All About Trans
We are excited to spread the news about a new project we just learned about. We hope you will get equally excited, support them, spread the news, and think about ways you can make this kind of thing happen in your area!
All About Trans’ is a new project which is currently taking place in the UK. Over the summer, they are giving media professionals the opportunity to meet young trans people, in a series of friendly social interactions around London. They are taking TV executives to the aquarium, newspaper editors for a cup of tea, news anchors to a museum, and more! They hope to challenge preconceptions about trans people, by facilitating connection on a human level between the media and the trans community.
The following is their press release:
Getting personal with the media
This summer, we’re working with media professionals and transgender people across the UK, holding tailored ‘interactions’ – unique social meetings offering the media an opportunity to get to know young trans people. We’re taking commissioning editors to the aquarium, news presenters out to lunch, editors for a drink and some lucky journalists on a helicopter ride. During each interaction, they will meet talented, young trans people from a new generation who will challenge their preconceptions in positive and enjoyable ways.
In April, one of our volunteers Ralph Francis Fox, from Channel 4’s My Transsexual Summer was live on LBC 97.3FM chatting to James O’Brien, who tweeted about the hour-long interview: “Can’t remember the last time I learned as much from an interviewee as I did from Fox today”. The podcast is available here and James has a written a short blog about his encounter here.
We have since brought The Observer editor and section editors, Closer magazine, BBC commissioning executives, BBC News Online and Channel 4 News on the first wave of interactions.
All About Trans: The Interactions are supported by the BBC and The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Each interaction will be blogged and shared online. This is a project run by On Road, a not-for-profit organisation that helps improve the media’s understanding and portrayal of minority groups. Since 2011, we’ve been working closely with BBC Diversity and Channel 4, engaging media professionals (journalists, presenters, editors) with trans issues in creative and non-confrontational ways.
On Road: http://www.onroadmedia.org.uk/work/all-about-trans-the-interactions/
All About Trans: www.allabouttrans.org.uk
Twitter: Follow @AllAboutTrans // @OnRoadMedia for updates
For more info contact: Project Coordinator Alana Avery on 02073244790 / 07542915809
