Instagram Social Media Posts For Fiorry by Isaac M. Shamam
I wrote these posts for one of The Content Factory’s clients, Fiorry, an app designed for trans people and their allies, allowing them to socialize, provide mutual support, date, and potentially raise money for affirmation therapy.
September 15: LGBTQI+ elected officials in the US increased by 21% over last year
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Times are changing, and in some ways for the better. The LGBTQI+ community is making some major strides:
There’s been a 21% percent increase of LGBTQI+ elected officials.
Bisexual representation has seen a 53 percent increase in the last year.
Elected individuals identifying as queer rose by 71 percent.
The amount of elected trans women had a 40 percent increase.
There are more than double the amount of LGBTQI+ elected officials as there were 4 years ago.
Let’s keep this going! Our community needs proper representation to gain acceptance and equal rights.
September 18: What is the difference between being transgender and being gender non-conforming?
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A lot of people don’t understand the difference between gender non-conforming and transgender. While it can be tricky, it’s important to understand the nuances separating the two.
This is how the GLAAD reference guide defines transgender:
“An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms...”
This is how the guide defines gender non-conforming:
“A term used to describe some people whose gender expression is different from conventional expectations of masculinity and femininity. Please note that not all gender non-conforming people identify as transgender; nor are all transgender people gender non-conforming.”
How can a gender non-conforming person NOT be trans and vice versa?
The key to understanding this is in how they identify themselves. Someone who’s trans may identify with a specific gender or with a mixture of genders; their gender expression may constantly change, and maybe their gender expression doesn’t conform to any conventional standards related to being male or female.
The point is that they MIGHT identify with a specific gender expression. An assigned female at birth may identify with a male gender expression and vice versa.
But someone who’s gender non-conforming never identifies with conventional binary concepts of what’s a male or female gender expression. By saying they’re gender non-conforming, but not trans, they’re highlighting this particular nuance.
And that’s the main difference.
What do you think?
September 30: Non-binary actress Asia Kate Dillon
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Most of you out there know who Asia Kate Dillon is: the actor who hit huge milestones in the march towards recognition, acceptance, and equality for the LGBTQI+ community in mainstream media.
Not only did they become the first openly non-binary actor on TV, they also happened to play the first openly non-binary character in a series. We’re talking about Dillon’s role of Taylor on the show Billions. A show you must see if you haven’t already.
Their contribution doesn’t stop there. If you remember, a few years back Dillon opened up the conversation about gender in the world of entertainment.
Dillon thought “actor” was useful as a gender-neutral category. What do you think is better, to give awards for best actor/actress, or to simply use categories like best drama performance? This would do away with the need to mention gender altogether.
Some are concerned about having only one award for best actor, which would include all genders. That means there would be fewer winners. Instead of an award for male and female actors, you’d have one best performance award. What happens if there are more male performances nominated? With only one category, you’d have fewer female nominees.
Regardless, Dillon brought the discussion into the limelight. Their contribution to creating awareness of gender as a spectrum, and not a binary category, in the entertainment industry, is without precedent. What’s more, their activism extends to the problem of racial injustices.
They say, “I’m a marginalized person because I’m nonbinary, but I carry white body privilege. People are going to listen to me more often, receive my message more often than they would from a gender nonconforming person of color.”
Keep speaking that truth, Asia!
October 1: National Coming Out Day (NCOD)
Today is National Coming Out Day (NCOD). It’s when the LGBTQI+ community celebrates self-acceptance.
Think for a second, what does coming out really mean? It means so much. It’s something very personal, varying from person to person, and each experience is different.
That is why NCOD is a day when we pay homage to those brave souls who dare to be themselves. They step out from the shadows so everyone can see who they are.
This holiday was first celebrated in 1988, inaugurated by Robert Eichberg, founder of a personal growth workshop called The Experience, and Jean O’Leary, the head of National Gay Rights Advocates. Its inspiration had come from a single march, a year before, of 500,000 people in Washington, which was called the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. NCOD began as an anniversary for this march, becoming a tradition to celebrate coming out.
It’s important for as many people as possible to meet and befriend members of the LGBTQI+ community. That is why we need to come out and share our stories. It fosters greater awareness and acceptance in the wider community. The more LGBTQI+ friends and allies out there, the more support we’ll get for laws benefiting gender and sexual diversity.
So flaunt those pins and flags and ribbons. Wear them with pride!
For those struggling to come out, you should definitely visit the HRC resource center for help! (https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out)
October 10: Trans People Of Color
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When we think of an ideal world, the kind we strive to create, we imagine one of both ethnic and gender diversity. We don’t want our preferences conditioned by prejudice. There’s such a vast spectrum of gender and color out there, the last thing you want to do is have your interests limited by obsolete beliefs.
It’s no secret that trans and non-binary people are among the most marginalized groups out there. Even on dating apps for the wider LGBTQ+ community, they suffer harassment. It’s also common knowledge that people of color face all kinds of horrible discrimination. So a trans or non-binary person who isn’t white faces the worst of both worlds.
What a shame! It’s like mistreating a unique member of one’s family, who isn’t harming anyone; they’re just being who they are. There is so much beauty in a mixture of gender and color, and so much to learn, that it’s precious. We should do everything we can to protect and empower all ethnicities, and all gender expressions.
For starters, it’s important to bring this discussion out in the open, and continuously speak out against all forms of prejudice until it one day goes away.
At Fiorry we do our part to create a safe space for everyone, and it starts by making sure that nobody suffers from any sort of harassment. We believe everyone is special, and that the more diverse our users are, the better.
It makes us proud and happy to see a range of ethnicities and genders mingling on our platform!
October 20: Pros and cons of dating apps vs just dating in real life
For a lot of people, online dating is a turn-off. The first thing that comes to their minds is harassment from a never-ending horde of weirdos, pervs, creeps, and scammers. They believe they’ll never find someone with whom they’re compatible, whether it's just for a good time or for actually starting something serious.
We, however, think that dating apps are often a mirror of real life. Dealing with unpleasant characters is part of the process, even if you’re offline. How many times have you been approached by people who made you feel uncomfortable? How many times have you met attractive people that turned out to be a total disappointment? And what a waste of energy, too. It often takes a while for people to reveal their real selves!
That’s the difference with dating apps: it doesn’t take as much time or effort to find someone. Filtering out bad actors is easier. Our experience is that online platforms allow people to be less shy. This way we can immediately see their true colors. We don’t have to go out with them to find out. Instead of ending up trapped in an awkward situation that’s potentially dangerous, we can just click that person away. See ya!
Now with COVID turning our lives upside down, forcing us to practice social distancing, dating online suddenly becomes our main choice. We now need support and connection more than ever. An app for socializing offers a great tool to find the right people.
Fiorry offers a safe space to do this. This LGBTQ+ platform makes protecting its trans and non-binary users a priority, so they can find friendship and love.
November 9: Politeness In The Community
So we thought we’d share some guidelines with you on how to engage with our LGBTQ+ family. Respect and discretion are key to building loving relationships. Here are some tips:
–Trans and transgender are adjectives, not nouns. We don’t talk about “transgenders,” we say trans or transgender people. Someone isn’t trans, they’re a trans person.
–It’s a mistake to assume that in any same-sex relationship, such as two lesbian cis women, that one is more masculine than the other, that one substitutes the role of a “man” while the other continues to play the role of women. People, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender expression, are complex enough to have a mixture of qualities traditionally considered to be masculine or feminine.
Leave the binary categories behind. Get to know the human.
–Avoid asking a trans person about their personal details, such as whether they’ve undergone transition therapies or surgeries. Again, get to know the person. Let things unfold naturally.
–Resist jumping to conclusions about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity based on their appearance. Again: gender and sexuality can be fluid, and they are not dictated by a fixed set of physical or behavioral characteristics.
If we had to summarize these points into a sentence, we’d say: learn to let go of preconceived ideas of gender and sexuality, and always focus on getting to know the individual human being!
November 13: Feminism in the Trans Community
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It’s important to remember that trans women are usually feminists. As women and as trans people, they’re fighting for gender equality on two fronts, and their goals are the same: respect, equal rights, freedom of choice, and a rejection of sexist stereotypes.
Trans women’s solidarity with the feminist movement is necessary to take into account because it creates more inclusivity. The more we accept trans women as women, the better our chances of creating a truly gender diverse community.
The thing is, anyone can be a feminist. It’s a movement for humanity. The struggle to obtain equal opportunities and acceptance is one shared by women, trans or nonbinary people, and by those of different ethnicities and religions.
That’s what unity is ultimately about. Embracing everyone’s right to participate in society.
November 15: Your Body Your Rules
What do we mean when we talk about gender transition in the trans community?
It means different things to different people, and not all trans people seek transition. It’s a personal question with a personal answer.
While gender dysphoria is a serious health issue, not all trans people suffer from it. For those that do, some degree of gender transition, or alignment, is often the solution. It can save lives.
Transition is the process of aligning one’s appearance and/or behavior with the gender with which they identify. How people transition varies, since, like gender, it is a spectrum.
There’s a wide range of possibilities. Transition can mean surgery, hormone therapy, hair removal, and/or changes in the way one speaks and dresses.
Many people’s gender affirmation won’t be carried out according to rigid male and female categories, such as the case with genderfluid, genderqueer, and nonbinary people.
In fact, transitioning could easily have nothing to do with gender dysphoria. Just as one’s identity grows and shifts over time, some people might decide to adjust their appearance accordingly.
At the same time, one’s gender alignment may depend on what they can afford: hormone therapy and hair removal can be pricey all by themselves, costing thousands of dollars. Gender affirmation surgery can reach up to $200,000 dollars.
As you can see, it’s complicated. That’s why we have to respect each person’s unique journey.
It’s your body. It’s your choice. We want you to love yourself. And we want to love you as you are.
Head over to Fiorry’s blog and check out our more detailed articles about various ways people undergo gender transition, and their varying costs.
November 20: The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR)
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Today is an important but solemn day in the trans community. On November 20th, every year, we take a moment to look back at the last 12 months, and honor the lives robbed from our gender-diverse community.
We remember each transgendered person murdered because of transphobia so that their lives won’t be forgotten, and so that hate crimes committed against our people will never be ignored.
It’s called the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR).
Trans writer and activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith founded TDoR in 1999 as a memorial to Rita Hester, a transgender African American woman who was murdered in Allston, Massachusetts the year before.
Around 250 people congregated at a candlelight vigil held in Rita’s honor, and then the community fought to make sure the world knew about the tragic injustice that had befallen her.
The web project “Remembering Our Dead” was born, as was the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This memorial is now observed around the world.
To pay our respects, we read the names of the gender-diverse people killed since last November 20th. Other actions may range from lighting candles and carrying out dedicated church services, to attending marches and art shows.
Taken from transrespect.org, TDoR data for 2020 shows that:
–350 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered, 6% more than in 2019.
–98% of those murdered globally were trans women or trans feminine people.
–62% of murdered trans people whose occupation is known were sex workers.
–People of colour make up 79% of the 28 trans people murdered in the USA.
–11 trans people murdered in Europe; 50% were migrants.
These numbers represent people who lived and loved, and who had every right to exist. Their tragic deaths must not be in vain.
So, how will you observe TDoR?
December 8: Pansexual Pride Day
Do you consider yourself pansexual? How would you define your pansexuality, or pansexuality in general?
It’s simple. It means that gender doesn’t play a role in who you’re sexually attracted to. It doesn’t mean you don’t have preferences. It doesn’t mean you’ll like anyone. It means that your preferences aren’t influenced by another person’s gender.
That’s why pansexuality is different from bisexuality. When you’re bi, while the name might suggest that you’re attracted to specifically two gender identities, what it really means is that you’re not exclusively attracted to one. Confusing?
Well, there’s an overlap. If you’re bisexual, you’re attracted to more than one gender, but not ALL gender identities.
While these nuances can be subtle, it’s important we understand them to celebrate diversity. That’s what we want at Fiorry: a large diverse family of sexuality and gender.
Everyone across the spectrum is welcome in our community.
So, what do you think? How do you identify? What’s your idea of pansexuality vs bisexuality?
Let us know in the comments.
Jan 3rd. New Transgender Film Center Launches Film Grant for Trans Filmmakers
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In case you missed the memo, there’s a grant out there waiting for our fellow trans filmmakers, offered by none other than the Transgender Film Center.
As you know, the center is a nonprofit that supports members of the trans community in the film industry. There are a lot of trans creatives out there who don’t get the representation they deserve.
The grant offered by the film center is yet another initiative to help pave the way for trans people to have equal opportunities in the entertainment industry.
It’s called the Trailblazer Grant, and it offers funds for trans writers, directors or producers to launch or complete their projects.
If this is something that would interest you or someone you know, get on it! Applications are due on January 15th.
Two of the applicants will be selected to receive $1,500 towards their film projects. Head to the website to check out the criteria.
We look forward to a future of authentic gender diversity both on and off the big screen, and behind the scenes! Here’s to all you trans creatives out there looking to push the cause forward.
Take advantage of the opportunity! More funding means more representation.
