The power of diverse identities .
Sometimes real change at the fringe of so-called normal life first appears in the mainstream . That is an irony , but it happens , and often it is a catalyst for positive change .
Always sanitary products , one of Procter & Gamble ’ s most well-known brands , will remove the Venus symbol , historically used to represent the female sex , from its products to be inclusive of transgender and nonbinary customers .
Transgender activists and allies had publicly urged Procter & Gamble to redesign its pad wrapper without the gender symbol , a circle atop a cross . Among their arguments were that not all people who menstruate are women and that not all women menstruate .
Mattel ’ s Barbie dolls represented the traditional female image , and preteens embraced the hairstyles , thick eyelashes and spike heels that came with her . But now , Mattel is introducing dolls that let kids form the gender expression of the toy themselves . The doll is fully gender-neutral and can be accessorised to be a boy , a girl , neither or both .
We ’ ve come a long way in the past 50 years . Yet despite this encouraging progress , the battle to overcome the forces of prejudice and discrimination still rages .
Take the dating industry , for example . Imagine for a moment that you were to find yourself looking for a new partner at some point in the near future . Perhaps you would turn to a popular dating app and begin filling out your dating profile in hopes of finding “ the one .”
In the process of doing so , you ’ d likely be asked to indicate your gender and the genders of others that you would be interested in dating . Under these hypothetical circumstances , which of the following people would you consider as a potential dating partner ( check all that apply ):
• Cisgender1 woman
• A cisgender man
• A transgender woman
• A transgender man
• A person with a non-binary gender identification
Recently , researchers in the UK asked this question of just under 1,000 participants and they published their findings in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships . Their results indicated that 87.5 % of the participants who were asked this very question only checked off the cisgender options and excluded transgender and non-binary individuals from their hypothetical dating pool .
It ’ s really not an inconsequential question . For many trans people , the question of whether or not someone will date them after they transition or come out often weighs heavily on their mind . After all , relationships are one of our most important sources of social support .
Improving general knowledge and understanding concerning the diversity of gender identities and what each identity means may go a long way in increasing inclusion . Furthermore , increasing accurate media representations of trans and non-binary people , as well as finding ways to increase contact may also be promising , as other research has found that contact with , and additional knowledge about , transgender individuals can effectively reduce trans prejudice .
LONDON CONTACTS is committed to providing a platform for those voices who broaden the definition of “ normal ,” who confront social conventions and who celebrate the power of diverse identities .
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