Transgender people are under attack.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Transgender people have been under attack for years now; it’s just gotten way worse over the last year or so. There are those people who argue that the transgender population is so tiny it’s not worth our time or attention. These people are wrong. Our collective liberation requires us not to leave anyone behind. Transgender people deserve to live their lives with dignity and respect. This is not a fucking distraction.
What we are seeing is an attempt to push transgender people out of schools, jobs, and sports. It is an attempt to deny them life-saving healthcare. It is an attempt to erase them from public life.
This is why standing up right now is so essential.
Few people are more at risk than our transgender brothers and sisters who are incarcerated. Trump has attempted to move transgender people in the federal prison system to facilities that do not align with their gender. Trump’s notion of “biological” male and female isn’t science. It isn’t people’s lived experiences. And it is going to set up transgender incarcerated people to violence and assault.
What can you do? Well, one important thing is to get yourself a transgender pen pal. It is an excellent way to help build community and share a lifeline with someone who can use it now. It is a great experience for you and your pen pal. It is a win-win for everyone.
Find a Pen Pal with Black and Pink
At Black & Pink National, we coordinate a nationwide penpal program in which we match incarcerated members with penpals who correspond, build relationships, and participate in harm reduction and affirmation. For an incarcerated LGBTQIA2S+ person, corresponding with someone on a regular basis is itself a harm reduction strategy, giving that person a support network outside of prison.
Learn more about how to become at pen pal at Black and Pink.