5 Things Friday
HEre are your action steps for Friday, September 11.
By July 31st, we’d already lost more trans people to death and murder this year than we had in all of 2019. The last few weeks have offered no relief. On August 31, Elie Che, a Black trans femme, was found dead on the shores of Orchard Beach in Bronx, New York. On August 29, we lost KaKedius “Rebel” Reid, a Black trans man in Decatur, Georgia. He was an artist, performer, and father to a 9-year-old. And on September 7 we learned of the murder of another Black trans woman, Isabella Mia Lofton, in Brooklyn. We must do more than just say their names—we must build a world where Black trans people can live free and thrive. Here are your 5 Things.
DONATE To post-mortem funds for KaKedius, and Isabella. You can also support organizations serving Black trans people in New York and Georgia.
WATCH THIS "Major!" is an award-winning (and really entertaining) documentary following the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a 73-year-old Black transgender woman who has been fighting for the rights of transgender people of color for over 40 years. You'll also meet Janetta Johnson, a long-time SF-based trans activist and executive director of TGIJP.
LEARN ABOUT THIS TGIJP is the Transgender Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project—a modern underground railroad-style system of holistic support for TGI folks inside and outside of prisons, jails, and detention centers. They are doing amazing work, including forwarding the revolutionary bill SB132. Support them right here.
STEP IN This short, informative video reated by the BarnardCenter for Research on Women and members of Project NIA offers 6 tips for responding to racist attacks, using an abolitionist approach to bystander intervention that does not rely on the police.
STAY CONNECTED Stay on top of media related to Black trans women by following outlets like TransGriot and Black Trans Media.