Support these Black trans- and QTBIPOC-led groups advocating for trans rights.

by the South Seattle Emerald and Lavender Rights Project

Editors’ Note: In honor of Trans Day of Visibility tomorrow, March 31, we’re reprinting “The Emerald’s Guide to Supporting Local and National Trans Community Organizing,” a collaboration between the Emerald and Lavender Rights Project, originally printed on March 31, 2023. Read on for a listing of Black trans- and queer and trans BIPOC-led organizations to support, both nationally and locally.

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The past two years have seen a record-breaking amount of anti-trans legislation in the U.S., with at least 421 actively proposed bills that would limit, restrict, or criminalize the civil rights of transgender people in 2023. While Washington is seen as a progressive state, there have been three anti-trans bills proposed during this legislation session alone and an uptick in anti-trans violence in general. For an up-to-date listing of anti-trans bills and more info, check out the Trans Legislation Tracker. 

While this unprecedented wave of anti-trans bills is daunting to say the least, numerous trans organizations are doing incredible work through lobbying, networks of care among trans communities, livesaving services, resources, and more. 

The following is a list of Black trans- and QTBIPOC-led advocacy groups in the Seattle area and elsewhere recommended by Lavender Rights Project that need your help right now. Click their website links to find out more about the kinds of support they are looking for. Organizations are listed in alphabetical order. 

Black Trans-Led Organizations in the U.S. South That Need Financial Support Right Now 

From Lavender Rights Project: In an act of solidarity, please donate to these Black trans Southern organizations that are on the front lines of state-sanctioned violence fighting for our collective liberation.

Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (Dallas, Texas)
This national coalition by and for Black trans people helps with health care, housing, and employment resources, as well as advocating for legal protections. 

The Knights and Orchids Society (Montgomery, Alabama)
Building power across the South, The Knights and Orchids Society provides health and wellness services for Black trans, queer, gay, lesbian, and bisexual (TQGLB+) people. 

The Mahogany Project (Houston, Texas)
The Mahogany Project aims to reduce stigma, social isolation, and acts of injustice for TQGLB+ Communities of Color. According to its website, “Our programming was designed to be a healing and affirming space that prioritizes the lives of Black folx of the transgender experience and individuals living intersectional lives.”

My Sistah’s House Memphis (Memphis, Tennessee)
Started by two trans Women of Color, My Sistah’s House provides emergency housing, services, and assistance for trans and gender-diverse People of Color in Memphis, Tennessee. 

QTBIPOC-Led Seattle-Area Organizations 

Alphabet Alliance of Color
This alliance helps connect and strengthen networks of queer and trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) in the Puget Sound area through programs, skill sharing, and building collective power. 

Lavender Rights Project
Led by Black trans women and femmes, Seattle-based Lavender Rights Project “elevates the power, autonomy, and leadership” of Black intersex and gender-diverse individuals through legal and social services. 

Liberation Medicine School
Liberation Medicine School is an “An Emerging Black Trans Village of Indigenous Learning & Medicine & A Movement to Build An Autonomous Health/Care Ecosystem That Supports Black Trans Liberation.” 

Lifewerq Project 
Lifewerq’s “vision is to create a T4T network of care across Birth, Trans, and Reproductive justice and liberation that centers Indigenous and intuitive knowledge.” Lifewerq Project (formerly known as QTPOC Birthwerq Project) supports its communities through birth, postpartum, bodyfeeding, abortion, fertility, reproductive health, gender-affirming surgery recovery, and HRT.

People of Color Against Aids Network (POCAAN)
Started in 1987, POCAAN originally focused on HIV and AIDS prevention and testing among BIPOC, poor, and marginalized populations. Since then, it has expanded its reach to include medical case management and other services. Although not specifically trans-led, POCAAN’s Trans Economic Empowerment Project helps trans people with job opportunities, networking, and more.

Queer the Land
This collaborative project by QTBIPOC people seeks to collectively own its labor and land, resisting gentrification and displacement. In 2021, it purchased a house on Beacon Hill. Check out the project’s Instagram for info about community garden days and other volunteer opportunities. 

SURGE Reproductive Justice
SURGE works to mobilize communities to end reproductive oppression for all people, centering Black women, Women of Color, and queer and trans People of Color. 

Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network (TWOCSN)
Founded in 2018, Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network began as a financial security net to distribute funds directly to BIPOC trans women. In 2022, it secured a building for the future House of Constance. You can contribute directly to TWOCSN at its GoFundMe site. 

United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (UTOPIA)
UTOPIA is a grassroots organization based in South King County that advocates for basic needs, access, and increased economic opportunities for queer and trans Pacific Islanders.

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Lavender Rights Project (LRP) elevates the power, autonomy, and leadership of the Black trans and gender diverse community through intersectional legal and social services. We provide Washington State with client-centered policy advocacy that is by-and-for Black gender diverse people, and led by Black trans women & femmes. To learn more about our work, visit LavenderRightsProject.org or follow us on Instagram @LavenderRightsProject.

📸 Featured image by Luigi Morris/Shutterstock.com.

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