Honoring Trans Day of Visibility
March 31st is International Transgender Day of Visibility. According to the San Francisco Trans Day of Visibility Awards, the day “is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and victories of transgender & gender non-conforming people while raising awareness of the work that is still needed to save trans lives.” Stonewall Community Foundation has a history of supporting trans-led organizations and projects, including the first-ever statewide retreat for trans and nonbinary leaders in New York, and the game-changing work of NY Transgender Advocacy Group.
Last September, Stonewall sponsored the first annual National Trans Visibility March in DC. Led by a coalition of trans leaders from around the country, the march brought together thousands of trans people and allies from around the country to speak out against violence against trans women of color, protest the Trump administration’s attacks on trans people, and honor the beauty and resilience of trans lives. The march included the Torch Awards, which recognized the accomplishments of sixteen trans and nonbinary people; a rally that featured speakers like Pose star Angelica Ross and activist Bamby Salcedo; and a defiant march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Stonewall provided a grant to cover registration and lunch for a delegation of over 100 people from New York, easing the financial burden for New Yorkers otherwise would not have been able to attend this event.
While in-person marches and demonstrations are on hold at the moment, several organizations are continuing their advocacy and organizing online. Black Trans Media, a new Brooklyn-based, trans-led nonprofit, is holding weekly programming online for Black trans people to continue to share their stories and connect, even from a distance. You can learn more on their Facebook page.
Today, we also lift up and celebrate the life of one extraordinary individual we have lost to COVID-19: trans activist and organizer, Lorena Borjas.
She will be remembered for a lifetime of work in service of change, from her early days as a volunteer with AIDS organizations in Queens and her fierce, feminist organizing in Latinx and immigrant communities, to her advocacy of sex worker rights and for people facing incarceration, and her powerful activism for trans justice. Lorena was also the founder of the Lorena Borjas Community Fund and, Stonewall grantee partner, Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo. Her friendship brought joy to so many; as a mentor and Movement mother, she nurtured a generation of incredible LGBTQ leaders; and her relentless work saved countless lives. We are forever grateful to have known her and will continue to support and honor her important legacy.