Last week's virtual panel on supporting trans and nonbinary staff and community had over a hundred people registered, and 50+ in attendance. The response to the event has been overwhelming, and many people have reached out to SIBA privately to express their gratitude for hosting the event.

The discussion is now available to view online. And was covered extensively by Publishers Weekly. You can also read a full transcript.

There was quite a lot of information covered in the hour-long conversation, which is well worth listening to in its entirety. But here are a few takeaways since, as E.R. Anderson noted in his comments "I know when I come to these talks, I want like actionable things that I can do."

1. Revamp your employee forms. Charis uses a "very open ended" employee intake form that asks, but does not require, not just a person's pronouns but also information about how they want to be referred to in different scenarios. What name should be used if the store is called as an emergency contact? How should store staff refer to them if their family comes in to ask for them? Charis commits to supporting staff however they ask or need to be supported.

2. Be an ally. There are a lot of confusing paperwork and procedures that go into legally changing a person's name or gender. It is also something that people may not feel safe to do on their own. Employers can help their staff navigate the ins and outs of this process. They can, for example, take it upon themselves to make necessary changes with their payroll service, or offer to help their staff with filing paperwork.

"The joke among trans people is often like, one of the hardest things about being trans is all of the paperwork, because there's such a high burden of proof that the government that health care, that even religious institutions require to even believe us, that we are who we say we are, who we know we are." -- E.R. Anderson, Charis Circle

3. Clarify staff names. Even more than getting someone's pronouns wrong, it hurts to refer to them by a name that no longer signifies who they are. Nor is it okay to use the wrong name just because that is what is still on, say, someone's driver's license. If you publish a staff directory, either in-house or publicly on your store website, make sure you are using the name your staff tells you to use. And make sure your in store paper work also reflects their correct name. Don't put up obstacles for people to make a change to their name, pronouns, or gender within your store.

4. Be flexible in scheduling. Trans people face an incredible amount of hostility, and they may be in crisis. Allow for the time to support them when they need it -- whether that means extra time off, or simply extra time in the store to collect themselves in a space where they feel safe. Likewise, be supportive of their need for time when they are participating in political rallies or other kinds of activism.

"I think that is something we do a lot of for each other at Firestorm, which is really inviting and welcoming, kind of honesty about where we're coming from, or what's going on for us in our lives. And then being prepared to really collectively say it is a priority of our organization to meet people where they're at, and hold and care for each other." -- Libertie Valance, Firestorm Books

5. On the subject of activism a number of topics are discussed, from directly lobbying the local legislature to providing space for support groups to supporting prison book programs. But the main point everyone agreed upon was don't to be afraid to take a stand for rights and lives of trans and nonbinary people. Speak up at meetings when someone proposes pulling books from the shelves of the library. Don't be afraid to explain why you choose not to stock books that actively harm trans people.

Booksellers, especially those located in conservative-leaning communities, sometimes express concern about alienating customers who don't share their values. But as all the panelists pointed out, there are also all those people who will be drawn to your store because you reflect their values. "I think that people will surprise you," noted Candice Huber from Tubby & Coo's. "I think that queer communities and queer people are everywhere."

Other resources mentioned:
Candice Huber outlines how they fought a local book ban
You're Wrong About Podcast analyzes how the New York Times covers stories about trans people and issues.