TransJustice’s points of unity

Following is edited text from Trans­Justice of the Audre Lorde Project, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Center for Community Organizing on the 10th Annual New York City Trans Day of Action for Social and Economic Justice. Go to alp.org to read the 10 points of unity in their entirety in both Spanish and English.

On June 27, TGNC (Trans and Gender Non-Conforming) People of Color (POC) and allies will take to the streets of New York City once again and demand justice to let the world know that the Stonewall Rebellion is not over and we will continue fighting for justice and raising our voices until we are heard.

Oppressed peoples include people of color, people who are currently and formerly incarcerated, immigrants, youth and elders, people with disabilities, women, TGNC people, and poor people who are underserved, face higher levels of discrimination, heightened surveillance and experience increased violence at the hands of the state.

These are the points of unity:

• We demand an end to profiling, harassment and brutality at the hands of the police. The New York Anti-Violence Project reports that Trans women are four times more likely to experience police violence than all other people reporting violence. We are in solidarity with FIERCE and their campaign to counter the displacement and criminalization of LGBTQ youth of color.

• We demand justice for the many TGNC POC who have been beaten, assaulted, raped and murdered; yet these incidents continue to be silenced or misclassified. We also demand an end to nonphysical acts of violence such as verbal harassment and gender policing.

• We demand access to both public and private spaces without fear of harassment or brutality. We call for access and the agency to choose which rest­rooms match our gender identity and gender expression, and for the development of gender neutral restrooms, as well as accountability for staff and patrons of both private and public spaces when we face discrimination and abuse.

• We demand the full legalization of all immigrants. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous-identified Two-Spirit people and the sovereignty of the First Nations on whose land we now see the U.S. attempt to enforce arbitrary borders. We stand in solidarity with the 3 million-plus people who have been deported and we demand an end to such displacement.

• We are in solidarity with all prisoners, especially the many TGNC POC people behind the walls. We demand an end to the torture and discrimination that TGNC POC prisoners face. We demand that all TGNC POC prisoners receive competent and respectful health care.

• We oppose the U.S. “War on Terrorism” as an excuse to legitimize the expansion of the U.S. as an imperial super-power and to separate our communities by fostering feelings of hate, xenophobia and violence. We demand the immediate removal of all U.S. troops from all countries under occupation and demand an end to use of U.S. dollars to cultivate and sponsor wars against people in the U.S. and abroad.

• We demand accessible, respectful and comprehensive health care. TGNC POC deserve the right to access quality and emergency health care and to be treated with dignity and respect while receiving necessary care.

• We demand safety while utilizing public transportation. TGNC POC should be addressed by their preferred pronoun and should not be targeted by employees or harassed by other customers. As evident with the recent attack on the MARTA in Atlanta of Janell Crosby and Tyra Woods, we recognize that this is also a national issue that must be resolved across the country.

• We demand that all people receiving public assistance be treated with respect and dignity.

• We demand access to respectful and safe housing. A disproportionate number of TGNC POC have been or are currently homeless, and experience violence and discrimination when trying to access shelters and housing programs. We demand safe spaces for all TGNC people.

• We demand that TGNC POC people have equal access to employment and education opportunities. We are outraged by the high numbers of TGNC POC who are unemployed. Few TGNC POC have access to opportunities for learning in a safe school environment.

We commemorate the memory of Islan Nettles, Kandy Hall, Brittany-Nicole Kidd-Stergis, Zoraida Reyes, and the many brave souls we have lost, who have struggled and lived their lives fearlessly, being true to who they were. They keep the fire of struggle burning within all of us.