@thespiritwas / thespiritwas.tumblr.com
Hi everyone! Please Sign & Share the Change.org petition to tell NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo and NYS Health Commissioner Shah its time for trans and gender non conforming people New Yorkers have the healthcare they need!
Then share our videos above and infographic at srlp.org/healthcare !
Lets Make the Violence Stop!
I usually don't read comments on buzzfeed but my friend Dean's interview was on it and I wanted to check out the brilliant insights he's interview inspired. Here's some of my thoughts about the push back the interview got.
When a handful of white trans women with access to billions of dollars try to make trans ppl -who'll be POC & poor- weapons of war I realize anything possible.
Except for these white trans women to realize that actually the most pressing needs for our community is getting *out* of deadly institutions like prisons, police, jail, detention centers, bad homeless shelters, forced hospitalizations, as well as access to healthcare, meaningful employment, homes.
Trans people, and I'm talking about my sisters and siblings, are already in extremely dangerous job situations why on earth would we need another one? Why on earth would we want to join the forces of colonialism and conquest at home and abroad?
As Kenyon said in his 2011 huffpost piece A Military Job Is Not Economic Justice
Yes, the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a victory -- of sorts -- significant when it comes to moving towards eliminating discrimination and advancing equality for LGBT individuals. But military service is not economic justice, and it is immoral that the military is the nation's de facto jobs program for young, poor, Black and working-class people.
Even while we may applaud the repeal of a discriminatory policy, we have to be clear: militarism and war profiteering do not serve the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people, or poor people, or people of color...
Furthermore there are poor people as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people beyond U.S. shores, who have been killed, traumatized, or disabled as a direct result of recent US-led wars or who have become vulnerable targets to backlashes to US policies and actions.
Yes "our gays" should have the "right" to serve openly in the military rather than labor under discriminatory rules -- but we stand in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the globe. We do not condone violence against them or their home countries. We support real economic justice.
I don't want to be a force of military violence against other poor people of color who are trans, I want liberation. So I say no to this outrageous campaign and I hope you'll join me in the movement for a trans liberation that is inextricably linked to ending all other forms of oppression!
from SRLP on Chelsea Manning, the realities trans & gnc people have to navigate daily while incarcerated and how we can support people on the inside!
(click here to donate)
Dear Friends & Community, We are writing to let you know of a community member who needs support after going through a major health crisis. Many of you know Egyptt, a long time activist and advocate for low income, trans communities of color. Egyptt was…
reblogging this in light of Janet Mock’s brilliant insights on crowdfunding for trans women of color and in hopes that more and more people share this alongside KOKUMO’s and Ja’briel Walthour’s fundraisers. Please support all three by all the means you can!
(click here to donate)
Dear Friends & Community, We are writing to let you know of a community member who needs support after going through a major health crisis. Many of you know Egyptt, a long time activist and advocate for low income, trans communities of color. Egyptt was formerly co-coordinator of Trans Justice at the Audre Lorde Project. Prior to her work at ALP she was a crucial member of the Queers for Economic Justice Welfare Warriors group where she lead the way fighting transphobia within New York City's welfare agency: the Human Resources Administration. Because of Egyptt's work NYC's Human Resources Administration has adopted its first ever transgender non discrimination policy, which Egyptt helped implement through many trainings of New York City employees.
Additionally Egyptt has been a long time advocate at Housing Works advocating to have New York State pass the Gender Employment Non Discrimination Act (GENDA). She is also a brilliant performer, frequently showcasing her talent at the Housing Works fashion shows and many Trans Day of Remembrance events. Egyptt is now unemployed and has lost her apartment in Harlem. We are turning to you, our community, to support Egyptt as she navigates this challenging moment. We want to raise 10,000 for Egyptt to get back some of what she has lost in the last few months. She needs resources to get back into housing, to replace lost possessions, and to cover outstanding healthcare costs. With deep appreciation, Reina Gossett, Pooja Gehi, & Dean Spade
yes honey, and i'm gonna burn your house down!
Giving my springtime warm weather gender dysphoria a run for its money with some transfabulous attire!
Riding the elevator to creating change/creating chains success!
My afternoon pick me up! Warhol star Holly Woodlawn talking about her relationship with Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling, from the 2004 film"Superstar in a Housedress."
Thanks to voz's brilliant twitter analysis for adding this really deep insight on the history of collusion between cis feminists with conservative legislators resulting in the Americans with Disabilities Act not covering Gender Identity Disorder. This isn't the first time feminists and lawmakers collaborated to exclude trans health coverage but its important to remember or learn how these relationships have undermined health coverage and diminished care (see Health and Human Services' National Center for Healthcare Technology hiring Janice Raymond to develop policies around trans healthcare).
My brilliant friend Chase Strangio wrote a really great piece in the Huffington Post on the underlying anti-mental illness/anti-crazy tone of the movement to get GID or GD out of the DSM, and the effects that has on low income, disabled and people of color who are TGNC! Click the link to read!
“Mainstreaming, normality, being normal. I understand how much everybody likes to fit into that mainstream gay and lesbian community. You know, it used to be a wonderful thing to be avant-garde, to be different from the world. I see us revert into a so-called liberated closet, because we, not we, yous of this mainstream community, wish be be married, wish for this status. That’s all fine. But you are forgetting your grass roots, you are forgetting your own individual identity.” Sylvia Rivera, 2001
On Saturday, the American Psychiatric Association board of trustees approved the latest proposed revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, what will now be known as the DSM-V. Moving away from Gender Identity Disorder, the new manual diagnoses transgender people with “Gender Dysphoria,” which describes the emotional distress that can result from “a marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender.”
While many people are praising this as a movement towards acceptance and equality, i find this ruling really complicated. A lot of low income, trans people of color and incarcerated trans people rely on GID diagnosis in order to access Social Security benefits, housing and much needed medical care that would be “cosmetic” otherwise. As the brilliant activist Kiara St James said:
“i have been saying that trans women of color,were able to access housing/medical and even higher education! through the now obsolete dsm.it shows the great divide in our community,and i for one,find it sad.”
A divide that is very much along racial, class, disability lines. Because its not just about access to care and benefits we need to survive, but there’s also an underlying current of anti-mental illness and the push back to not be described as “crazy” or mentally ill, rather than pushing back against the pathologizing process/medical system in general.
from @TransEquality
Hurricane Sandy could displace thousands of transgender people on the eastern seaboard. Help prepare your local shelter with this guide
http://transequality.org/Resources/MakingSheltersSafe_Aug2011_FINAL.pdf
Janet Mock, SRLP10 Honoree! To read her full profile by Stephen Ira and support the SRLP10 click here!
HELP the Sylvia Rivera Law Project RAISE $15,000 BY NOVEMBER 8TH!
The SRLP 10 Indiegogo Campaignis a month-long fund-raising drive leading up to our 10th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, November 8 @ 1199 SEIU, NYC. This is your opportunity to support the Sylvia Rivera Law Project's important work of increasing the political voice and visibility of low-income people and people of color who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming
Two big events happening at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project this Thursday!
We're introducing a new way to become involved: Membership!
Join us this Thursday at 5:30 to learn more about becoming a member. And then stay for our screening of OUT RAGE '69, a fabulous documentary featuring Sylvia Rivera!
Our address: 147 West 24th Street, 5th Floor. New York, NY
We're located at the 1/C/E/F/M/N/R 23rd Street stop.
free metrocards & snacks!
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Out Rage ‘69 a video from the KQED four part documentary “The Question of Equality.” This important movie tells our story upfront and out-front through interviews and archival footage. Outrage ‘69 speaks from within and without our movement with issues ranging from the multi-issue Gay Liberation Front, the split and the forming of the GAA by those interested in a predominately white single issue movement, Sylvia Rivera’s response to the denouncing of drag queens at the 1973 PRIDE, the founding of the NGTF, a discussion of White Power within the GAA and much more.
Kyra Kruz, who was recently murdered in Philadelphia, with my sibling Che Gossett.
From Che:
"Kyra Kruz and I at Pride 2011, looking magical and fabulous! (She did everyone's makeup and designed all the costumes for the parade theme). Her life was violently taken last week. Anguish and outrage about routinely learning of trans women of color who's lives are prematurely ended by anti-trans violence, be it interpersonal or institutional. Honored to have known Kyra, to have laughed with her, briefly organized a sex worker support group with her, worked in queer and/or trans spaces with her, she brought so much brilliant light and love!"
