Lavender Rights Project

LAVENDER RIGHTS PROJECT ELEVATES THE POWER, AUTONOMY, AND LEADERSHIP OF THE BLACK INTERSEX & GENDER DIVERSE COMMUNITY THROUGH INTERSECTIONAL LEGAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES. WE UTILIZE THE LAW AS AN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE TO AFFIRM OUR CIVIL RIGHTS AND SELF-DETERMINATION. OUR ORGANIZATION DISRUPTS OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS THAT TARGET BLACK GENDER DIVERSE AND INTERSEX COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND LEAD TO DISPROPORTIONATE LEVELS OF POVERTY, HOUSING DISPARITIES, AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, ESPECIALLY AMONG BLACK AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION (GBVP) - LRP UTILIZES GRASSROOTS POLITICAL EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, DIRECT SUPPORT, AND COALITION BUILDING TO ADVANCE POLICY CHANGE. OUR ONGOING COMMUNITY LEGAL EMPOWERMENT CLINICS PROVIDE AFFIRMING LEGAL ADVICE FOR JUSTICE-IMPACTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND OFFER SUPPORT NAVIGATING CIVIL RIGHTS, RESTORATION OF RIGHTS, EXPUNGEMENTS, AND MORE. IN 2022, WE PROVIDED OVER 54 BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND GENDER DIVERSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH PRO-BONO LEGAL SERVICES. WE ALSO WORKED ON 10 EMPLOYMENT LAW INVESTIGATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS TO BUILD TRANS COMPETENCY, PARTICIPATED IN 25 EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AROUND TRANSGENDER RIGHTS, AND LAUNCHED A PEER-LED ADVOCACY TEAM THAT FOCUSED ON DISRUPTING THE INCARCERATION OF BLACK COMMUNITY IN KING COUNTY.

OTHER PROGRAMS: TWOC SN, BY AND FOR, GENERAL PROGRAM.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE - LAVENDER RIGHTS PROJECT BELIEVES ECONOMIC JUSTICE IS ONE OF THE PILLARS OF SAFETY FOR THE TRANS COMMUNITY. LRP IS WORKING ON BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR STATE-FUNDED SOLUTIONS THAT WILL PROVIDE GENDER DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WITH CONSISTENT FINANCIAL SECURITY WHILE THEY SEARCH FOR SAFER HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, AND GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE. IN JULY 2022, WE STARTED AN INTERNAL PILOT PROGRAM IN WA THAT GIVES A MONTHLY INCOME TO A HANDFUL OF BLACK TRANS FAMILIES AT IMMINENT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. WE USE THE DATA FROM THIS PILOT PROGRAM TO ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT-FUNDED SUPPORT PROGRAMS, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE TO MAKE THIS A REALITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WHILE A GUARANTEED INCOME IS NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION, LAVENDER RIGHTS PROJECT BELIEVES THAT THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS MAKING A LARGER AND LASTING CHANGE THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE.

HOUSING JUSTICE - OUR HOUSING INITIATIVES OFFER SAFE AND AFFIRMING HOUSING SUPPORT THROUGH WRAPAROUND CARE AND HOLISTIC ADVOCACY THAT SPECIALIZES IN UPLIFTING BLACK GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE. IN 2022, WE WORKED WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN WA TO PRIORITIZE TRANS COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS AND SUPPORTED KING COUNTY WITH IDENTIFYING A PROPERTY THAT WAS SUITABLE FOR GENDER-DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS. OUR HOUSING JUSTICE TEAM ALSO PROVIDED SEATTLE'S DOWNTOWN EMERGENCY SERVICE CENTER (DESC) AND OTHERS WITH COMPREHENSIVE TRANS COMPETENCY TRAINING, CREATED A NETWORK OF CARE IN KING COUNTY WITH OTHER HOUSING PROVIDERS THAT WAS ROOTED IN BLACK TRANS FEMINISM, DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS WITH BLACK ORGANIZERS CREATING THEIR OWN LOCAL HOUSING INITIATIVES IN OTHER STATES, AND ADVOCATED FOR CHANGE THAT PRIORITIZED THE PROTECTION OF TRANS LIFE ON THE STATE LEVEL.