This Alliance of Transgender and Gender-nonconforming Tradespeople was established in January of 2021, by a small group of film and television production technicians in Toronto, Canada. We are currently not an established not-for profit, but that will be changing as we evolve and grow. We are currently self-funding this initiative because the working conditions for Transgender and Gender-nonconforming people have not improved enough over our careers, and the situation is clearly entirely unacceptable.
We want people of gender-divergent/diverse/fluid orientations to feel welcome in the trades. We want to be able to be fully ourselves at work. We want access to bathroom facilities. We want to be valued for our contributions and be a part of the team. Far too often these basic needs are not met in construction and technical environments. Gender-diverse behaviours can make someone the target of verbal and physical abuse, and any qualities considered “femme” are seen as weakness. Homophobia and misogyny are rampant in these work environments; our work exists at the intersection where these meet transphobia, ableism, racism and ageism, especially recognizing that racialized individuals face additional discrimination.
We seek to connect Transgender and Gender-nonconforming Tradespeople with each other, for support and for organizing. We will offer resources for employers seeking to make their workplaces better places. We will advocate for positive change in construction and technical trades workplaces, and conduct research in these areas. We will find strength through each other, and look forward to a time where we can feel pride in who we are at work, and not have to hide ourselves in fear. We have as much of a right to be there as everyone else.
We want people of gender-divergent/diverse/fluid orientations to feel welcome in the trades. We want to be able to be fully ourselves at work. We want access to bathroom facilities. We want to be valued for our contributions and be a part of the team. Far too often these basic needs are not met in construction and technical environments. Gender-diverse behaviours can make someone the target of verbal and physical abuse, and any qualities considered “femme” are seen as weakness. Homophobia and misogyny are rampant in these work environments; our work exists at the intersection where these meet transphobia, ableism, racism and ageism, especially recognizing that racialized individuals face additional discrimination.
We seek to connect Transgender and Gender-nonconforming Tradespeople with each other, for support and for organizing. We will offer resources for employers seeking to make their workplaces better places. We will advocate for positive change in construction and technical trades workplaces, and conduct research in these areas. We will find strength through each other, and look forward to a time where we can feel pride in who we are at work, and not have to hide ourselves in fear. We have as much of a right to be there as everyone else.
Mission Statement
Issues
The issues confronting transgender and gender non-conforming people on a daily basis are broad and intersectional. An intersectional feminist approach forms the foundation of much of our work, and awareness of intersubjectivity and positionality is a foundation of our daily existence. While academic inquiry and research will form a part of our advocacy work, our focus is on making practical improvements in the lives of gender-diverse tradespeople in the workplace.
Our initial campaigns will branch from three areas:
- Advocate for the use of gender neutral language in the workplace
- Advocate for use of and respect for employees’ pronouns in the workplace
- Advocate for access to gender neutral bathroom facilities
