Transgender Gender-Variant Intersex Justice Project

THE TRANSGENDER, GENDER VARIANT, INTERSEX JUSTICE PROJECT'S (TGIJP'S) WORKS TO CHALLENGE AND END THE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES COMMITTED AGAINST TRANSGENDER, GENDER VARIANT, AND INTERSEX PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY AGAINST BLACK AND TRANSGENDER WOMEN OF COLOR, IN CALIFORNIA PRISONS, JAILS, DETENTION CENTERS, AND BEYOND.

1)OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED, TGIJP HAS SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED MORE THAN 50 TRANSGENDER WOMEN OF COLOR LEAVING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGH THE MELANIE ELENEKE GRASSROOTS RE-ENTRY PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERS NEAR WRAP-AROUND RE-ENTRY SUPPORT SERVICES TO FORMERLY INCARCERATED TGI PEOPLE, CONNECTING THEM TO HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, LEGAL SUPPORT AND SERVICES, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT, AS WELL AS RETREATS AND CONVENINGS, TRAININGS, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, POLITICAL EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING. IN THE 2021, WE SUPPORTED 7 TRANSGENDER LEADERS COMING OUT OF JAILS AND PRISONS IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC AND PROVIDED THEM WITH EMPLOYMENT AND RE-ENTRY SUPPORT. TGIJP ALSO ADDED HOUSING SUBSIDIES TO THE RE-ENTRY SUPPORT SO THAT ALL RE-ENTRY MEMBERS HAD HOUSING, WHICH BECAME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AS MANY PROGRAMS SHUT DOWN THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC.2)HELD #BLACKGIRLZRULE, A BLACK TRANS-LED GATHERING OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS AND BLACK TRANS WOMEN GRASSROOTS LEADERS IN FLORIDA IN NOVEMBER 2021, AND WILL FOCUS ON SUPPORTING GRASSROOTS LEADERS IN FLORIDA AND OTHER AREAS OF THE SOUTH WITH AN EYE TOWARDS SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL EXPANSION WORK.3)EXPANDED OUR SUCCESSFUL MODEL OF ORGANIZING AROUND THE RIGHTS OF TRANSGENDER, GENDER VARIANT AND INTERSEX INCARCERATED COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA THROUGH A COMBINATION OF A LEGAL MAIL CORRESPONDENCE PROGRAM WITH A RE-ENTRY LINKAGES PROGRAM TO ASSIST TGI FOLKS LEAVING INCARCERATION, INTO A NATIONAL PROGRAM BY STARTING AN OFFICE IN FLORIDA AND DOING CAPACITY-BUILDING WORK TO HELP SET UP A SIMILAR PROGRAM WITH T.A.K.E. IN ALABAMA.4)CONTINUED OUR UNIQUE DIRECT LEGAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM PROVIDING COMMUTATION APPLICATION SUPPORT, PAROLE PLAN PREPARATION, COVID-19 SAFETY, AND WINNING LAWSUITS AND SUPPORT AROUND GRIEVANCES FOR TGI PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA STATE PRISONS AND EXPANDED THIS PROGRAM BY TRAINING ATTORNEY VOLUNTEERS THROUGH THE INCARCERATED TGI REPRESENTATION NETWORK IN CALIFORNIA AND SOON THROUGH TEXAS, WHICH HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES. TGIJP WAS ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN DEVELOPING AN AGREEMENT WITH SAN FRANCISCO DA AND PRE-TRIAL DIVERSION ABOUT RELEASING ALL TRANS PEOPLE TO COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING TGIJP, AS PRE-TRIAL DIVERSION, INSTEAD OF PROSECUTING THEM. WE ARE NOW THE LEAD ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND REFERRALS TO OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR THIS POPULATION.5)CONTINUED OUR WORK AS A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR PUBLICATIONS SUPPORTING INCARCERATED TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA; INCLUDING, PUBLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING THE STILETTO NEWSLETTER (WRITTEN BY AND FOR INCARCERATED TRANS PEOPLE AND DISTRIBUTED TO OVER 2000 PEOPLE IN PRISONS, JAILS AND DETENTION CENTERS).