Resources for Trans Liberation
I’d like to share resources I’ve recently found to support trans people and accomplices amidst the rise of anti-trans bills across the U.S. These resources are all intersectional and connected to the health and wellness of trans individuals.
First, a quick primer. This post is in response to the current political climate and events that have been recently happening in the U.S., but I like frameworks to help set some grounding.
When I attended a training sometime in 2019 by Carrie Davis, MSW in NYC for the HIV Planning Council, one of the most affirming frameworks and models I learned about while I was very early in my gender transition was The Transgender Health & Wellness Cascade.
I found myself revisiting the photo I took of the slide over the years and recently put it into a FigJam to share widely, which you can find here.
For a little more context, after working in HIV/AIDS service organizations in NYC for several years, a very popular framework that was taught in many trainings for service providers was the HIV treatment cascade and care continuum (also known as the HIV Care Continuum) that models the dynamic stages of HIV care.
The Transgender Health & Wellness Cascade is an adaptation of this framework that models the many barriers transgender people have to accessing health and wellness services. It allows for an easy way to identify the specific needs of trans people and how you can support us as a community. Now, on to the resources!
Development
- imi.guide is a tool for LGBTQ+ teens, by LGBTQ+ teens and their allies. This project was a funded collaboration between Hopelab, CenterLink, and It Gets Better Project, but with the collaboration and contributions of hundreds of LGBTQ+ teens. It is evidence-based and results from the research study found that imi boosts positive coping skills and mindsets that are important for supporting the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. You can also read more about the results and impact here.
- Q Chat Space: An online community for LGBTQ+ teens with live, chat-based discussion groups facilitated by experienced staff and volunteers from youth programs at LGBTQ+ centers across the U.S.
Education
- Kiki: A documentary film focused on Black and brown queer and trans youth in the House Ballroom community of New York City. Note: The film is Unrated but more suitable for audiences ages 16+
- Trans Educators Network (TEN): A grassroots organization built through a framework of mutual aid. The network is open to trans educators and/or gender-diverse educators who work with youth in the preschool/kindergarten through grade 12 (PK-12) system.
- The Center for Applied Transgender Studies: A leading academic organization dedicated to scholarship on the social, cultural, and political conditions of transgender life.
Employment
- TransCanWork: A non-profit org committed to advancing workplace inclusion through innovative training strategies and workforce development.
- TransTech Social: A co-learning and co-working community created to empower, educate, and employ the trans community through accessible education, programs, events, and employment opportunities.
- Hacking the Workforce: A non-profit org creating a pipeline of QTBIPOC talent in cybersecurity to succeed as leaders in tech.
- The Stroll: A groundbreaking documentary film about transgender women of color who were sex workers in New York City’s Meatpacking District (an area known as “The Stroll”) from the 1970s through the early 2000s. The film highlights the important history of how trans people have used sex work as a tool for survival when workplaces (and society at large) were not welcoming, inclusive, or accessible to the trans community. Note: the film is rated TV-MA for mature audiences and is not suitable for children or youth.
Health & Wellness
- Trans Lifeline: The nation’s only crisis and peer-support hotline, staffed by trans people, for trans people.
- Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health (TPATH):
- The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center: An organization that provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to healthcare organizations.
- Transgender Health: The first peer-reviewed journal dedicated to addressing the healthcare needs of transgender individuals throughout their lifespan and identifying gaps in knowledge as well as priority areas where policy development and research are needed to achieve healthcare equity.
- National Transgender Health Summit (NTHS): A national summit that presents cutting-edge research, evidence-based educational sessions, and training opportunities across many disciplines.
Trans-Led Advocacy & More
I am highlighting some resources and organizations that do not get enough spotlight compared to the more well-known LGBT orgs (HRC, GLAAD, Trevor Project, GLSEN, etc.) — who are all doing impactful work, too! Just not really trans-led.
- Trans Legislation Tracker: A website that tracks and documents anti-trans legislation impacting the lives of trans people in the U.S., along with tools to follow and engage with active bills.
- Trans Women of Color Collective: An organization created to cultivate economic opportunities and affirming spaces for trans people of color.
- Black Trans Advocacy Coalition: An organization committed to improving the black transgender human experience though the power, value, and love of all people.
- Black Trans Travel Fund: A Black trans-led collective providing travel support, connecting communities internationally, and establishing paths towards opportunities, safety, and success.
- TransLatin@ Coalition: A grassroots organization to address the needs of TGI Latiné immigrants living in the U.S.
- Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo (CITG): An organization promoting and defending human rights and access to comprehensive health care for TGNB, QBIPOC and sex workers in NYC.
- California Transcends: An organization working to improve the lives of all transgender Californians by advancing transgender health equity nationwide through the power of policy, love, and justice for all.
- Third Wave Fund: An organization resourcing the fight for BIPOC gender justice liberation.
- Trans Justice Funding Project: An organization that moves money to trans-led grassroots groups and projects with trust and no strings attached.
I hope that this list of resources is valuable and helpful to you. Please feel free to share it with your communities and networks.
I am a trans woman of color and researcher, and I write and create content and resources for QTBIPOC+ healing justice.
- You can learn more about me and my work on my website
- If you are interested in supporting my work, please consider donating to me here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/laya.dsgn
