Thanks for publishing my photos @DailyDot, in A Guide to Talking About Transgender People With Respect

2017.05.19 Capital TransPride Weekend Washington, DC USA 5082
2017.05.19 Capital TransPride Weekend Washington, DC USA 5082 (View on Flickr.com)

Thanks (again) for using my photographs, DailyDot (@DailyDot) in this very useful piece on communicating correctly about people who are transgender.

Amidst President Trump’s ban on transgender troops, journalists need a quick lesson on treating transgender issues with respect.

Source: A Guide to Talking About Transgender People With Respect

How to eliminate bias – celebrate exemplars

There’s good science to show that the way to reduce bias is to point out exemplars – the people doing it right – rather than to point out the laggards, the organizations not doing it right (@NPR, and @USAToday are in this category – see this post: Thanks for publishing my photo AND listening, @DailyDot, in โ€œWhat Does Transgender Mean, and How Do People Transition?โ€)

How to eliminate bias – show images of exemplars

About the photographs and the people in them:

The one above is from Capital TransPride (@TransPrideDC) 2017, with some of the most transformational leaders of our time, in the most defining social movement of our time. They are Bianca Rey (@BiancaRey), SaVanna Wanzer, and Holly Goldmann.

I’m perpetually interested in examples of great leadership, I learn from each one.

The one below is from Werk for Peace’s (@WerkForPeace) Werk For Your Health Dance Event in the nation’s capital just a few weeks ago.

There is also good science to show that just viewing images of people demonstrating positive or healthy attributes also rewires our brains in ways that promote inclusion (and thus, a world learning to love better).

2017.06.26 WERK for Your Health, Washington, DC USA 6935
2017.06.26 WERK for Your Health, Washington, DC USA 6935 (View on Flickr.com)

To celebrate outlets that practice journalism well in this century, I’d recommend people review this guide, whether or not you are a journalist.

I am happy to correct people on improper or un-scientific use of terminology (and I don’t hesitate to). This is the role that health professionals must play in society, to lead in health, and that includes creating healthy, inclusive environments. And not just correcting people, working to be exemplars (see: Built for the Future: My business card includes my pronouns)

I hope one day that every media outlet will be as modern, accurate, interested in being the best at its craft in this century. It’s a great century, it keeps getting better. ๐Ÿ™‚

Ted Eytan, MD