Raising Queer Workers' Rights in South Korea

Through the campaign building program with volunteer members, we produced, printed, and distributed the Trans-Friendly Etiquette poster. This guideline contains practical steps for making a transgender-friendly community and organization. The posters were distributed at pride parades and the events around the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), and also made available at our office so that visitors could take them and post them in their own offices and places. Many individuals put them up in their offices and shared them as rules to be observed in spaces where they work alongside transgender colleagues. In addition, copies were mailed to labor unions, workers’ organizations, and civil society groups so they could be displayed in their offices.

The Labor Party, a political party committed to workers’ rights, also posted the guidelines and expressed solidarity, emphasizing their commitment to creating safe spaces and welcoming communities for transgender people.

While the Trans-Friendly Etiquette has already helped many communities become more inclusive of transgender people, some feedback noted that because it used queer terms, written in Korean by sounding out the English words, the words and content can be difficult for those less familiar with transgender issues.

In response, we are now creating a second version of the poster with simpler language and illustrations instead of long text, making it easier for a wider audience to understand. We are also planning a booklet with more detailed explanations to help people gain a deeper understanding of transgender people's lives. These new materials will be distributed and displayed in various workplaces.

We ask for your continued support so that more transgender-friendly workplaces, communities, and organizations can emerge in Korea.