Today is Trans Day of Resilience. Here's why it matters:

Growing up, I couldn’t tell you the definition of “transgender.” I just knew I was a girl, even though I didn’t know what that meant.

It was painful for me. I remember not having any answers and not knowing where to get answers from. But mostly, I remember dreaming – dreaming of being free, dreaming of being alive, dreaming of living without any restrictions.

Dreaming was the one thing I had complete control over as a child, and I’ve been able to see a little bit of my dreams come true through the work I do with GetEQUAL,#BlackLivesMatter, and The Movement for Black Lives.

But to create the world I dreamed of as a little girl – a world where Black trans folks are alive, thriving, and full of joy – it’s going to take a lot more than just me. Because little boys like Tamir Rice are gunned down by police on the playground, just for being black. Because my trans sisters like Zella Ziona and Kiesha Jenkins are murdered for living their truths.

Over 300,000 people have seen eight revolutionary visions for a better world for trans women and femmes of color. Are you one of them? Check out the Trans Day of Resilience art project – then SHARE it with your community >>

It’s not enough to just commemorate folks today, during the Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience, or Tamir, Zella, and Kiesha’s lives on the anniversary of their deaths. It’s about what we do the other 364 days of the year - the opportunities we create for trans folks like me to have resources to support our lives and our work, the ways we critique and dismantle systems of oppression and power.

It’s a commitment we must make daily – not once a year. And that’s the beauty of the Trans Day of Resilience art project – you can come back to it as often as you need to reflect, remember, and reinvigorate yourself.

Take another look at the Trans Day of Resilience art project…then make a commitment to yourself, and to our communities. What will you do to stand in solidarity with trans women and femmes of color this year?

In solidarity,

Elle Hearns, GetEQUAL and #BlackLivesMatter                         

What I want young trans girls to know

My name is Riley and I work for Young Women United, a Strong Families partner. As a trans woman of color, I’m incredibly proud to be a part of an organization that’s building a world where all of us – including trans women and femmes of color – have access to the information and resources they need to make real decisions about their own bodies and their lives.

But it’s hard to think about the future when I hear news reports that women like me are being murdered. And it’s hard to teach the trans women I mentor about self-worth and self-love when the only time we see our lives reflected in the media is when another trans woman is murdered.

It’s time to acknowledge, affirm, and uplift the identities and talents trans women and femmes of color. That’s why Strong Families partnered with eight trans and gender non-conforming artists and eight organizations centering trans justice to create The Trans Day of Resilience Art Project. Today, we’re excited to unveil eight powerful images highlighting the stories and experiences of trans and gender non-conforming people of color.

Take a look for yourself – and then please SHARE. The more widely these images are shared, the more people they will reach with their powerful messages of strength and resiliency:

Hozho Baa'na'sha'doo is a Diné (Navajo) concept meaning 'walk in beauty and balance.'

YWU and the New Mexico Trans Women of Colour Coalition partnered with the talented Adelina Cruz to create an image that captures the power, strength, and beauty of trans women and femmes of color.

The collaboration was inspiring – and so is the image itself. It shares the struggles trans folks have faced in the past – as well as the work we’re doing now to unite, organize, and fight for a better future.

Check out Adelina’s piece, and the other seven images, at TDOR.co – and then SHARE widely on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

I hope that years from now, long after I’m gone, young trans girls can see themselves in this piece of art and say, “My trans ancestors fought so I could live freely.” Thank you for fighting alongside me.

In solidarity,


Riley Golightly Summer Youth Leader, Young Women United & co-founder, New Mexico Trans Women of Colour Coalition

Artists and Activists Re-Imagine "Trans Day of Remembrance"

Eight transgender artists and organizations release original art highlighting trans resilience, power and leadership

November 16, 2015 — Today the Strong Families movement launched the Trans Day of Resilience campaign, an art and activism project that supports trans women and femmes of color in their lives and leadership. It is an extension and re-imagining of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the annual event memorializing people (mostly trans women of color) killed by anti-trans violence. Trans Day of Resilience goes beyond remembrance, and uplifts the resilience and power of trans and gender non-conforming communities of color.

Forward Together, which houses Strong Families, and visual artist Micah Bazant joined together to create this project. It paired eight trans and gender non-conforming artists with eight organizations across the country doing trans justice work. Although trans and gender non-conforming people of color face disproportionate rates of violence and poverty, they are also thriving and leading movements for social justice. The shareable art created for Trans Day of Resilience tells those stories of trans power, vision and leadership.

“Too often we’re only fighting the things we don’t want, like violence and poverty. Its just as important to imagine and build the world we do want,” explains Micah Bazant, founding artist. “I partnered with Forward Together because we are committed to modeling the change we want to see. For example, by hiring trans and gender non-conforming artists and leaders, especially from communities of color, to lift up their visions for a different world.”

“A lot of people don’t have the language or capacity to understand a trans woman if they haven’t met or spoken to one,” said Wriply Bennet, an artist who created art for Black Lives Matter through this campaign. “This project provides a platform to introduce people to trans women and trans life. It’s important for trans women to be able to mediate that conversation, mediation through art is a beautiful way to transmit our lives.”

This year’s “Trans Day of Resilience” project is an expansion of the collaboration between Micah Bazant and the Audre Lorde Project in 2014. They received overwhelming feedback about last year’s collaborative Trans Day of Remembrance artwork that lifted up trans women of color so Micah wanted to build the project to include more organizations and artists. There was also a conscious shift toward “resilience” as opposed to only “remembrance” to also highlight the important trans justice organizing work that is happening in communities of color around the country.

Elle Hearns from Black Lives Matter and GetEQUAL notes, “It’s not enough to just commemorate folks on Trans Day of Remembrance. It’s important to uplift all of the trans folks who are determining the ways that they want to be seen in the world as their true selves. The call to action is to affirm us every day by creating opportunities for trans people to have resources, especially in a world that has denied us opportunities at every corner.”

Trans Day of Resilience also encourages people to not only share this powerful art, but to take action and support with local and national trans justice groups. Visit the “Get Involved” page to learn more about Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience actions and how to participate online and offline.

Participating organizations and artists:

Audre Lorde Project of New York City is matched with artist Micah Bazant.

BreakOUT! of New Orleans is matched with artist B. Parker

Trans Women of Colour Coalition of Albuquerque, New Mexico is matched with artist Adelina Cruz.

Transgender Law Center, a national organization, is matched with artist Mojuicy.

Buried Seedz of Denver, Colorado is matched with artist Bishakh Som.

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW of Atlanta is matched with artist Ebin Lee.

TransLatin@ Coalition, a national organization, is matched with artist Rommy Torrico.

Black Lives Matter, a national organization, is matched with artist Wriply Bennet.

Forward Together builds relationships across lines of race, gender, and sexuality to connect marginalized people and catalyze social change. Our work influences culture and policy to ensure that every person, family and community has the power and resources they need to reach their full potential. For more info visit: www.ForwardTogether.org  and  www.StrongFamiliesMovement.org.

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The FCC Took A Stand for Families with Incarcerated Loved Ones

Last week the FCC voted to lower the costs of phone calls from incarcerated people to their loved ones outside. This will make a profound difference for families who have incarcerated loved ones and have been driven into debt to stay in touch.

This ruling is the type of reform our report “Who Pays? The True Cost of Mass Incarceration” found is critical to reducing recidivism. Studies assert that when incarcerated people maintain regular contact with their families, they are more successful when they return home. Hundreds of families told us of the impossible decisions they had to make between accepting that phone call or putting food on the table.

This FCC ruling is a win for strengthening families especially in the communities of color and low-income communities most deeply affected. Their impact of this vote will help keep families out of poverty so that their incarcerated loved ones re-entering society can have more stable foundations.  Keeping families connected with their incarcerated loved ones is key to reversing the impact of mass incarceration on our communities. - Alicia Walters, Movement Building Director of Forward Together and co-author of “Who Pays?”

"I applaud the FCC for taking this momentous step towards reducing the costs that families have to pay in order to connect with their families. Sometimes visiting is not an option and the next best thing is hearing the voice of a loved one. I know from personal experience how vital it is to hear that voice of support, encouragement and hope from a family member. Because of today’s FCC decision many families across the country will be able to change, overcome and heal together." -Devin D. Coleman, a formerly incarcerated organizer with Florida New Majority.

Here is an infographic that details how families are affected by these phone costs. Forward Together, the Ella Baker Center, Research Action Design and 20 other organizations from around the country worked together to create “Who Pays? The True Cost of Mass Incarceration,” which outlines the exorbitant financial, emotional and physical costs placed on families with incarcerated loved ones.

California Teens: Our Schools Need Sex Education

by Manie Grewal, Policy and Organizing Manager, Forward Together

When I moved to California about a year ago and started working on sex ed justice at Forward Together, I was floored that the state did not mandate comprehensive sex ed. As a Midwesterner, I saw California as the mecca of progressive policy but I learned quickly every state has its challenges. Through my work with young people in advocating for AB 329, The California Healthy Youth Act, it's clear sex education is a huge missed opportunity.

Carrying around a potato baby wasn't just weird -- it
taught me nothing  about parenthood or healthy sexuality.

We all have a classroom sex ed story, whether it be the awkward teacher, giggles from your peers, or watching a live birth video. As a 7th grader I had a potato baby that I named Gertrude and “cared for” to simulate parenthood - an ineffective activity to understand what it means to be a parent. In high school, I recall my sex ed going beyond the abstinence-only instruction, but still leaving me with lots of questions about my body and what sexual activity meant for me. Growing up in an Indian home, there was no space to talk about sex due to cultural barriers and I felt judged by my healthcare providers. I vividly remember asking a doctor about certain sexual activity, and I was judged for asking the question. This only made me feel shameful and ignorant, shutting down any opportunity for an educational conversation. Due to poor sex ed, I made reactive sexual health decisions as a young adult, and these experiences really feed my passion for sex ed justice.

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Potato babies and shame is no way to teach our young people. AB 329 is one piece of a long battle for sex ed justice for all Californian youth - a critical starting place for districts and schools. It mandates that California public schools teach comprehensive sex ed and specifies that there must be instruction on healthy relationships, on top of including information on sexuality and gender. And it’s clear that young people are hungry for this information. Romy, one of the young activists I’ve worked with shared her experience in the classroom when it came to healthy relationships:

Rape and consent were never mentioned in my class. When alcohol was brought up during a discussion on sex, it was said that you shouldn’t have sex while under the influence and that it was your responsibility to know that. More importantly, it was your responsibility to not be coerced into having sex while drunk. That was it. This is a dangerous topic to skim over and not dive into. Peer pressure and sexual harassment are a common problem in the teenage world that ironically does not get addressed by the adults that are supposed to be leading us through that exact world. AB 329 promises to provide a focus on healthy attitudes, healthy behaviors, and healthy relationships. This will make it so that this subject can no longer be skipped over with a feeling of taboo, but taught so that students learn it is not your responsibility to not be raped or harassed, for them to realize it is never the victim’s fault, and to know that communication is an important part to a happy, healthy sexual experience.

Another inspiring youth I’ve worked with who self-identifies as queer and trans named Cal shared how they felt invisibilized in the classroom:

Being transgender also made sex ed more difficult. The very language used to discuss sex and genitals can be very isolating. When the class had to talk about “female” [female sex assigned at birth] anatomy and “female” [female sex assigned at birth] puberty, I was extremely uncomfortable because while the information provided applied to my genitalia and physical body, it did not match my gender identity. When the room split up into boys and girls I stuck out like a sore thumb, unsure of where to go since neither category reflected who I was. Nobody really understood that. I wanted and needed education that was relevant to my gender, my body, and my sexual orientation and I had to fight to receive it, and even then didn’t get all the information I needed.

AB 329 is on Governor Brown’s desk right now. As seen by these youth stories, the classroom today has even more gaps in its sexual reproductive health education than it did 20 years ago, when I had to carry around Gertrude. Today’s school climate is different with wide access to social media and a myriad of ways for harassment. Schools are a critical place for youth to receive accurate health education, especially for low-income communities of color who experience inequitable access to health care, health disparities, systemic discrimination and poverty.

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With the help of passionate young people Forward Together was successfully able to persuade the Oakland school district to offer better sex ed for 9th graders. But all Californian youth, no matter where they live, should receive comprehensive sex ed. So this week, Romy and Cal are coming with me to Sacramento to urge Governor Brown to sign AB 329.

Please help us urge Governor Brown to pass AB 329 to ensure all Californian youth receive comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive sex ed to make their own decisions about their lives, bodies, gender, and sexuality.

Call for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Visual Artists!

Deadline: 11:59pm, Friday, September 11 2015.

We are looking for trans and gender non-conforming visual artists to collaborate with groups doing trans justice work, and create art for Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) 2015.

Participating artists will:

• Be paired with grassroots trans justice organizations to create art for TDOR 2015 and to support the ongoing work of the organization

• Be paid $575 for their work

• Receive support and mentorship to create, share, print, and distribute their work.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit the following to art@forwardtogether.org by midnight, Friday Sept 11:

• between 3 to 6 images of your work as JPEG image attachments. Art may be in any media including drawings, painting, collage, photography, stencil, etc. Please list the title, date, and medium of each piece. 

• Tell us a bit about yourself and your art and why you would like to participate in this project. (One page or less)

This project is only seeking applications from artists who identify as trans and gender non-conforming. Trans and gender non-conforming people of color are especially encouraged to apply, and we welcome submissions from new artists, as well as those with more experience. Feel free to email art@forwardtogether.org with questions.

Chip in $5 to support our work in 2016 and beyond  >>

 

Background Information

We are in a state of emergency of violence against trans women of color, especially Black trans women. Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is a day when many cisgender people take note of violence against trans people. But as Janet Mock wrote, “We can’t only celebrate trans women of color in memoriam. We must begin uplifting trans women of color, speaking their names and praises, in their lives.”

We believe that those most negatively impacted by oppression hold the knowledge and experience necessary to dismantle those systems.  Trans women and trans femmes of color live and resist at the center of many interlocking systems of oppression, including white supremacy, misogyny, transphobia, and homophobia. By supporting the leadership of trans women and femmes of color, we strengthen our movement for the liberation of anyone impacted by white supremacy, misogyny, transphobia, and homophobia – in other words, everyone.

Through powerful art and social media, this project aims to shift the focus of TDOR from trans “visibility” towards action for trans justice.

This project is organized by Strong Families – a national network of organizations fighting for the rights, resources, and recognition so that all families can thrive. Emerging from the reproductive justice movement, it is the largest network of its kind working at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality with over 150 partner organizations.

Mamas Day 2015: Lifting Up Young Mamas

On this 5th anniversary of Strong Families’ annual Mamas Day Campaign, we are reflecting on this innovative campaign’s origins—young mamas asserting their worth and that they are deserving of respect and support as all mamas are. Over the past few weeks, Echoing Ida writers Gloria Malone, Yamani Hernandez, and Elizabeth Dawes Gay brilliantly articulate the importance of recognizing young mamas  and valuing them by  pulling them from the margins to the center of our concept of motherhood. Our culture recognizes motherhood in very few of its forms, but Malone and Hernandez make it clear: teen mothers are mothers still, and they deserve our respect.

For Seleni, Malone exposes the gulf between the needs and realities of pregnant and parenting teens. Her own pregnancy at 15 introduced Malone to the shame and isolation young mothers face.   

More than ever in my life, I needed emotional support. What I got was the complete opposite. Everyone seemed focused on making me feel that I had singlehandedly ruined not only my life but also the impending life of my unborn child. Society seems to think that pregnant and parenting teens must be punished and used for political prevention campaigns instead of being supported and treated as the full human beings we are. I felt alone, disrespected, and depressed with no understanding that my mental health was important. I didn’t think I had any issues that needed to be addressed. That could not have been further from the truth.

Share love with a young mama today by sending a beautiful one-of-a-kind e-card!

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For Ebony, Hernandez shifts the conversation around teen pregnancy from individuals to systems. She unreservedly calls out schools for pushing out young mothers despite their Title IX protections and points out the impossible position in which most students find themselves.

The societal messages about sex and pregnancy are at best confusing and at worst unjust.  Youth are completely inundated with sexualized images to sell nearly every product. However, the prevailing message about sex is “Just don’t do it.” With only 22 states with mandated Sex Education, we send the message that youth are not worth teaching about anatomy, contraception, reproduction, gender identity, healthy relationships and more.  However when young people become pregnant whether by accident, abuse or intention, we fall short of acknowledging the ways that we are systematically failing them and refuse to treat them as equal human beings.
 More than half the school districts in the country are unwilling to teach youth about contraception to prevent pregnancy or about pregnancy options. When youth become pregnant, despite Title IX recommendations, we fail to support their pregnancies, and if they choose to not carry a pregnancy to term, we place barriers to accessing abortion in 38 out of 50 states. If anyone is “guilty,” it’s the adults who are tasked with caring and stewarding the development of youth into adulthood.  Until we have systemically and societally done our part to adequately address the reproductive health-care needs of youth, we have no right to judge them or push them out of school for their choices or circumstances.

Young people agree: their reproductive health needs should be addressed. For RH Reality Check, Echoing Ida writer Elizabeth Dawes Gay unpacks a new survey that shows millennials are starved for accurate, comprehensive sex education.

Seventy-five percent of millennials surveyed support comprehensive sex education in public schools. They want accurate information about their bodies, about sex and relationships, and about how to protect their health. That’s a big deal because one in four of those surveyed were not taught any sex education, and, among those who were, four in ten said their sex ed classes were not helpful to them in making sex and relationship decisions.

Additionally, “According to the report, millennials want access to contraception even more than they want comprehensive sex education taught in public schools.”

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But while we struggle to put these comprehensive sex education policies in place and educate students on their Title IX rights, how do we shift our culture to one that supports parenting teens? Art has the power to move people, which is one reason we started Mamas Day. In addition, a recent article by Malone for SheKnows, she interviews Jendella, a photographer dedicated to humanizing young mothers by capturing their stories.

These young mothers were going to school, taking care of their children, working and carrying on with life like most parents do, however, one thing that was different was the amount of shame and stigma they faced solely because they had their children in their teenage years. Jendella felt a need to share the stories of her friends to counter the negative and stereotypical views of young parenthood and thus Young Motherhood was born. Young Motherhood is a social documentary project that addresses the myths, harmful stereotypes and unhelpful, yet common, misconceptions that surround young mothers and their children in the UK.

Whether it’s creating powerful art or using our words to recognize young mamas, with artists and writers like Jendella, Malone, Gay, and Hernandez sharing stories and spreading awareness, our culture can shift away from the stigma, and our policies will follow. We can’t keep them waiting any longer—young mothers, in all their courage and resilience, deserve our support, not our shame.

Calling Mamas Day Artists!

Four out of five people living in the US do not live behind the “picket fence” with a mom at home and a dad at work. While that life has never been the reality for most of us, the default for “family” is often this narrow ideal.

Strong Families is proud to push back on that idea with one of our most popular campaigns: Mamas Day. As an alternative to the white-washed Hallmark version of Mother’s Day, Mamas Day highlights thereality that mothers come in all ages, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Since 2011, Forward Together has worked with more than 20 artists to create original, customizable e-cards that celebrate thediversity of mamas across the United States and reflect the real lives of our families. 

As we prepare for our 5th annual Mamas Day this year, we are looking for artists to create new work thatcelebrates all mamas. Do you create amazing art that should be part of Mamas Day? We want to hear from you!

We believe all families matter, and are working with artists to provide powerful visuals that include queer, immigrant, single parent and young families, as well as cards that celebrate caregivers and cardsthat represent families across race and ethnicity. These cards help thousands of us find the image that speak to how our families look and feel. Mamas and Papas Day artists work in every media possible – they hand draw, screen print, usecomputers, water colors, and stencils to create their work. 

Do you know someone who you thinkshould submit art? We want to know! We are able to pay $500 each to the artists that get selected to design a card. Submissions are due by January 23, 2015. If you can’t participate this year, please share the link with the creatives in your life, and help us make this a memorable, visual, and beautiful year.We look forward to your submissions!