Trans Inclusion Policy Manual For Women’s Organizations

Written by Julie Darke & Allison Cope for the Women/Trans Dialogue Planning Committee and the Trans Alliance Society of Vancouver, BC, Canada in Winter 2002:

This manual was written to assist women’s services, including transition houses, sexual assault centres, and women’s centres, in developing trans inclusive policies. It is designed for services with a desire to begin the process of creating inclusive and accessible organizations.

 

The authors of this manual are lesbian feminists who have worked with numerous women’s organizations (mostly in Ontario) for more than two decades; including sexual assault centres, transition houses, International Women’s Day coalitions, services for women in conflict with the law, and women’s centres, to name a few. We believe there is a continuing need for women-only organizations and that all women, including trans and intersex women, have the right to shape and benefit from these organizations. At the same time, we are acutely aware that some people, including trans-men and pan-gendered people, may need the services that women’s organizations provide. Therefore, we will suggest some ways that your organization may choose to meet those needs. We feel that women’s organizations are particularly well-suited to serve trans people, having had decades of experience with gender-based oppression.