to be seen and appreciated, while at the same time realizing that visibility is sometimes unsafe.
"Right now, we're seeing an unprecedented amount of anti-trans legislation in this country, a rise in hate crimes, discrimination ... just a lot of harm out there against our community," they said. "And it's okay to stay in and not be visible, because not everybody can be visible."
