[Applause]
hmmm this is a song for every girls ever
been through something she thought she
couldn’t make it through I sing these
words because people are scared or
somewhat confused about what they don’t
know about and it’s not to say that she
caused attention to herself
I’d moreso say they didn’t they didn’t
know how to react or respond to her
being a woman of sharing experience it
was there’s a young woman named Elon
nettles on who on August 17th was just
walking down the street with some
friends you know minding her own
business and she was catcalled by a
couple of guys and one of them they once
they realized she was trans she was
beaten into a coma and five days later
she died she was one of our models and
our designers in all of our shows we are
very touched by this we demand justice
we want to know what did they do with
the evidence the perpetrator basically
that way we need for just probation and
you know just basically a slap on the
wrist
thank you all so much for being here the
lawn nettles was a client of the Ali
Forney Center if it was anybody else you
know if it was like a president’s son or
if it was anybody else they would have
did more action to it it seems like
because the person was of trends that
they just threw it out they just closed
[Music]
the first thing you do when you get
scared you attend to freak out and
that’s when the abuse the hurt the anger
the frustration you beat somebody
because they’re different I think is so
we are called
to the right the more that’s being done
to educate people about trans life or
more about the LGBT community it’ll be
it’ll give people a different mindset or
a different look at the way that they
see things this can happen to one person
this could happen to all this could
happen to all of us
I knew her myself and you know I just
like it’s up people getting
killed for being myself we need to avoid
these crimes by happening by educating
we as a community we need to stick
together so rallies are beneficial it
shows how much people care
[Music]
this song is for you I am a healer an
academic an orator I am a revolutionary
I am a descendant of slaves kings and
queens ripped from the shores of Africa
I come from a village of freedom
fighters and liberators I am goddess
Queen sister November is transgender
Awareness Month and in honoring
reverence of those who have come before
me those who have paved the way for
black trans brilliance existence black
trans revolution mother Sylvia Rivera
Marsha P Johnson miss major Griffin may
see Monica Roberts Andrea Jenkins
Valerie Spencer goddess Ruby Corrado
ashay 2014 marks the 45th anniversary of
the Stonewall Rebellion
and while so many of us toasted it
corporately funded parades and rooftop
pajama parties the trans community of
color gathered at rallies and vigils in
healing circles in an attempt to pick up
the shattered pieces of our lives and
push forward to have the most
transformative year in the life of any
trans person of color the same year that
our country boasts historical leaps
towards LGBT equality and inclusion the
same year that goddess Laverne Cox
graced the cover of Time magazine and
it’s named glamour Woman of the Year the
same year that we see majestic images of
folks like us in the media like Janet
mock tick Milan Gina Rosero and Daniela
Carter this same year in a span of less
than four months ten trans women of
color were brutally murdered right here
in the United States
tayshaun Ashley
ania parker alejandro lives tiffany
edwards candy hall
loretta reyes death means sanchez maya
henderson brittany nicole kid sturgis
and the unidentified trans woman whose
body was found in my hometown of Detroit
we’ll call her goddess Detroit I sweep
your names I honor you I honor the
ultimate sacrifice that you have paid so
so many of us can stand here today
unapologetically unabashedly in our
truths the average age of these women
was less than 35 years old every breath
a trans person of color takes is an act
of revolution so here’s the syllabus and
I hope you’re hungry we’re going to
deconstruct the gender binary we’re
going to talk about how structural
oppression is in a strictly link to the
physical violence that is taking place
in our community we’re also going to
talk about healing restoration
fellowship in action for all of us but
most importantly we are going to
celebrate black and brown trans and
gender non-conforming bodies identities
narratives leadership’s and lives as
this is transgender Awareness Month and
today we are going beyond the curiosity
of coming out we’re going beyond the
curiosity of genitalia we are going
beyond the curiosity of the packets
package consumption of this victim
narrative I hope you’re hungry let’s eat
deconstructing the gender binary now see
the way gender is set up we see it as
either one or the other along this
spectrum you’re either male you’re
either female or you’re somewhere in
between your expression is either
masculine or feminine or somewhere in
between and the way I see gender in the
way how we all should see gender as an
explosion of expressions an opportunity
to flourish and self-determined not as
this oppressive system that that works
to keep women barefoot in the kitchen
and Men the rulers of the universe you
see the gender binary refers to a notion
that gender exists in black and white
either your male or female there are
countless non-binary genders as well as
countless combinations of genders you
see from the day a baby is born the life
has already be constructed from blankets
and bonnets to strollers and booties all
have been selected pink for a boy oh
sorry
pink for girl and blue for boy this
child has been conditioned indoctrinated
and even rewarded to perform within
those roles assigned to that prescribed
gender they’re also chastised teased
punished and even murdered when their
performance is deemed other trans youth
are not encouraged to celebrate who they
are
we are not encouraged we’re not taught
by society that our lives have
tremendous value the video that we watch
featured the featured video encapsulate
how the harsh realities that trans youth
of color face goddess Ilan Meadows I
speak your name the community wrapped
themselves around her life her memory
and her mother denote Dolores nettles
and that is not always the case so in
this moment I want to honor the
resilience of the families and friends
chosen or otherwise who stand in
solidarity with trans youth I also want
to talk a little bit about my mom who
could not be here today
the Reverend dr. Vivian Harris Davis you
know growing up in a single-parent home
in Detroit with my three brothers I had
no clue the implications structural
oppression would have on my life my
mother is my Shero my brothers were my
protectors my mother taught me that I
could be whoever I wanted to be and
whatever I wanted to be as a matter of
fact she challenged me every day and
pushed me harder to strive higher to do
more not just for me but for those
around me and for those who look like me
my family my community and my faith for
my supportive
networks and that allowed me to explore
gender identity and expression in ways
that I could never imagine because of my
strong social and familial ties at 13 I
was able to leave bloc club gatherings
and organizing queer youth groups at UAW
summer camp at 15 I was hosting
neighborhood food banks and youth groups
at my church at 17 years old I was
leading braver spaces for trans and
gender non-conforming youth of color to
thrive unapologetically
I mean seriously this was 1993 and in
Detroit Michigan as a black trans female
identified youth creating spaces that
served as incubators for the development
of radical transformative analysis and
framework steeped in cooperative
economics and restorative justice and
like I said this was in Detroit it
wasn’t until I moved to New York City on
a one-way bus ticket and $40 in my
pocket that I really began to experience
the harsh realities navigating
structural oppression as a black trans
woman you see I had this grand idea that
I would move to the big city and see all
the like the big lights I will meet
several gorgeous lovers who was stare
into my eyes and tell me that I was the
most beautiful girl in the world
that was my American dream or not I had
no idea that 47% of black trans women
have a history of incarceration I had no
idea that black trans women are 49 times
more likely to be living with HIV you
see the way structural oppression is set
up when you are when you don’t have an
income you know it makes it difficult
for you to access health care and when
you don’t have income or health care you
had a greater risk of homelessness
because how you gonna pay the rent when
you ain’t got no job and so when you
don’t have all these things and when you
don’t have access to education it’s a
vicious cycle and I found myself in this
vicious cycle when I moved to New York
City for 21 months I was housed in a
men’s shelter me in a men’s shelter
really with 1,000 other men on a tiny
piece of land called Swartz Island it’s
part of the five boroughs many people
don’t know about it but it’s there
during this 21 month ordeal I was raped
at knifepoint I was terrified that I
traded sex for safety with the security
guards
imagine having to use your body to
negotiate and navigate your existence
but see the way my faith is set up I
learn that you must have vision beyond
your current situation overcoming
homelessness heightened criminalization
intimate partner violence harassment and
discrimination made me who I am don’t
cry for me I am no victim these
experiences enable me to ensure that
transfer were at the table when it came
time to matters that impacted our lives
from being instrumental in writing the
patrol manual and training guides for
the cadets and officers at the NYPD to
making sure that trans fold had folk had
access to appropriate shelter
accommodations as well as actual access
to social services and government
agencies this chart also shows how crook
the criminal justice system is stacked
up against the lives of trans people of
color the criminalization of trans
people of color works in many ways when
you don’t have identification that
reflects your true identity then you’re
made a target it’s difficult when you’re
accessing restrooms even to buy a pack
of cigarettes or a bottle of patron my
favorite drink having to pull out your
identification and your identification
does not match who you are can really
impact how you’re seen in society and
also place you at a heightened risk for
criminalization and this chart
demonstrates that effectively I also
want to talk about access the
educational opportunity and also the
unwavering support of my family that has
enabled me to stand here today as the
co-founder and national director of
trans women of color collective a
grassroots member Lee
and funded organizing initiative that
works to uplift the live narratives the
experiences and leadership of trans
people of color also during my time in
New York City I happen to obtain a
bachelor’s degree in social theory
structure and change with concentrations
and race class and gender studies I also
happen to pick up an executive level
master’s degree in public administration
so allow me at a time to brush my
shoulders transformative color
collective which were created out of the
need for healing restoration fellowship
and action we came together together
after the brutal murder of a lawn
nettles you seen historically trans
women of color have been the catalyst of
change and social justice movements
historically we have been discarded and
counted out left behind by many who are
trusted with our care we are
disproportionately impacted by
underemployment under house and enforce
the armed navigate these systems of
oppression these are the 13 women who
came together after a lawn nettles vigil
there’s Janet mock and Laverne Cox this
Daniela Carter and there’s many women
who came together
Nalla Simone Coco Jones these trans
women of color setting the tone living
unapologetically in their truths and in
spite the obstacles we face as trans
women of color we are resourceful
educated resilient and quite capable of
leading our movement as a matter of fact
we must lead our movement it is our
destiny and August we launched the black
trans revolution tour which consisted of
call to actions that spanned the
Northeast region in Baltimore Maryland
were the murders of Maya Henderson and
kandi Hall took place we have a call to
action at John Hopkins University during
the making money for our movements
conference we organized with local with
the local trans community pioneer Monica
Stevens joined us as leaders from across
the country Angelica Ross Nicole GoM’s
ISA NOLA Shella Marie Coleman who led
charge that our lives matter we have
calls to actions in Pittsburgh North
Carolina Boston and we and our sisters
from t walk Ohio joined in the Freedom
Fighters in Ferguson Missouri we have
caught two actions in New York City as
well on the one-year anniversary of a
law and nettles murder her murderer
still walks the streets today 2014 has
been a transformative year for the trans
women of color collective we launched
launched chapters in Ohio we live for
revolutionary juice the trans women of
color collective in Ohio is run by four
revolutionary youth Cherno Beco aaron
lang ripley bennett and el Hearns and
new orleans we launched the transfer
women of color collective that is led by
our revolutionary youth goddess Milan
Nicole sherry and larae Ellis and we
also launched our national headquarters
in Washington DC our black trans
revolution youth leadership summit was
held three weeks ago in Pittsburgh in
collaboration with the garden a peace
project led by Michael David battle in
less than one month we raised over
$20,000 to host 25 trans and gender
non-conforming youth of color to
participate in a four day intensive
leadership retreat black trans
revolution was born out of the lack of
resources intentional space lack of
accountability funding and meaningful
investment in the lives of black trans
individuals our leadership development
and the issues that disproportionately
impact our lives historically queer
spaces and organizations have been
dominated by sis white gay lesbian focus
this systemic operation has led to the
unbalanced national LGBT policy and
legislation of platform the disregards
our leadership and our lives as white
queer led organizations continue to reap
the benefits grants and funds directed
at black trans people there has been no
intentional pathways or pipelines that
are created for black trans people to
move
imperative racial economic and social
justice work that is needed to transform
our communities just last week we held a
retreat in Columbus Ohio Columbus Ohio
is the epicenter of violence in our
community for trans women of color were
murdered there in one year
betty skinner brittany nicole Kidd
Sturgis Tiffany Edwards and samaya dove
I speak your name now more than ever
young black trans people and our
families our communities desire to heal
from the collective trauma restore our
leadership and legacy and be wrapped in
the fellowship with folks like us to
move to action to create the sustainable
revolutionary change in our lives and in
our communities we are the change we
seek and the revolutionary words of
Isana secure it is our duty to fight
this is where you repeat it it is our
duty to win we must love each other and
now let me hear the bass in your voice
it is our duty to fight it is our duty
to win we must love each other and
thank you so much Middlebury [Applause]