Since his first day in office, President Trump has rolled out executive orders limiting transgender Americans' access to healthcare, passports, sports and the military. One trans scholar says it’s vital, in this moment, to talk about technology.
“ I don't have any illusions that technology is going to solve these problems,” said Oliver Haimson, assistant professor at University of Michigan School of Information. “But what I do think is that … trans technologies can be really empowering forms of resistance.”
Oliver is the author of “Trans Technologies,” a book discussing more than 100 technologies that meet specific needs of the trans community and help create a world that better embraces change. He tells host Anita Rao why this technology is vital now, and he shares themes and takeaways from the new tech he’s explored – everything from bathroom-finding apps to augmented reality – about how this technology might best serve trans people in the future.
Special thanks to Hibby Thach for her contributions to this episode!