Have you heard of the position of trans advisor?
That香蕉视频直播檚 Claire Millar香蕉视频直播檚 role with Boundless Belly Dance, ensuring the local dance group is inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community in its language and communication. Millar said she was involved as a dancer with the group before taking on the position in December 2018.
香蕉视频直播淢y role is just to help with internal and external communications, to make sure the language is inclusionary and there were no issues,香蕉视频直播� said Millar. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a good fit for me because I was involved with Boundless Belly in the first place and it was very serendipitous. I come from a very low-income background so for me, it was a flow from being sponsored for my classes to being able to help pay for my classes so to speak.香蕉视频直播�
Millar identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community and knows the power words can have, especially for groups that have long faced abuse from derogatory terms such as 香蕉视频直播榝aggot香蕉视频直播�.
香蕉视频直播淚 think back to my youth and there was no evidence or reason for people to call me that, but I was called a faggot over and over and over,香蕉视频直播� said Millar. 香蕉视频直播淎nd that hurt, that hurts to this day. From the time when I was a little kid until now, and I香蕉视频直播檝e been scarred by that.
香蕉视频直播淪o words like that will carry their weight for as long as you remember them.香蕉视频直播�
While the position is still formative, Millar says she香蕉视频直播檇 like to see more companies embracing a role that has someone analyzing messaging through an inclusive LGBTQ+ lens. Eventually she香蕉视频直播檇 like to expand her services to help other local companies identify gaps in their messaging and provide a secondary perspective.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 to make sure that nobody is overlooked,香蕉视频直播� said Millar. 香蕉视频直播淲ith Boundless I really don香蕉视频直播檛 see that because Keisha McLean (founder) is very socially conscious herself. But I think she wanted another lens to look through to make sure she wasn香蕉视频直播檛 missing anything.香蕉视频直播�
Millar said she can see companies are trying to better identify with their customers and referenced the recent Gillette commercial that address toxic masculinity.
香蕉视频直播淚t of course had a huge uproar - but they were kind of on that good side. But there are so many companies that only represent the nuclear families, like husband and wife and two and a half kids,香蕉视频直播� said Millar. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 still very prevalent, and in today香蕉视频直播檚 day and age how many people even get married anymore? We don香蕉视频直播檛 have that nuclear family so much.
香蕉视频直播�(For example) there are gay couples adopting children or having children naturally through in vitro fertilization or surrogacy. There香蕉视频直播檚 just so many other ways to include the title family.香蕉视频直播�
Millar said it香蕉视频直播檚 important for everyone to see themselves represented in the media, as it helps shape a person香蕉视频直播檚 identity.
香蕉视频直播淔or example in television media or fictional media that we consume, it香蕉视频直播檚 okay now to have a gay character. But generally, they suffer from the trope of dying by the end so it香蕉视频直播檚 this tragic kind of heroic figure that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 get to have a happy ending,香蕉视频直播� said Millar. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e still seeing that even 30 or 40 years after it香蕉视频直播檚 okay to have gay folk on television, let alone trans folk.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e still seeing cases of (trans people) being misrepresented that way where you have male actors playing trans women for very high profile roles, and they win Oscars, but that opportunity would not be afforded to a trans actor.香蕉视频直播�
Millar said people can take a few simple steps to ensure they are being inclusive when creating content or even in their everyday life. In a lot of cases, it香蕉视频直播檚 taking a second look at language that has become common place in our society and using empathy to put yourself in another香蕉视频直播檚 shoes.
香蕉视频直播淚t sounds so simple, but a big thing is referring to gender-mixed folks as guys or dudes. And everybody does it but when it香蕉视频直播檚 a group of all girls people still say 香蕉视频直播楬ey guys香蕉视频直播� when there isn香蕉视频直播檛 one amongst us,香蕉视频直播� said Millar. 香蕉视频直播淵et if there was one guy, we香蕉视频直播檇 still all be called guys and that can be problematic.
香蕉视频直播淚f you turn that around, there香蕉视频直播檚 always one person who says they call everybody dude and it香蕉视频直播檚 like 香蕉视频直播極h really, how many dudes have you slept with?香蕉视频直播�. So turn it around and ask the question if you were being asked the reverse of this, would it offend me?香蕉视频直播�
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
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