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From Tolerance to Support: Showing Up for the Trans Community
Jun 17, 2025 | Jay Blury, VP Director of Marketing and Communications
As a proud gay, cisgender man, I care deeply about our broader LGBTQ+ community and have been thinking a lot about our trans community lately. And I thought about how caring isn’t the same as understanding—and understanding isn’t the same as showing up. Trans people are still being targeted, excluded, and erased, and too often, even those of us who should be allies are quiet when it matters most.
I thought about what it means to show up – from tolerance, to acceptance, to real, active support. That’s the path we should all walk. Tolerance is quiet. Acceptance is polite. Support is loud.
Tolerance
Tolerance is the lowest bar. It’s passive. It says, “You can be here, but don’t ask too much of me.” It’s looking the other way. It’s silence when trans people are misgendered, harassed, or excluded.
Acceptance
Acceptance is better – it’s a step in the right direction. It’s using someone’s pronouns. It’s a warm welcome. But acceptance doesn’t always show up when things get hard. It doesn’t always risk comfort to protect someone else’s dignity. It can stop at “I see you,” when what we need is “I’m with you.”
Support
Support is a whole different thing. Support is loud. It shows up when it counts. It speaks up in hard moments. It puts something on the line—your time, your platform, your money, your voice. Support means fighting for safety, rights, and visibility. It doesn’t whisper – it shouts.
Why We Need to Support the Trans Community
Because trans people are under attack—legally, politically, and physically. Across the country, lawmakers are stripping away healthcare, banning books and bathrooms, and targeting trans kids for simply existing. It’s a wave of cruelty hiding behind buzzwords like “protection.”
It’s not just politics – it's personal. People are getting hurt and sometimes worse.
And in moments like this, being “not transphobic” isn’t enough. Passive support won’t stop violence. Silence won’t block bad laws. This is the moment to get loud. This is the moment to stand up.
What Real Support for the Trans Community Looks Like
Here’s where we start:
- Use the name and pronouns someone asks you to use. Every time.
- Speak up when someone makes a joke at a trans person’s expense.
- Learn about trans experiences from trans people. And when you get it wrong (because we all do sometimes), apologize and do better next time.
Then go further:
- Volunteer with or donate to trans-led organizations.
- Vote for people who protect trans rights.
- Make your workplace and community safer and more inclusive—not just in theory, but in practice.
Support doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being present and engaged.
How We Show Up for the Trans Community at Beneficial State Bank
I’m proud to work for an organization that doesn’t shy away from these values. At Beneficial State Bank, we hold justice, inclusion, and community as core values of our mission. For us, ‘Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging’ aren’t just words on a poster – we strive to embody them every day. Our bank was founded on the idea of building prosperity for all communities, especially those historically excluded from economic systems. That commitment naturally extends to our LGBTQ+ community and to our transgender colleagues and customers who often face unique hurdles.
Our PRIDE Employee Resource Group is a space where LGBTQ+ employees and allies come together to create belonging and push for change. We know that safety and visibility for trans folks—at work and in our communities—aren’t optional. They’re foundational.
But we know this work doesn’t stop at the walls of our bank. That’s why we strive to live these values out loud – through how we invest, how we communicate, and how we serve our communities.
How You Can Show Up, Too
Want to move from acceptance to action? Here are some places to start:
- Seattle: Volunteer with Ingersoll Gender Center or Gender Justice League, whose Community Security Program helps relocate trans individuals and families with trans children from trans-hostile states to Washington—covering moving costs, housing, and employment resources at no cost to them.
- Portland: Donate to Basic Rights Oregon or support the Q Center’s trans programs and the Trans Lifeline.
- San Francisco & Oakland: Support the Transgender Law Center or the Transgender District.
- Los Angeles: Contribute to the TransLatin@ Coalition or volunteer with the Trans Wellness Center.
No matter where you are, you can act. Find a group. Lend your voice. Give what you can. Show up with intention.
While supporting our local communities is vital, it’s just as important to recognize the dangerous conditions many trans people face outside of the West Coast. Programs like the Community Security Program are a reminder that solidarity means protecting those at the highest risk—wherever they may be.
To our Trans Community
You are loved. You are valid. You deserve more than tolerance, more than acceptance. We see you – and more than that, we celebrate and stand with you.
To our allies and potential allies: this is your invitation. Let’s stop mistaking politeness for progress. Let your love be louder than hate. Let your support be real.
Jay Blury
VP, Director of Marketing and Communications
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