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Feminists Around the World: Trans Non-Profits · Stuff Mom Never Told You

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. Welcome to stuff. I
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: never told you production I hurted you.
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  Speaker 2: So today is because I feel like we're gonna have
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  Speaker 2: to do some timelines and time stamping. They stamping? What
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: what are those things?
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  Speaker 1: Time stamps? Yeah, you're right, time stamps?
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  Speaker 2: Okay, all right, all right, I think I'm thinking about
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  Speaker 2: now like work time stamps. Oh do you have to
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  Speaker 2: use those?
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  Speaker 1: I've never had to use those.
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  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, so many times I've worked at like different
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  Speaker 2: like corporations and companies and like menial jobs that I
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  Speaker 2: definitely had those and you had to line them up perfectly.
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  Speaker 2: Those were really nerve wracking. Anyway, back to my original point,
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  Speaker 2: digital time stamp, meaning we are going to do it
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  Speaker 2: for our podcast because we wanted to talk about Transmitsibility Day.
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  Speaker 2: But today is April second, twenty twenty four. And I've
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  Speaker 2: also mentioned how I hate April Fool's Day, so you know,
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  Speaker 2: no April fools on you people's because we don't do
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  Speaker 2: that here anyway. Yeah, so we are talking about chance
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  Speaker 2: Day of Visibility, which was March thirty first, twenty twenty four.
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  Speaker 2: To many people's arrived barely. I didn't know this. I
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  Speaker 2: was like why are you what's happening? But whatever, I
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  Speaker 2: love it even more. But that was a trans day
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  Speaker 2: of visibility, and since we did not publish anything new
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  Speaker 2: for that day, we thought we would take an episode
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  Speaker 2: and highlight several trans focused organizations that have been helping
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  Speaker 2: to advocate for the rights and protection and quality of
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  Speaker 2: the trans community and of course when it comes to
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  Speaker 2: feminists around the world, the trans community have been fighting really, really,
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  Speaker 2: really hard for everyone's rights, and we were all about intersectionality, right,
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  Speaker 2: That's what we're going to do for this episode, and
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  Speaker 2: we would love for you to join us in not
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  Speaker 2: only sharing their amazing works, but helping however you can
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  Speaker 2: to highlight them and their contribution. So we do want
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  Speaker 2: to do a content warning here because we are going
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  Speaker 2: to mention Priya, which is the Prison Rate Elimination Act.
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  Speaker 2: Also mentioned rape and socidality. So again we're not talking
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  Speaker 2: any in depth, no actual incidents, but just isn't there.
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  Speaker 2: It's in there and these are in no particular order,
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  Speaker 2: and of course there are so many many more organizations
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  Speaker 2: and we would love to hear from you, our lovely listeners,
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  Speaker 2: for any of your own local nonprofits that are doing
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  Speaker 2: some amazing work for the queer community and beyond, so
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  Speaker 2: please let us know. But yeah, these are a few
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  Speaker 2: that we wanted to highlight today. I'm sure we'll do
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  Speaker 2: it again and we'll keep doing it.
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  Speaker 1: Let's start with GATE, or Global Action for Trans Equality,
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  Speaker 1: which is based out of the UK and has been
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  Speaker 1: around since two thousand and nine and according to their site,
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  Speaker 1: gate dot ngo quote was born out of a need
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  Speaker 1: for a central body to lobby for trans rites at
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  Speaker 1: the global level, particularly at the United Founded in two
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  Speaker 1: thousand and nine, GATE sought to develop a global coordinating
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  Speaker 1: network for trans organizing to transform the systemic exclusion of
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  Speaker 1: trans people and their issues from international decision making and
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  Speaker 1: research processes. Since the beginning of the organization, they have
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  Speaker 1: focused on the inclusion of trans and gender diverse people
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  Speaker 1: when it comes to human rights on an international level
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  Speaker 1: by campaigning and educating others around the world by bringing
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  Speaker 1: awareness to the discrimination many trans people face. They have
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  Speaker 1: also focused on advocating for the healthcare rights and access
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  Speaker 1: for all trans and gender diverse people with community led
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  Speaker 1: campaigns within the political process and exposing how the healthcare
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  Speaker 1: responses for the trans community have been handled or oftentimes
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  Speaker 1: not handled, and they have worked to help train and
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  Speaker 1: mentor others to create a sustainable movement. They have worked
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  Speaker 1: to grow resources and networks all over the world to
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  Speaker 1: push for access, funding, and organizational growth that can eventually
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  Speaker 1: be self seen staining within different organizations and sectors. So
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  Speaker 1: there's one, here's another one. We have an organization in Memphis, Tennessee,
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  Speaker 1: called My Sister's House, started by transactivist kay La Gore.
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  Speaker 1: The organization started as a transitional home for trans and
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  Speaker 1: other queer people who were unhoused and without resources. According
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  Speaker 1: to their site MSH Memphis dot org, My Sister's House
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  Speaker 1: MSH is a grassroots transgender led organization in Memphis, Tennessee
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  Speaker 1: that provides wraparound services for primarily black and brown, transgender
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  Speaker 1: and non binary individuals, including a safe space, emergency shelter,
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  Speaker 1: and access to health and social services. Since the beginning
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  Speaker 1: of the organization in twenty sixteen, they have been able
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  Speaker 1: to provide at least twenty homes to those in need
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  Speaker 1: of housing by using their tiny house project, and are
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  Speaker 1: in the works of creating more homes that are ADA
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  Speaker 1: compliant and accessible for those with disabilities. Gore herself converted
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  Speaker 1: her six bedrooms from home into emergency housing for the
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  Speaker 1: trans and queer community, and with that they've expanded their
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  Speaker 1: services to include bail funds for incarcerated trans women, legal
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  Speaker 1: help and assistance, and multi level resources to help with
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  Speaker 1: housing and staple income.
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  Speaker 2: Right, and then we have a Black and Pink National
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  Speaker 2: which is an organization that quote is a prison abolitionist
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  Speaker 2: organization dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system and liberating LGBTQIA,
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  Speaker 2: t s plus people and people living with HIV AIDS
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  Speaker 2: who are affected by the system through advocacy, support and
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  Speaker 2: organizing and continuing from their site Blackinpink dot org. As
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  Speaker 2: we continue to grow as an organization, a family, and
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  Speaker 2: a community of accomplices, we will always hold true to
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  Speaker 2: our foundational and radical beliefs in the capacity for good
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  Speaker 2: and the abilities of all people to be the best
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  Speaker 2: version of themselves and to dismantle the systems that plaque
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  Speaker 2: I communities. We will always be partners with those impacted
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  Speaker 2: by the prison industrial complex through autrocities it enacts, and
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  Speaker 2: will not rest until it's come completely dismantled because we
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  Speaker 2: not only imagine a world without prisons, we demand it.
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  Speaker 2: And yeah, they've been working not only for liberation and
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  Speaker 2: for the health of their community, but they have been
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  Speaker 2: publishing data and detailed research to educate the public for
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  Speaker 2: the reasons that needs behind organizations like theirs. Their extensive report,
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  Speaker 2: done alongside vera dot org, shows the need to change
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  Speaker 2: policies and procedures for the trans community who are currently incarcerated.
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  Speaker 2: They're able to give it detailed surveys of what the
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  Speaker 2: trans and queer community we're going through in their time
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  Speaker 2: of incarceration and what is needed to help correct what
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  Speaker 2: is happening. And here's a bit from their conclusion of
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  Speaker 2: that report. It says three overarching themes emerged in this
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  Speaker 2: report in terms of transgender people's experience in prison, their
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  Speaker 2: housing situations, their access to healthcare and other gender affirming practices,
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  Speaker 2: and their interactions and relationships with other people from abusive
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  Speaker 2: to supportive. Participants in this project also had clear asks
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  Speaker 2: in their terms of policy change. These policy recommendations underscores
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  Speaker 2: the importance of meaningful input from transgender peace people who
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  Speaker 2: are incarcerated and their advocates at all stages. Policy designed,
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  Speaker 2: implementations and monitoring. Formal policies should also allow for some
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  Speaker 2: flexibility for each person's individual situation. Not everyone who's transgender
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  Speaker 2: has the same needs, risk or preferences, and so one
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  Speaker 2: size fits all policies or eligibility criteria are too rigid.
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  Speaker 2: This report outlines concrete suggestions from people with lived experience
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  Speaker 2: of prison on more supportive policies and practices related to housing,
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  Speaker 2: relationship and community, social transition and gender affirming language, healthcare PREA,
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  Speaker 2: and other responses to sexual assault or harassment and staff conduct.
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  Speaker 2: So that is a really really important piece and if
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  Speaker 2: you have the time, please go and read their research.
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  Speaker 2: There is a link from Black and Pink National dot
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  Speaker 2: org to Vera dot org and it gives you a
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  Speaker 2: whole pdf. It's about a ninety nine page report. And
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  Speaker 2: I think it's so important that we have research like this.
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  Speaker 2: We know that we've had a friend of the show,
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  Speaker 2: Raquel will let's talk about the abolition of incarceration and
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  Speaker 2: just how transgender communities are persecuted within the prison system.
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  Speaker 2: So I think it's something that we need to talk
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  Speaker 2: about more often. They do a lot when it comes
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  Speaker 2: to that type of work, and they have done the work,
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  Speaker 2: so it's not something that we have to do ourselves. Again,
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  Speaker 2: there's a ninety nine page report about it with a
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  Speaker 2: lot of good detailed surveys and questionnaires and a lot
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  Speaker 2: of great information, so that in itself, go and check
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  Speaker 2: it out, start publishing it, whatever you want to do,
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  Speaker 2: If you want to highlight it in your own social media,
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  Speaker 2: go for it, because I think it's such an important report.
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  Speaker 2: And then we also have a trans Lifeline, which was
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  Speaker 2: founded in twenty fourteen after an epidemic of sociedality arose
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  Speaker 2: and no real support system for the trans community. So
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  Speaker 2: it came quickly after I believe the Trans Day of
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  Speaker 2: Remembrance was started, and after they realized how much of
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  Speaker 2: a need they really had to support their own community.
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  Speaker 2: They not only offer emotional support for the trans community,
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  Speaker 2: but up until recently we're able to give financial support
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  Speaker 2: as well. And they are, quote from their site translifeline
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  Speaker 2: dot org, a trans community by the trans community. And
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  Speaker 2: we do want to know they have some controversy within
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  Speaker 2: their organization, including that the original founders were allegedly embezzling
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  Speaker 2: money from the company. Of course, they have since changed
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  Speaker 2: over their leadership and have merged with a trans Assistance
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  Speaker 2: Project who at the time helped develop a new program
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  Speaker 2: known as the micro Grants program which helped provide funds
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  Speaker 2: to quote support to correct names and or gender marketers
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  Speaker 2: on identifying legal documents, fund gender affirming permanent hair removal,
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  Speaker 2: and supply necessities for our siblings behind bars. However, this
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  Speaker 2: program has been paused at this time due to the
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  Speaker 2: higher demands and lack of funding. They were able to
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  Speaker 2: give out one point five million, and I think that
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  Speaker 2: equals out to be like several people getting five hundred
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  Speaker 2: dollars to get this type of assistance. So they get
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  Speaker 2: they did do quite a bit, and also due to
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  Speaker 2: the budget shortfall, they've had to cut down the operating
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  Speaker 2: hours for their hotlines, so I don't think it's successful
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  Speaker 2: Saturday and Sundays. So they are such a needed organization
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  Speaker 2: for this community. We know what happens oftentimes when police
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  Speaker 2: are called or law enforcement are called in the states
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  Speaker 2: of emergencies or in crisis, and there has been reports
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  Speaker 2: showing that more oftentimes it causes more harm to the
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  Speaker 2: trans communities when this happens. So having a support system
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  Speaker 2: like this is vital and yes it is currently available
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  Speaker 2: in US and Canada. Organizations like these are oftentimes under
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  Speaker 2: the radar and don't get the support that they need.
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  Speaker 2: Their hotline again doesn't have enough people to help out
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  Speaker 2: and it is for trans by trans. So there's so
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  Speaker 2: much to be said as we're losing more and more transactivists.
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  Speaker 2: We know the deaths of transactivists have been pretty high,
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  Speaker 2: and of course what's happening with policies going after the
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  Speaker 2: trans community. Is not surprising to see that they're lacking support.
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  Speaker 2: But organizations like these are in need and we do
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  Speaker 2: want to support them as well. Again, their organization is
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  Speaker 2: at translifeline dot org and they give you different resources
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  Speaker 2: on how you can help, how cispeople can help the
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  Speaker 2: organization as well, how non trans people can help in
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  Speaker 2: these organizations, and it could be as easy as donating. Again,
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  Speaker 2: like I said, I know they had controversies, but they
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  Speaker 2: have really worked through that and come out of the fire.
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  Speaker 2: Now they're trying to rebuild. They just recently did a
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  Speaker 2: cool stream Athon, so they did it with several twitch
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  Speaker 2: trans twitch people, trans celebrities i guess in the twitch world,
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  Speaker 2: So that's exciting to see. That just happened like March twentieth,
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  Speaker 2: so we missed it saying it, but they have many
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  Speaker 2: more coming through I'm sure. So if you can, you know,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: get to their newsletter, get more information, stay up to
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  Speaker 2: date about what they're doing this This type of need
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  Speaker 2: is high and there's not enough out there for those
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  Speaker 2: who need it, and we know that, so we wanted
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  Speaker 2: to take the time to talk about what they're doing.
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  Speaker 2: You know, if you if you have an organization like this,
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  Speaker 2: and I know there's other's like Trevor Project that are bigger,
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  Speaker 2: that are more well known, but we did kind of
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  Speaker 2: want to get the ones that were a little less
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  Speaker 2: well known. Uh So that's what we were searching for.
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  Speaker 2: But if you have the time, check out these organizations
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  Speaker 2: and see if there's any way.
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  Speaker 1: You could help. Yes, definitely, And if there's anything that
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: you think we should shout out that should be on
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: our radar, please let us know. You can email us
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: at Stephanie your Momsteph at iHeartMedia dot com. You can
• 12:54
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• 12:56
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• 12:59
  Speaker 1: a tea public store and we have a book you
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: can get wherever you get your books. Thanks as always
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: to our super producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, and
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: our contributor Joey, thank you and thanks to you for listening.
• 13:09
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