It is sorrow-heavy to count our losses and remember those who were ripped from us—in our collective memory—but we must not let their names go unspoken, because the defeat of memory through oppression and erasure will not encumber us. We shout their names, because they are beautiful, Black and their very existence: magical.
muhlaysia booker
tamika michelle washington
claire legato
written by: abdul-aliy muhammad
Goddess
Candace Towns, 30, was found murdered in Mason, Georgia on November 2,
2017. According the HRC, she is the 25th Trans person murdered this
year. It goes without saying that Black trans women disproportionately
impacted by anti-trans violence.
In 2017, a trans person has been lost to anti-trans violence every month this year. EVERY. GAWD. DAMN. MONTH!
What are we willing to sacrifice to end anti-trans violence?
Our humanity and liberation work is in question until we work to intentionally defend, protect and center black trans women.
STOP KILLING TRANS WOMEN!
END ANTI-TRANS VIOLENCE!
Rest in power Candace.
JANUARY
1. Mesha Caldwell , 41 years old – January 4
2. Sean Hake, 23 years old – January 6
3. Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow , 28 years old – January 7
FEBRUARY
4. JoJo Striker, 23 years old - February 8
5. KeKe Collier, 24 years old - February 21
6. Chyna Gibson, 31 years old - February 25
7. Ciara McElveen , 26 years old - February 27
8. Jaquarrius Holland (Brown), 18 years old - February 19
MARCH
9. Alphonza Watson, 38 years old - March 22
APRIL
10. Chay Reed, 28 years old - April 19
11. Brenda Bostick, 59 years old - April 25
MAY
12. Sherrell Faulkner, 46 years old - May 16
JUNE
13. Kenne McFadden, 27 years old – June 6
14. Josie Berrios, 28 years old – June 16
15. Ava Le’Ray Barrin, 17 years old – June 25
JULY
16. Ebony Monroe – 28 years old - July 2
17. Tee Tee Dangerfield, 32 years old – July 31
AUGUST
18. Gwynevere River Song, 26 years old – August 12
19. Kiwi Herring, 30 years old – August 22
SEPTEMBER
20. Kashmire Redd, 28 years old - September 4
21. Derricka Banner, 26 years old – September 12
22. Ally Steinfeld, 17 years old - September 4
23. Scout Schultz, 21, September 16
OCTOBER
24. Stephanie Montez, 47 years old – October 21
25. Candace Towns, 30 years old - October 31
[if any of this information is incorrect, not complete or dated, please let us know.]
reggie bullock was one the first person i interviewed for #KikisWithLouie. he generously shared memories of his sister mia and his commitment to make sure that her legacy lives on through his work in advocating for black trans women.
Our Pride doesn’t End in June.
Trans Lives STILL Matter in July.
We say there Names past August!
Protests still Occur beyond September.
Resistance exists throughout October!
Trans Day of Resilience is in November!!!
OUR PRIDE IS NOT FOR SALE IN DECEMBER!!!
Hoping for a New President by January.
Black Excellence doesn’t wait for February!!!
(White Heterosexual Pride in March, wear green.)
April Showers is the name of Several Drag Queens.
May the Fierce be with you ALWAYS,
Because our Pride doesn’t End in June!
- Raffy Regulus
speak anti-trans hate for laughs. refuses to apologize. the universe will take care of yo ass!
mother nature, you are doing amazing job.
a few gentle reminders for all of us varones. we invite all cis-varones to read these reminders. take the info in. re-read them. apply them. then share with your friends.
shout to lexx james for sharing these with us!
[description: artwork with the blue, pink and white colors to symbolize the trans pride flag. on picture it reads: trans day of visibility gentle reminders:
1. outing a trans person is an act of violence.
2. eliminate “tranny” from your vocab. not funny. not okay. ever!
3. uplift trans folx voices. listen. this also means getting out of the way.
4. trans folx can be gay, bu, straight, asexual, queer.
5. everyone has the right to use the bathroom safely wherever and whenever.
6. being transphobic gets you a conversation. this can include but isn’t limited to a call-in and/or a call out. ]
on friday, april 17, 2015, gran varones creator louie a. ortiz was invited to speak at a press conference at city hall about the exclusion of latino lgbtq immigrants in the presidential immigration relief action. here is his speech: My name is Louie A. Ortiz, creator of the Gran Varones, a multi-media project that shines light on Latino queer communities. Like many other Latino LGBTQ people in our communities, I am a parent. I am the sole provider for my son. I do not have complete legal custody of my child and someone in my shoes could be separated from their family if we are not included in the protection DACA and DAPA provides. While this presidential action will provide relief for members in our community, many will be excluded. This Presidential action is only a first step. Any immigration benefit derived from the “traditional” idea of family, leaves out many LGBTQ people in our community whose families are frequently not recognized under the law. Policies are needed to recognize families similar to mine. These kinds of exclusions continue to leave LGBTQ people at risk of being detained in jails that are incredibly unsafe and inhumane, particularly for transgender women who continue to be detained with men. LGBTQ Latinos are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and leaders in our communities. It is our commitment to advocate for wide-ranging policies that ensure that everyone is included in this protection so that families similar to mine are not torn apart. #Not1Mo
COLLECTIVE STATEMENT
Trans and queer people of color have been and continue to be the vanguard of every major movement for social justice. While trans and queer people of color have acted as a moral compass for social movements, their stories and their leadership are pushed to the margins. Moreover, anti-blackness within the LGBTQ+ and immigrant justice movements have led to marginalization and attempted erasure of Black communities. This is especially true for Black migrants broadly and Black LGBTQ+ migrants specifically.
About the Rally & March:
We gathered in New Mexico to uplift and center queer and trans migrants in the movement to #AbolishICE. Roxsana Hernandez, a transgender woman from Honduras, was detained at Cibola County Correctional Center and died while in custody. Currently, Udoka Nweke, a gay Nigerian migrant, is in Adelanto Detention Center, and all he’s seen of the United States is a jail cell. The rampant physical and brutal treatment that queer and trans migrants face behind bars can be fatal, particularly for people living with HIV. Our demands today are clear: End detention, stop deportations, and decry the the anti-Black racism that renders Black lives, including Black migrant lives, disposable.
Demands:
We demand an end to the detention and deportation of trans and queer migrants as well as the criminalization of Black people.
We call on LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights movement to decry anti-Blackness and engage in active solidarity with Black LGBTQ+ migrants by uplifting our presence and leadership.
We demand the release of all trans people currently detained at all immigration detention facilities around the country, including right here at the Cibola County Correctional Facility.
We demand an end to all forms of immigration detention and deportation.
We call for the complete abolishment of ICE and prisons.
#AbolishICE must also mean #AbolishPolice. Our demands reflect our belief that whether it is an immigration prison or a county jail, people are being put in cages and they are dying in them. It is the ugly truth that we must reckon with in order to achieve justice for migrants, particularly Black migrants who are disproportionately targeted by all types of law enforcement.
We demand justice for Roxsana Hernandez and other trans and queer people who have died in ICE custody. We hold all people, companies and agencies responsible for her care and safety responsible for Roxsana’s death and we call for them to be held accountable immediately.
Today, we are thinking about Udoka Nweke, whose mental health is deteriorating and is currently in Adelanto Detention Center. All he has seen of the United States is a jail cell. Black migrants and Black queer and trans migrants face a U.S. legal system steeped in anti-Black racism and their voices need to be heard.
We demand an end to all detention. Queer and trans migrants in detention are inhumanely denied life-saving medical care, including mental health care, transition-related care, and treatment for people living with HIV.
# # #
on june 8, 2016, after making national news for the pervasive anti-blackness in the gayborhood, philadelphia unveiled their new official pride flag. what made this pride flag notable was that it included black and brown stripes. while it was celebrated by many, it also pissed off many gays who said it was a publicity stunt and that the flag was ruined because it the additional stripes made it about race. ha!
in the two years since, the same gays who hated the flag are now the same ones waving it. mainly because the narrative about the reasons why the flag was created had been so watered down or frankly, just forgotten. .
here is a quick history.
in 2015, gran varones along with the black & brown cooperative, philly for real justice, act up philadelphia, journalist ernest owens and countless others began to sound the alarm on the anti-blackness and violence of gay club owners and lgbtq non-profit leadership. city officials discounted accused us of being the “problem” by “creating division” in the gayborhood.
spearheaded by the BBWC, we supported the successful campaign to get both the director of the office of lgbtq affairs and the ceo of the largest lgbtq organization in the state to resign. because of the campaign and strategic organizing and direct actions, the city created policies that would hold lgbtq businesses and organizations accountable for their anti-blackness. all of this was made possible but the same black and brown queer & trans folks who sacrificed their bodies, social capital and employment to demand accountability.
it was this radical resistance and organizing that inspired philadelphia to adopt the #MoreColorMorePride flag. yes, the flag serves as a reminder of black and brown LGBTQ+ community members but it is also a reminder of black and brown queers and trans resistance. this flag was a product of shifting an entire city to address its anti-blackness.
without the courageous work of the mentioned groups, sharron cook, christian axavier lovehall and many others, this new pride flag would not be possible. may this be remembered 50 years from now.
miss-tries-way-too-hard
calumthomcs
psa. if we’re mutuals, we’re automatically friends. u don’t need to say things like “sorry to bother” or “sorry im annoying” bc ur not. ur my friend. u can come to me for anything. u need help? im here. wanna chat? hmu. just wanna gush abt your muse? go for it. we’re friends. ily.
