Author Archives: Marin

by | November 20, 2018 · 5:08 pm

Honoring those we’ve lost and sending love to our people

Art by Amir Khadar in collaboration with TGI Justice Project.  Feel free to download this piece of art and many others here.

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a day to honor and lift up the lives and memories of trans and gender non-conforming people who were taken from us due to anti-trans hate and violence.

Not only this day, but every day, we ask you to join us in grieving our beloveds.

Not only this day, but every day, we ask that you to join us in making a life-long commitment to keeping each other safe–our selves, our trans and gender non-conforming friends, family, neighbors, and community members.

Not only this day, but every day, we ask that you fill your heart with love and send it to each and every trans and gender non-conforming person of color, particularly trans women of color and explicitly, black trans women.

To those lives that were lost, your magic is felt and we honor you. In your absence your light persists within all of us. And in your memory we fight for justice and liberation so that one day we might all be free.

 

As we honor those who we’ve lost, we also encourage you to support the trans justice that exists today, in whatever way feels right to you. You can find a trans-led group in your local area and volunteer or donate to their work. You can find grassroots trans-led groups doing transformative work on our digital map here, or you can see a list of all of the 2018 TJFP grantees here and donate to them directly.

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by | October 22, 2018 · 4:26 pm

We have something they don’t…

By now you may have already learned of the most recent attack by the Trump administration on trans people and our communities.

“The Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a government wide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law.”, according to the New York Times article featuring a draft memo leaked over the weekend.

For those of us who feel un-nerved and uneasy by this news, your fears come from a very real place and are valid.

For those of us who feel like this isn’t new news at all and are angry and exhausted, your feelings come from a very real place and are valid.

These are difficult messages to receive year after year.

And at the same time, we want to remind you that we have something they don’t. Even with all the resources, power, and commitment to illusions of power, we know what it means to be resilient.  We know what it means to look after one another, to share, fight like hell, hold each other, and we know how to show up in ways they might never even dream of. We know the importance of that as a means to thrive and for survival.

In a statement from the Transgender Law Center, Executive Director Kris Hiyashi writes, “The draft memo the NYT reported on this weekend, a document written by officials at HHS, is transparently a hate-motivated response to these victories. It attempts to rewrite years of progress achieved by advocates under the Obama administration. Here, written out plain, is their attempt to erase our very existence as transgender people. This memo reveals that this administration intends nothing short of our destruction…. To be clear: nothing this administration can do will undermine the scores of federal courts that have recognized our humanity and hundreds of state and local legal protections we’ve already won.”

We are being called to action again and again. Not just some of us, all of us. If you can, please support trans led leadership in any way you can. From making a donation to volunteering to uplifting each other or sending a text to the people in your life who are on your mind… there are many ways we can organize and resist with love, justice, and each other at the center.

 

Here are 182 groups funded by TJFP this year alone who are out there, doing this work for us all every day.

To everyone one of you who live and breathe trans justice–however you’re able to, we are so thankful for you.

With gratitude,

 

 

Gabriel Foster, Executive Director

 

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by | September 4, 2018 · 6:05 pm

TJFP on the road again!

At this very moment Trans Justice Funding Project (TJFP) staff are traveling throughout the Northeastern United States for the 3rd edition of our “From the Ground to the Sky” listening tour!

Since 2013, TJFP has been supporting trans justice by moving funds directly into trans communities across the country.  We are committed to supporting the extrordinary leadership of trans and gender non-conforming activists and organizers! One of the most exciting ways we’re able to bolster trans communities–outside of our annual grant making–is through the listening tour.

Initially we kicked off our tour in 2015, traveling from town to town to meet with and learn from activists and organizers about what’s going on in their local areas. To date we’ve met with trans-led, grassroots groups and organizers in 17 states.  This time we’ll be sitting down to learn from groups in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

It’s been an incredible opportunity to be with grantees, local organizers, see old friends, and meet new ones along the way.

As with every tour, we hope you’ll stay tuned as we share our journey with you.

Here’s a quick clip of our tour so far!

Please visit our Youtube page to view videos from past tours!

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by | August 2, 2018 · 6:38 pm

TJFP at Philadelphia Trans Wellness!

Grantees from across regions saying hello at the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, 2017

One of TJFP staff’s most enjoyable moments, is having the opportunity to meet our grantees face to face, thank our donors and supporters in person, and to be able to get the word out about our grants.

Stop by our booth/table 57 at the Philly Trans Wellness Conference and say hello!

Pick up our special gold edition Trans Justice tote bags (sliding scale donations of $10- $20) and take home our 2017 TJFP annual report!

Location:
Pennsylvania Convention Center (Vendor Hall)
129 North Broad Street
(between Arch Street and Race Street)
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Dates:
Thursday, August 2, 2018 to Saturday, August 4, 2018

 

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by | June 7, 2018 · 11:53 am

Announcing the 2018 TJFP Grantees!

We’re giving away more than ever before to 182 trans-led grassroots groups! 

For the past several months, the 2018 TJFP community grantmaking fellows spent hour after hour carefully reading and reviewing applications from 216 trans-led, grassroots groups and projects from around the country and were charged with the task of moving resources to trans communities across the country–this year, a record breaking 182 groups will be receiving a grant. As always, we are inspired by each and every application that was submitted.

We felt the overwhelming need our communities are experiencing and we know that oftentimes this work is happening with very little to no support. In May we reached our 50k fundraising goal, allowing us to give away $500,000 this year, but 182 groups is a lot of groups and suddenly $500,000 didn’t feel like that much anymore. Lucky for us and thanks to a few last-minute donors, we were able to increase our total grant money well past half a million dollars—all the way to $650,000!

It’s because of our amazing family, friends, and community that we were able to give so much money to so many incredible grassroots trans-justice groups. We are so excited to announce our 2018 Grantees! 

***Please check out this year’s list of grantees below***

The 2018 TJFP Grantees

Alaska

Transgender Leadership Council of Alaska, Ankorage

 

Alabama

Dropzone, Selma

TKO Society Inc., Selma

Transgender Advocates Knowledgeable Empowering (TAKE), Birmingham

Arkansas

Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition, North Little Rock

Center for Artistic Revolution, Little Rock

House of GG’s, Little Rock

 

Arizona

Camp Born This Way, Tucson

Mariposas Sin Fronteras, Tucson

Peacework Medical, Phoenix

Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, Tucson

The Outlaw Project, Phoenix

Trans Queer Pueblo, Phoenix

Transcend Arizona, Paradise Valley

 

California

API Equality – Northern California (APIENC), San Francisco

API TransFusion, Oakland

Black LGBTQIA Migrant Project (BLMP), Oakland

Bloom: Transgender Community Healing Project, Union City

Dem Bois Inc.

Gender Illumination, Berkeley

Live It Fully Empowered, Long Beach

Los Angeles Queer Resistance, Los Angeles

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network, Oakland

North State Trans/GNC Project

Peacock Rebellion, Oakland

The Red Shades, Oakland

Trans and Nonbinary Housing Collective

Trans Student Educational Resources, Santa Cruz

Trans-E-Motion, Fresno

Transfinite, San Francisco

Transgender Advocates for Justice and Accountability, San Francisco

TranShout

 

Colorado

TYES of the Pikes Peak Region

Transformative Freedom Fund, Denver

 

Washington D.C.

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute

Trans Women of Color Collective

 

Delaware

The East Coast Two Spirit Society, Lewes

 

Florida

Arianna’s Center, Fort Lauderdale

Orlando Trans Awareness</a, Orlando>

Social Film Projects, North Miami

Trans Women in need of Services DBA TransInclusive Group, Pembroke Pines

TransSOCIAL, Inc., Miami

UC|CU’s TRANSART Artists Showcase & Conference, Miami Beach

 

Georgia

Comunidad Estrella, Brookhaven

Freedom Overground, Atlanta

LaGender Inc., East Point

Sexual Liberation Collective, Decatur

Sisters Returning Home

Southern Fried Queer Pride, Atlanta

TMBLM, Duluth

Trans Housing Atlanta Program, Inc., Atlanta

Trans(forming), Atlanta

TRANScending Barriers Atlanta, Atlanta

 

Hawaii

Ka Aha Mahu, Honululu

 

Idaho

Idaho Transgender Healthcare Advocacy Coalition, Inc., Boise

 

Illinois

America in Transition, Chicago

Brave Space Alliance, Chicago

Masjid al-Rabia, Chicago

RAD Remedy, Chicago

Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, Chicago

Upswing Advocates, Chicago

Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP), Chicago

 

Indiana

GenderNexus, Indianapolis

TREES, Inc., South Bend

 

Kansas

Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project,Topeka

 

Louisiana

Louisiana Trans AdvocatesBaton Rouge

Intentional Flow, New Orleans

 

Massachusetts

Black Trans Love is Black Wealth Writing Retreat, Williamstown

 

Maryland

Maryland Trans*Unity, Bethesda

Translatina DMV, Hyattsville

Sistas of the “T”, Baltimore

 

Maine

Maine Transgender Network, Portland

Portland Outright, Portland

 

Michigan

Detroit REPRESENT!, Detroit

Ruth’s Apothecary, Detroit

 

Minnesota

Gender Reel, St. Paul

Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, Minneapolis

Queer Science, Minneapolis

 

Missouri

Our Spot KC, Kansas City

Gabriella Rosé Justice Scholarship, Columbia

Metro Trans Umbrella Group, St. Louis

Mid Missouri Transgender Support, Jefferson City

Trans Queer Flat, St. Louis

Transformations KC, Kansas City

Transfuturism by The Justice Fleet, St. Louis

 

Mississippi

The Spectrum Center, Hattiesburg

 

Montana

Montana Two Spirit Society, Missoula

LGBTQ Youth for Gender Equity, Missoula

 

North Carolina

Asheville Transformers, Candler

House of Pentacles, Durham

NC Transgender Rapid Response Project, Asheville

The Clearing, Durham

Trans*Visible, Durham

Transcend Charlotte, Charlotte

Transgender Medical Resources and Provider Education

Tranzmission, Asheville

Tranzmission Prison Project, Asheville

 

Nebraska

Trans Collaborations Community Board, Lincoln

TransLNK, Lincoln

 

New Hampshire

OutoftheBOXHub/Helpin’ Tranz Form U, Concord

 

New Jersey

OtherWise Engaged, Lawrenceville

Tertium Quid, Jersey City

 

New Mexico

Transwoman Empowerment Initiative, Albuquerque

Tres Soles, Albuquerque

 

Nevada

Las Vegas TransPride, Las Vegas

Trans Pride Foundation Las Vegas

Transgender SOS, Las Vegas

 

New York

All youth Inc., Lancaster

Black Trans Media, Brooklyn

Colectivo intercultural TRANSgrediendo / CITG, Jackson Heights

Community Kinship Life (CK Life), Bronx

Dorian Corey Project/TRANSgressionsBuffalo

F2L, Brooklyn

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society (GLITS, Inc.), Brooklyn

Hudson Valley Creative Trans Wellness Collective, Boiceville

No Labels Clothing Cooperative, Buffalo

NYC Trans Oral History Project, New York

QTPoC Mental Health, New York

Queer Detainee Empowerment Project, New York

The Gender & Sexuality Therapy Collective, New York

The TransGenerational Theatre Project, Queens

Transilient, Brooklyn

Translatina Network, New York

 

Ohio

Black Queer & Intersectional Columbus, Columbus

Heartland Trans Wellness Group, Cincinnati

Margie’s Hope, Akron

TransOhio, Inc., Columbus

 

Oklahoma

TransOklahoma, Tulsa

 

Oregon

Beyond These Walls, Portland

Glitter squadron*portland disability bloc, Portland

Sacred Vessle Medicine and The Equi Institute, Portland

The Bridgewalkers Alliance, Portland

Trans*Ponder, Eugene

TransActive Gender Center, Portland

 

Philadelphia

Black Excellence Collective, Philadelphia

Garden of Peace Project, Pittsburgh

Hearts On A Wire, Philadelphia

SisTers PGH, Homestead

The LGBT Center of Greater Reading, Reading

Trans Equity Project, Philadelphia

Transfaith, Philadelphia

TransFamily of NWPA, Erie

 

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Trans Youth Coalition, San Juan

Semillas, San Juan

 

Rhode Island

TGI Network of Rhode Island, Providence

 

South Carolina

Gender Benders, Piedmont

We Are Family, Charleston

 

South Dakota

Trans Action South Dakota, Sioux Falls

 

Tennessee

Bold & Beautiful, Memphis

Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, Nashville

Trans Empowerment Project, Knoxville

 

Texas

Allgo, Austin

Black Transmen Inc, Carrollton

Black Transwomen Inc, Carrollton

Gender Infinity, Houston

Gender Portraits, Austin

Latinas Trans Austin, Austin

Latinas Trans Dallas, Dallas

Organizacion Latina Trans in Texas, Houston

Trans Legal Aid Clinic Harris County, Houston

Trans Pride Initiative, Dallas

Transform Houston, Houston

Transgender Education Network of Texas, Austin

 

Virginia

Transgender Veterans Support Group-Virginia, Richmond

Community Ele’te, Richmond

Lynchburg Transgender Alliance, Lynchburg

Nationz Foundation, Richmond

Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia, Virginia Beach

Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington D.C., Burke

 

Vermont

Green Mountain CrossroadsBrattleboro

 

Washington

Gender Justice League, Seattle

Heartspark Press, Olympia

Lavender Rights Project, Seattle

QTPOC Birthwerq Project, Seattle

Rad Care, Seattle

Stonewall Youth, Olympia

The #BlackTransPrayerBook, Seattle

The Transgender Language Primer, Burien

UTOPIA Seattle, Seattle

Wisconsin

Center for Community Healing, Madison

Two–Spirit Nation
Nelwat Ishkamewe, EarthStar

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by | May 17, 2018 · 5:50 pm

Half a Million Thanks to You!

Together, WE DID IT!

We’re so happy and proud to announce that we exceeded our fundraising goal and raised $50,922. This means, that once again we’ll be able to distribute $500,000.00 to our grantees this year! That’s half a million dollars supporting something truly invaluable–trans justice led by grassroots, trans leadership across the country. 

 Over 200 individuals donated, which is awe-inspiring and humbling. We can’t thank you enough for all your generosity and support! We truly couldn’t do this without you. 

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by | May 15, 2018 · 3:01 pm

Introducing 2018 TJFP Community Grantmaking Fellow, Ezak Perez!

We are so excited to welcome Ezak Amaviska Perez to TJFP’s 2018 grantmaking team!

Ezak was born and raised in and around Los Angeles, CA. They are a Two Spirit, Hopi Native American and Latinx community organizer. They have been leading trainings locally in LA as well as nationally for the past 12+ years. He is currently the Organizational Director of Gender Justice LA (GJLA).  GJLA is a member-based, grassroots social justice organization for and led by gender non-conforming, gender fluid, two spirit, questioning, and trans people of color in LA. He is currently helping to create the first Indigenous Pride LA and was recently honored by the Sons & Brothers Portrait Series for Native American heritage month.  He’s a part of a party collective called THroz, creating pop up fun-draiser parties in LA. Ezak believes that self-care & community care are critical and essential to be able to do this work for the long haul.  He loves spending time in nature and thrifting.

We can’t wait to build with you, Ezak!

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by | May 14, 2018 · 4:55 pm

Introducing 2018 TJFP Community Grantmaking Fellow, Keiva Lei Cadena!

A huge welcome to Keiva Lei Cadena!

Keiva Lei is a Native Hawaiian Transgender Woman. She was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has called Honolulu, Hawaii home for the last 20 years. She works as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Life Foundation in Honolulu, where she plans and facilitates programs, retreats, events, and groups, designed to empower, educate, support, and cultivate leadership and advocacy amongst the HIV+ community across the state of Hawaii. She has been living with HIV since August of 2014. Keiva works tirelessly across the country focusing on the decriminalization of HIV, eliminating stigma amongst and against the HIV+ community and rejecting the marginalization of human rights for the Trans community, especially Trans Women of Color. She sits on the Positively Trans National Advisory Board and is a 2017 graduate of NMAC’s Building Leader of Color – BLOC Program. At home, along with her partner Kevin, Keiva cares for her 16 year old daughter Maddisen and her 1 year old granddaughter Makayla. She is strongly connected to her Native Hawaiian heritage and is an award winning Hula dancer since the age of three.

 

We are so excited and grateful for your energy and wisdom!

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by | May 9, 2018 · 7:09 pm

Just six days and 35k away!

“TJFP is something that I’m so excited to tell people about because I think a lot of people don’t know that this group exists–where you have trans people getting money and then deciding how can we support other trans organizations that are doing work.” – Peterson Toscano, Theatrical Performance Activist & TJFP Monthly Donor

 

Why donate?

In the words of monthly donor Nicole Myles, “Worlds don’t change from just one moment or movement.” Instead, as donor Harper Jean Tobin puts it, “we need many voices and many kinds of work.” As grassroots funders, we don’t give grants only to those who fit narrow ideas of success or worth. We want to fund as many groups as possible, so that all of these brilliant visions and voices have a chance to keep on growing, changing, and connecting.

  • Your donation helps support trans justice groups focusing on local needs—groups that many mainstream foundations consider “too small” of an investment.
  • Your donation helps support grassroots organizations that take risks—that try radical new tactics, that find ways to work outside pre-existing systems to support marginalized communities.
  • Your donation reaches grantees with no strings attachedY–allowing these brilliant leaders and activists to do their work without worrying about anyone’s approval but the communities they serve.

As our six Community Grantmaking Fellows carefully review the 216 applications we received this year–more applications than we’ve ever received before!–we see creative, dynamic responses to anti-trans threats. We see groups responding to local, unique needs, led by trans people from those communities who understand the stakes best.

These folks need your support!

Be a part of raising $50,000 more so that we can distribute, in total, half a million dollars this year–half a million that will go to urgently needed trans justice work around the country. Donor Peterson Toscano puts it best, in the video you can watch below: “When I look at LGBTQ history, it’s always been the trans people, the gender non-conforming people, who’ve been on the front lines, who really stood up. And I wouldn’t have the freedoms I have today, if it wasn’t for trans folks doing that.”

Wherever you are, however much you give, you’ll be supporting the trans leadership that has always existed and shaped our movements!

 

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by | May 5, 2018 · 11:55 am

Introducing 2018 TJFP Community Grantmaking Fellow, Everette R.H. Thompson!

We are beyond honored to welcome Everette Thompson to this years community-led grantmaking panel.

Everette has over 20 years of experience in community organizing, organizational development, and movement building.  He’s a Southerner by birth and choice, and has dedicated his career to strengthening organizational infrastructure in the South. Currently he serves as an Organizer with the Interfaith Organizing Initiative–an initiative that focuses on building strategic denominational support for congregation-based organizing on a national, state and regional level.  Everette has a wide array of experiences serving different types and forms of organizations. Justice is his ministry and creating a welcoming table for everyone to dine in their divine ways is his call. Everette lives in East Point, GA with his greatest joy, Elijah, his sun and his much smarter wife Evelyn.

Looking forward to your brilliance!

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