What does an inclusive community look like?

805conversations

We had an excellent, wide-ranging conversation with Phillipa Bisou Della Vina, President of the Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network (SBTAN). She's been deeply involved in this underserved community for the past several years and helped us better appreciate their challenges. There are a lot of new terms to consider during this episode, and we've provided a list of resources to help you better understand and find ways to be supportive. There is a tremendous transgender outreach and support network locally, and Bisou told us a poignant story of her meeting a young girl and her family at a Pacific Pride event three years ago. Bisou explained that there are several sub-communities underneath the trans-umbrella and that helping people understand this diversity is a large part of the organization's mission. She spoke of having recently produced a Cultural Competency Class for local educators to help them with transgender students in the classroom. We pushed this episode out quickly to support their upcoming event, Hearts on Fire on April 7th at the Lobero Theater in downtown Santa Barbara. Here's a list of organizations that are helping and providing resources: SBTAN and Trans youth Santa Barbara PFLAG - Center for the LGBTQ Community in Santa Barbara Hearts on Fire Event (April 7, 2018) Becoming a transgender affirming business Los Angeles economic empowerment for LGBTQ Tranz Central Coast (SLO) Diversity Collective, Ventura County Santa Maria House of Pride and Equality Tips for Allies of Transgender People Understanding Gender Diversity and Sexual Orientation Among Students