Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2024

Fall 2024 • 29

financial means or social support) to medically transition via hormones and surgery. “Male-to-female” or “female-to-male” also assumes that gender is a binary (it’s not) and that a person can simply be a boy one day and—viola!—a girl the next. (Also not true.) A more accurate way to describe this is by using the terms “assigned female at birth” or “assigned male at birth” (abbreviated as AFAB or AMAB), since that’s what happened: a transgender person was assigned a gender at birth before they could speak and let the world know who they truly are! Additionally, when talking about someone you knew from before they transitioned, it’s best not to disclose their previous names or

pronouns. “Oh, I have a transgender friend! She used to go by Steve before he—I mean, she— transitioned, but now she’s Hannah at work!” Now, you’ve not only deadnamed and misgendered Hannah, you’ve also outed her without her consent. Keep her private information private to keep her safe. When your heart is in the right place, people will understand if you make the occasional mistake, especially when you hold yourself accountable in a simple and straightforward way: “Oh, I’m sorry I got your pronouns wrong just now. Let me try this again.” Do your best, apologize when you make mistakes, correct yourself, do better, and move on. Eventually practice makes perfect!

you and your staff are staying updated on inclusive practice. 3 If you can, consider offering sliding scale pricing to LGBTQ clients who might not be in a position to pay full price for regular massage therapy. 4 Make sure your LGBTQ clients have visible

Photo by Mark Hanson

5 Quick Ways to Build a More Inclusive Community

reminders they are in safe space, whether that’s gender neutral restrooms, staff that asks for pronouns and offer their own, pride flags or anything else that feels right for you and your practice. 5 Commit to continually educating yourself and others when you can so you can continue to build on the inclusive environment you’ve started. Also, doing that personal work means your LGBTQ clients don’t have to spend their own energy educating people. Our clients put their trust in us to care for them week after week, month after month, sometimes for years at a time. We owe it to them to extend that care to all aspects of their lives. Doing so will positively impact their health and well-being, and will create a more just environment for us all.

No matter if you have several LGBTQ clients, have no idea if any of your clients are LGBTQ or are just beginning to think more deeply about inclusive practice, there are small, meaningful steps you can take to ensure your practice is welcoming to everyone, especially vulnerable and marginalized communities. 1 Donate a massage gift certificate to a local LGBTQ organization to help with a fundraiser. Or, consider sponsoring a local event! 2 Start or join an Employee Resource Group at your practice that focuses on LGBTQ issues to make sure

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