Chrysallis Association, working to combat transphobic violence in educational environments
LGTBI+ people suffer violence and discrimination, among other causes, due to the invisibility of their experiences. The case of transgender people is especially worrying because they are the least visible group. Much can be done in the school context to make progress in this area, as studies show that if the school remains silent about their experiences, it creates feelings of disenfranchisement and rejection. Therefore, educational institutions become important allies in the defence of the rights of LGTBI+ people, especially transgender people. Studies show that they are one of the most vulnerable groups as they are the least supported by family and friends, and therefore, they are the most socially isolated group, both in the family and in the educational environment.
Up4Diversity seeks to advance in this purpose, looking for alliances that manage to promote the advancement of the rights of transgender people. For this reason, Chysallis, an association of families of transgender children that fights to give visibility to this reality as a key to confronting transphobic violence, stands out. Transphobic violence is understood as the type of violence suffered by transgender and non-binary adolescents and young people as a manifestation of the problem of discrimination and hatred against sexual and gender diversity. The consequences for the well-being and health of non-binary adolescents and youth and its impact on mental health is a crucial issue to consider[1].
It is therefore important to understand and articulate successful strategies to prevent and combat transphobic violence, while at the same time providing suggestions on how this problem can be prevented in educational settings in a transformative approach.
Chrysallis is an association of activists that seeks to achieve social transformation to achieve respect for the rights of transgender people in all areas. UP4Diversity highlights its work in the field of education, as scientific evidence shows the effectiveness of intervening in schools to prevent transphobic violence through strategies that can make the transgender reality visible in the curriculum or in the school's social networks. Chrysalis has resources available on its website that include inclusive materials that can be used to introduce the representation of sexual and gender diversity in the academic curriculum. Among the resources are teaching guides to support education professionals in including respect for diversity and the promotion of human rights. It also makes available teaching aids to introduce activities and curricular material to help include content in the curriculum. This is the approach that Up4Diversity shares with Chrysallis in terms of the importance of conducting training for professionals, in this case in the field of education.
It is important to ensure that educational centres are safe environments for transgender people, which successfully guarantee environments that favour diversity based on the freedom to express their gender identity and sexual orientation.
[1] Gallardo-Nieto, E.M.; Espinosa-Spínola, M.; Ríos-González, O.; García-Yeste, C. Transphobic Violence in Educational Centers: Risk Factors and Consequences in the Victims' Wellbeing and Health. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1638. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041638
