Mara Keisling wants everyone to know the impact of 'trans inclusion' in LGBTQ public policy
Every day of Pride Month, Mashable will be sharing illuminating conversations with members of the LGBTQ community who are making history right now.
When there is a need in a community, when the voice of a certain group isn't being heard, sometimes you have to step up and be that voice.
Mara Keisling is the founder and executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the nation's leading social justice advocacy organization aiding monumental policies for the trans community. After co-chairing the Pennsylvania Gender Rights Coalition, Keisling moved to Washington D.C. in 2002, recognizing the need for a coordinated trans voice and activist presence on the national level.
Her vision and strategy has led to some incredible, groundbreaking reports — the National Transgender Discrimination Survey as well as the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, thus far the largest survey of trans people ever conducted in the U.S.
She's frequently cited in political commentary surrounding trans rights, and has appeared on major television networks, panels, news sites, and so much more. While she's considered a leading spokesperson for trans rights, Keisling notes that at the end of the day, it's a team effort to uplift the community's voice. After all, as she says, the best trans voice is formed from many trans people coming together.
The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.
Mashable: How has your identity informed your work?
Mara Keisling: We do identity politics here, and my identity matches the politics I do. When we founded NCTE, trans people didn't have a voice in Washington. As a trans person, I just knew that was wrong. It made me want to establish a trans voice, and it made me want to be a trans voice. But it made me understand that I couldn't, and I shouldn't try to be, the only trans voice. There should be lots of trans voices to create one overall trans voice that can get things done. I think that was a really important thing.
Mashable: What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the community in the U.S. right now?
MK: That's really easy. I know the exact correct answer for this, and it's not my opinion. The most important issue facing the community right now is whatever the individual community member says it is, and needs. For some people, it's economics. For some people, it's family acceptance. For some people, it's racism. Individual community members are all facing different obstacles, different oppressions. We know that LGBTQ folks need more economic help, and economic issues are really important. We know that public safety issues are really important. And we know that access to healthcare is really important. But the right answer? It depends on who you are and what you need.
Mashable: What impact do you think you've had on the community?
MK: Well, I am so fortunate that I've gotten to be part of this really effective, fast-moving trans policy movement. I hope I've done my share. But it's all really been joint efforts — I mean, I guess I'm the founder of NCTE, that's probably my biggest accomplishment. I think without NCTE there would not have been such a solid LGBTQ [political] movement. It could've been a gay rights movement with trans people trying to get in. I think that without NCTE we wouldn't have gotten to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and therefore the Equality Act nearly as fast as we did. So with the Equality Act passing the House [on May 17th], I feel pretty good about that. We were really integral in getting trans people into those bills.
Mashable: What does "Pride" mean to you?
MK: Pride in the LGBTQ sense means coming together. It started out as a way for people to stand up together. I think the work we do with NCTE on public policy is extremely important, or we wouldn't be doing it. But I really think the most important thing any trans person, any nonbinary person, any LGBTQ person does is tell their story. To educate, to connect with the people they work with and worship with and their classmates and their family members. Pride is another opportunity to do that, Pride is a chance to tell our collective story — and our individual stories.
Mashable: This year is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Where do you hope the community will stand in society in 50 years?
MK: It's kind of hard to guess because it's so hard to know right now where society is going. But I hope we all keep getting less and less marginalized, and get our proper place in society.
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Sage is the newest Culture writer on the block at Mashable NYC. They recently graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and have previously worked for The Dr. Oz Show, NorthSouth Productions, and on Netflix's 'The OA Part II'. Off the clock, they can be found testing out cupcake recipes, collecting dolls, and watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure for the millionth time.
