Trans people face discrimination from a variety of sources, including legal action intended to curb their rights, but there are many ways to support the trans community, according to Leo Taylor, Ph.D. ’15, who delivered the 2023 Building Allyship Initiative Keynote talk on Oct. 4 in the Biotechnology Building. Taylor’s keynote, “Supporting Trans and Nonbinary People During Turbulent Times,” shared his story as a trans person and journey to finding his individual allyship approach and provided lessons for aspiring allies to this community.
According to Taylor, in 2023 alone, 574 anti-trans bills have been presented so far in 49 states. Of those, 83 have passed, 125 have failed and 366 are still active. These bills target gender-affirming care, bathroom use, participation in sports and choice of pronouns, as a few items on a long list.
In the face of these actions, said Taylor, there are numerous ways for people who want to be allies to support the trans community.
