TransHub

TransHub was one of the key actions of ACON’s trans action plan, which identified that trans communities struggle to find accurate, inclusive and up-to-date information regarding gender affirmation and health. The challenge was to present information across a broad range of subjects for a wide audience (community, allies and clinicians), while remaining legible, accessible, and evidence-based – nothing like this exists anywhere else. Trans people in Australia shoulder some of the heaviest burdens of mental health and suicidality. Access to quality information and social acceptance are protective factors, so TransHub sought to meet community needs while directly strengthening health outcomes.

TransHub presents a hub of information and resources for gender affirmation and health, including: Content organised in a way that is easy to understand and navigate, despite the expansive nature of the subject material. A clear visual hierarchy provides feedback to the user, and assists them to implicitly identify where they are and where to locate related information. Each section of the platform (Social, Medical and Legal Affirmation, My Health, Allies, and Clinicians) uses simple colour and iconography is employed to strengthen subject recognition and ease navigation. Feedback from users and peer review have been undertaken and implemented.

TransHub delivers a significant social impact for trans people, allies and clinicians in NSW, and beyond. Accurate, inclusive and evidence-based content about gender affirmation and health for trans people, alongside capacity building for allies and clinicians, co-designed by intended audience, are critical tools for preventing mental ill-health and suicide. TransHub addresses an urgent and unmet need through innovative, strengths-based, accessible and community-connected content. Further, TransHub launched on 31 March 2020 and has already seen 11,000 unique visitors. We have also received hundreds of messages from trans people and allies telling us they wished TransHub had always existed for them.

TransHub is unique in that it was conceived, designed and created by, about, and for trans people. Being peer designed, produced and reviewed allows this project to be an authentic and powerful suite of resources that can grow and evolve as the community’s needs do. · Comprehensive language guide · Portal for community members and clinicians to centrally access all resources · Map of NSW gender affirming doctors. · Print resources – posters, brochures, postcards, factsheets that summarise key content areas. Developed for use within community, education and healthcare settings. Available to download and will be distributed once COVID-19 restrictions have eased. · Targeted social media strategy devised to support the implementation of TransHub which has already reached over 220,000 people. All assets are branded and have a clear visual relationship to associated content areas. · Illustrations by trans creatives were commissioned to create affirming imagery about trans experience. · Suite of downloadable templates for community members to affirm their genders, including letters to update legal gender markers, preferred and legal names. These elements deliver a comprehensive platform reaching target audiences in multiple settings and meeting a pressing need for information that empowers trans people and those around us.