FIRE crews across Warwickshire are marking Transgender Awareness Week.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue service (WFRS) is supporting the national campaign this week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address the issues they can face.
To mark the occasion and to raise awareness, WFRS will be raising a trans flag at its headquarters in Leamington.
Local trans charity Warwickshire Pride, in partnership with WFRS, is also holding a virtual training session on trans awareness at 2pm today, to open up a conversation around the experiences of the trans community. It also covered terminology, issues faced by trans people, the process of transitioning and making services inclusive and trans allies.
Chief Fire Officer Kieran Amos said: “We understand that trans rights are human rights and by supporting Transgender Awareness Week we also want to show that we promote equality and diversity within WFRS and across Warwickshire.
“We want to learn from the trans community so that we can eliminate all discrimination and prejudice across our service and across the county. Whether you are a member of the trans community or you would like to learn more about how you can become an ally, I would like to encourage everyone to sign up to the training session with Warwickshire Pride so that we can all listen and learn together.”
A Transgender Day of Remembrance will also be taking place this Friday (tomorrow) from 7pm t0 9pm. The day honours the memory of transgender people whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence this year.
Usually the day is marked with vigils hosted by LGBTQ organisations, but due to the pandemic, Warwickshire Pride is hosting a virtual vigil which will be attended by members of Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and the fire and rescue service.
Fire and Rescue and Community Safety WCC spokesman Andy Crump said: “We hope that by taking part in the Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil, trans members feel supported by Warwickshire County Council and the fire and rescue service.
“We are grateful to Warwickshire Pride for giving us the opportunity to be involved. We also hope that by taking part in these activities for Transgender Awareness Week, it will enable our service to develop the way we work so that WFRS can become a more diverse and inclusive employer of choice for the trans community.”
