ACTIVITY: Defining Narratives
Identify 2–3 common phrases or ideas you’ve heard that reflect conversion-like thinking. Explore the underlying narratives they are built on. Remember that sometimes these narratives can seem positive on the surface, like the video of the Black Trans man clearly showed.
Write down the 2 or maximum 3 narratives that you will make sure to avoid reinforcing even unintentionally.
Now identify the 2 or maximum 3 narratives that you think will be constructive in your long-term communication strategy.
Remember that narratives are broad assumptions that your particular target groups base their worldview on. It is not in your capacity to change them, so they are different from your change objective(s). Think of them like waves on which your communication strategy must surf.
- Frequent social statement in your target group:
“Trans people suffer a lot, I feel sorry for them. I hear that there is a high rate of suicide. Maybe some form of treatment could actually be beneficial, if it is well done” - Underlying narratives:
Being Trans is a problem. Trans people are structurally unhappy. Being Trans can/should be viewed as a problem, possibly a medical issue - Narratives to avoid – Narratives to reaffirm :
“Being Trans is intrinsically painful”.
Focusing on the pain suffered by victims of Conversion Practices could involuntarily reinforce the narrative that being Trans necessarily leads to suffering. Instead, campaigners could systematically underline that it is Transphobia that causes the harm and portray the happiness of Trans survivors of Conversion Practices.
“Trans people are fundamentally sick”.
To avoid activating this frame, campaigners could choose to avoid focusing on the medical dimension of gender-affirming care, as this reinforces the “medical” narrative and instead focus on the quest for self-affirmation, which is shared and better understood by Cis target audiences.
