Transgender Awareness Week; it's time we all had the same opportunities.

This week is Transgender awareness week. I know some people may shrug their shoulders, or roll their eyes, but for the minority community of gender diverse people who are affected daily by the challenges of not being accepted, who don’t feel a sense of belonging to the wider community, this is an opportunity to raise awareness and understanding.

The welfare and wellbeing of so many of our young people depends on them feeling secure, safe and accepted in the wider community. So much so that this is literally a life and death issue.

My upbringing was, sadly, full of experiences similar to those of many young trans and non-binary folk. Growing up, my father was contemptuous towards me because of who I was. I have not spoken to him for about 20 years now, and that’s his loss.

Put yourself in the shoes of such youngsters for a moment. You are prey to the usual insecurities of adolescence, trying to process who you are, contending with a part of your make-up that is as immutable as being left or right-handed, and throughout, there is a parent undermining you.

Fortunately, I had a supportive mother, and she was my lifesaver. Parental support is so important for young trans and non-binary folk. They are dealing with a tough process and desperately need the support of those who love and raise them.

My message this year for both the Transgender community and for society as a whole is that Trans people can be what ever they want to be, can achieve what ever they set their mind to. Don’t believe that just because you or someone you know is Trans, that you/they are destined for a life of exclusion and a lack of opportunity.

From my own experience, I have learnt we have to work harder than others, we have to claim our space and assert our right to be here. If we do these things and if we grab hold of opportunities when they come, if we connect with allies and supporters (because they are out there), if we show the world what we have to offer and how irreplaceable and unique we are, then it is possible to have a fulfilling and happy life.

My message for the wider community is, it shouldn’t be this hard though. Young Trans people are starting life’s race at the back of the pack, they have to work twice as hard to be accepted and valued, they do experience rejection and roadblocks to achieving their aims, that other young people don’t. Young Trans people can succeed, but the reality is, so many don’t in the face of overwhelming odds.

The failure of society to embrace, value, respect and enable this group of unique, special people is a waste of human capital. It is a loss for our wider community, who do not benefit from the added depth and richness that Trans people can bring to our social tapestry. It is a loss for businesses who fail to identify the potential benefits that having a truly diverse team brings to their operation. Most importantly for me, it is a loss for those young people, who have struggled with their own identity and who now must struggle with how others see them and treat them.

I know Trans folk who are train drivers, airline cabin crew, employment advocates, photographers and more. They all want to be able to bring their ‘A’ game to their role. They all want to find happiness, experience satisfaction from a job well done. They all want to live their best life and to contribute.

If our society learns to acknowledge, respect and accept the Trans community, then everyone wins. That human capital is no longer wasted. This is not a zero-sum game, nobody loses, everybody wins.

In order to get to this point, Trans people and their differences need to be acknowledged and embraced. This is the focus of the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work that I am involved in. It is not enough to say “they have the same opportunity as everyone else”, that would be the same as expecting a left-handed person to write with their right hand because that’s the way most other people write. The DEIB journey is about accepting and valuing difference and reaping the benefits that come from it. In the world that this journey takes us to, Trans people can indeed, be anything they choose to be.