Trans people of color form political group
By LeiLani Dowell
New York
A historic celebration Dec. 9 launched the first project by
and for trans and gender non-conforming people of color in New
York. TransJustice, a project of the Audre Lorde Project (ALP),
was launched at a standing-room-only event at ALP's offices in
Brooklyn.
TransJustice describes itself as "a political group created
by and for trans and gender non-conforming people of color. We
work to mobilize our communities and allies to action on the
pressing political issues we face. These issues include gaining
access to jobs, housing and education; the need for
trans-sensitive healthcare, HIV-related services and
job-training programs; resisting police, government and
anti-immigration violence."
Imani Henry, director of the Trans Justice project, told the
group, "This meeting is a demonstration about the living and
breathing and struggle-oriented nature of trans people of
color, from Stone wall to our sisters who founded STAR [Street
Transvestite Action Revolutionaries] to every trans-led
initiative that has gone before us."
The event featured speakers--all trans or gender
non-conforming people of color, all activists--discussing their
work and the continued struggle for trans people with regard to
immigration, housing and jobs, and youth issues.
Debanuj Dasgupta of the Queer Im migrants Rights Project
(QIR) discussed the myriad challenges LGBT people face towards
immigration, including a 12- to 14-year waiting list for green
cards for asylum. Dasgupta said, "As immigrants, we are
displaced, we're used for cheap labor, and we're not even given
housing. ... In the long term, QIR wants a complete overhaul of
the INS." Dasgupta described the assault on immigrants as
another facet of U.S. imperialism.
Barbara Cassis of Housing Works stressed the need for more
services for homeless trans people. Cassis works with an
18-month transitional housing program that has successfully
kept all its clients off the street. Regina Shavers, executive
director of the Griot Circle--a lesbian, gay, bi and
transgender senior organization--said there are no housing
services for female-to-male seniors, adding, "If you think you
have problems with housing now, wait until you're 63."
Bran Fenner of Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for
Community Empowerment discussed how FIERCE was formed to fill a
void around struggle for trans and queer youth of color. One of
FIERCE's longest-standing campaigns is against the so-called
"quality of life" campaigns in New York City that are really a
way of pushing queer youth of color off the piers and out of
the Lower East Side.
Other speakers included Kris Hayashi, executive director of
the Audre Lorde Project; Kim Watson, associate coordinator of
the Trans Program at Bronx's Community Health Care Network;
Gael Guevara of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and Queers for
Peace and Justice; and Adam Okoye, a student at Harvey Milk
High School and an organizer with the Gay Lesbian Straight
Education Network.
The event closed with a number of stunning performances in
celebration of the project and the community.
Reprinted from the Dec. 23, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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