November 2018 Newsletter
Dear Community,
As we move forward into the fall season, The Audre Lorde Project wants to express gratitude for your support in the midst of political conditions that impel us to invest in holding each other closer, with love and protection. We want to thank you for breathing life into the safe spaces, the community rituals, the life-elevating trainings, and the provision of a sustainable framework for community fortification.
This month's big event at ALP is our Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 19th. On this day, we gather with community, comrades, and chosen family to honor the deceased. It's a ceremony where we hold space for one another in reflecting on the narratives of so many whose lives were cut violently short. The work of commemoration is an act of resistance against erasure and also a time for collective renewal of spirit. The timing of this event poignantly situates itself between the leaked government memo threatening to erase transgender identity and the holiday season, which can be a challenging time for LGBTSTGNC folks with family trauma. We hope to provide you with a healing space where you'll feel embraced by community while bearing witness to a collective act of uncompromising self-determination.
Volunteer Call for TDOR 2018!
Our annual Trans Day of Remembrance is at 81 Christopher st at St. John's Lutheran Church on Monday, November 19th from 6-9pm. We are in need of volunteers for this year's TDOR 2018! Please come to support, and for healing, and transformation as we affirm that we will not be erased. We are most powerful when we are in community and there is no community as resilient as ours. Check out shifts below and how to sign up
We Won’t be Erased: The Audre Lorde Project’s Statement on the Health and Human Services' Proposed Definition of Sex
Recently, a memo for the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) Department was leaked, sharing HHS’s plan to define sex as male or female, and only recognize people in these categories based on their sex assignment at birth. This is yet another attempt by the federal administration to harm trans and gender non-conforming communities by rolling back policies designed to protect us against discrimination. While our community is an already vulnerable and heavily marginalized group, particularly around accessing care, our freedom to self-determine our own gender identities and expressions is at stake. It is important to note that this memo is not yet law. We have an opportunity now to mobilize and demand that government not attempt to erase the lives and experiences of TGNC people.
Transgender Day of Remembrance 2018
The Audre Lorde Project and TransJustice will present Transgender Day of Remembrance 2018, taking place at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Monday, November 19, 2018 from 6pm to 9pm, and featuring conversations and performances in memoriam of those who have passed, but are not forgotten, in our communities. In our current political climate, it is more important than ever to honor the work and resilient legacies of community members who fought, and are fighting, tirelessly for self-determination and survival in the face of overbearing violence and structural oppression. On this day, we confront erasure by honoring their work and lives.
How to Help Transgender People Fight the Trump Administration's New Policy Memo
In the Trump administration’s latest attack on the transgender community, the Department of Health and Human Services is seeking, under Title IX, to legally define gender as a biological condition determined by a person’s genitalia at birth, according to an October 21 New York Times report on a memo obtained by the paper. (Title IX is the law that prevents gender-based discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funds.)
As noted by the Center for American Progress, the Obama administration made strides toward trans-affirming policies. A broad policy of nondiscrimination in federal programs allowed transgender people — who number somewhere between 1 million and 1.4 million in the United States — to not be discriminated against in places like schools and doctors’ offices. The Trump administration has undone advancements in schools, prisons, and homeless shelters.
The publication of the Times article sparked rallies, like the one in New York City on October 21. Whether or not you take to the streets, here are some actionable ways you can support the transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming community after this latest attack.
Hell No to the Memo: 7 Action Items to Protect Trans and GNC People
Chase Strangio of the ACLU has compiled a list of action items that anyone in support of trans and GNC people should acknowledge. From voting to raising awareness among cis friends and supporting trans journalists, this is an essential checklist for trans rights.
How To Help Trans, Nonbinary Communities Amid Reported Trump Policy Plans
Since the Trump plan was revealed, protesters have been gathering online ― often using the hashtag #WontBeErased ― and in person around the country. On Sunday night, several hundred people gathered in Washington Square Park in New York City.
But there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure the trans and gender nonconforming communities are protected. Here are some ways you can help.
October 2018 Newsletter
Dear Community,
Every Fall, the season itself reminds us that change is constant and inevitable. On this note, let’s reflect on the fortifying events, workshops, conversations, and long-time community rituals The Audre Lorde Project has held over the past several months. Whether it’s celebrating our 20th Annual Chillin’ & Grillin’ along with BedStuy Pride, serving empowering movement building workshops, guiding folks toward community wellness and healing rituals, organizing the Annual Trans Day of Action, or convening members around immediate issues impacting our communities, The Audre Lorde Project has been showing up!
This season, we have a few new team members to welcome on board, fantastic learning opportunities and gatherings ahead, and as always, we want to honor our dedicated staff, volunteers, and movement ancestors for making the work we do possible.
Transgender Day of Remembrance 2018
Please join TransJustice as we memorialize our trans* and gender nonconforming siblings across the world who have been lost to discrimination and hate violence.
