Recognizing International Trans Day of Visibility

March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual day dedicated to recognizing the experiences of transgender people around the world. It’s a day to raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as celebrate their contributions to society.

"Doing the work of your life is rooted in who you are, what drives you, your passion and being fully seen and valued to foster a culture of belonging,” said Iesha Berry, DocuSign chief diversity and engagement officer. “Today DocuSign honors International Transgender Day of Visibility and amplifies the voices and contributions of our transgender community...we see you!"

DocuSign is committed to listening to the experiences of our employees and creating safe spaces where employees can come together to celebrate their identities and experiences. All employees are required to complete unconscious bias and inclusion training activities, and managers are measured twice yearly on inclusion metrics. The DocuSign Pride ERG regularly holds company-wide events to create a culture of open dialogue around LGBTQIA+ issues.

Supporting organizations that align with our values

This year, to recognize International Transgender Day of Visibility our DocuSign Pride Employee Resource Group has selected a few non-profit organizations to recognize for their continued commitment to driving awareness and providing safe spaces for members of the transgender community. DocuSign Pride has partnered with DocuSign IMPACT to offer employee donations through our company match program. These organizations will be highlighted for DocuSign employees who want to put their annual volunteer time off or donation dollars towards these efforts.

We encourage you to learn more about each non-profit we are highlighting and join us in supporting these causes.

Safety and equal rights for trans communities in the US

In 2021, over 250 anti-transgender legislative bills were introduced in the United States. During the 2022 legislative session, dozens of states will consider legislation related to LGBTQIA+ discrimination. While some bills will seek to advance the comprehensive nondiscrimination laws that LGBTQIA+ people so sorely need, many others will almost certainly attempt to single out and target LGBTQIA+ people for unfair and unequal treatment. Many of these bills specifically target transgender communities, especially trans youth. 

Due to all of this legislative activity, the North America Pride committee would like to highlight the Transgender Law Center, an organization focused on helping change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.

Advocacy for trans communities in Europe

In spite of the significant progress over the past few years, Ireland remains a place where it is difficult for trans people to lead safe, healthy and integrated lives. To help build a future for trans people in Ireland, the EMEA Pride Committee recommends supporting the following organisations: 

• LGBT Ireland: LGBT Ireland is a national organisation underpinned  by localised knowledge and response. The service was established in 2010 by seven local LGBT helplines, who shared a vision to create an infrastructure to enable them to offer support and information nationally through their network of trained volunteers. 
• Sparkle: As the organisers of Sparkle Weekend —the world’s largest free celebration of gender diversity—Sparkle promotes a positive representation and acceptance of the trans, non-binary/genderfluid and intersex community

Focusing on the safety of trans women in Brazil

Despite transphobia being a crime in Brazil since 2019, the country has the highest murder rate for transgender people worldwide for the 13th consecutive year. In 2021, the number of murders of trans women was the highest since 2008 – the year in which the data began to be recorded. 

To assist trans people facing this cycle of violence, our Latin America Pride ERG has highlighted two organizations:

• CasaNem, a nonprofit that provides caring and attention to LGBTQIA+ people in situations of social vulnerability, with priority for transgender communities. It is here where the transgender community in Flamengo, city of Rio de Janeiro finds shelter, support and even a new family to call our own. 
• Centro Casa Um, a civil society project whose purpose is to welcome young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who were expelled from home by their family because of their affective, sexual orientations and gender identity. It functions as a transit home focusing on promoting autonomy and organization for young people who, from one moment to the next, find themselves homeless.

DocuSign’s diversity and inclusion efforts

The Pride Employee Resource Group is part of DocuSign’s overall Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIBs) efforts, which ensure that every team member has an equal opportunity to succeed, to be heard, to exchange ideas openly and to do the work of their life.

Learn more about Pride and other employee run groups at DocuSign. Visit DocuSign Careers to learn more about our current job opportunities.

This blog was contributed by the DocuSign Pride ERG Leadership team.