"What's it gonna take to stop the violence against our sisters in Puerto Rico and for you to pay attention?" -Maria Roman-Taylorson

** Trigger warning: This statement contains language about the murders and violence facing transgender people**

Six transgender people have been murdered in Puerto Rico since the beginning of this year. This year is proving to be one of the most deadly and violent toward the transgender community as seen by the 31 documented murders that have taken place in the US. From the 31 murdered this year, it’s important to uplift that the majority of those that have passed identified as Black or Latinx trans women. The lack of respect for the lives of trans women of color is disheartening and continues to fuel a culture of discrimination and stigma that creates a cycle of violence.

While the number of violent murders of our trans siblings increase across the United States, Puerto Rico is facing a violent spike in which 1 to 2 documented cases weekly where trans people are aggravated and assaulted. Earlier this month, Nicole Pastrana was assaulted on October 8th in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Among this violence, a significant number have taken place in Puerto Rico. Today- we uplift the names of the transgender people in which their lives have been taken. Please join us in honoring their lives and legacies:

Michelle “Michellyn” Ramos Vargas, 33, was found along a highway in San Germán, a municipality in southwest Puerto Rico.  

Alexa Negrón Luciano, a homeless trans woman, was killed in Toa Baja on Feb. 24.

Penélope Díaz Ramírez, a trans woman, was killed in a jail in the San Juan suburb of Bayamón on April 13. 

Authorities in Humacao on April 22 found the bodies of two trans women, Serena Angelique Velázquez and Layla Pelaez, in Pelaez’s car that had been set on fire.

Yampi Méndez Arocho, a trans man, was killed in Moca on March 5.

This violence is not an isolated incident, the violence against LGBTQ+ community members, especially those in which identify as transgender, is significant in Puerto Rico. These stories deserve to be uplifted and we must counter and work to change the culture of transphobia across the US, in Puerto Rico, and beyond.

Maria Roman-Taylorson, Vice President of The TransLatin@ Coalition says: “As a Transgender Woman raised in Puerto Rico my heart breaks from the increased onslaught, vicious murders fueled by hate the Transgender community has faced in 2020. What breaks my heart even more is the ambivalence of the LGBT community in the United States towards this violence. What's it gonna take to stop the violence against our sisters in Puerto Rico and for you to pay attention? We have seen members of the LGBT community shared all over social media about coming out day. However, crickets about the atrocities Trans People are facing. Coming out to the Trans community in Puerto Rico can equal death. We need to do more to highlight these atrocities and begin demanding justice in the systems that keep oppressing Trans People in Puerto Rico.”

MacKenzie Scott sets the tone for redistributing wealth to progressive organizations.. But more must be done.

August 4, 2020 - Just a few days ago, MacKenzie Scott announced that she would be giving directly to organizations “tackling a variety of social issues.” Although this is a great and noble effort by Mackenzie, we would like to give reference to the report that was released by Funders for LGBTQ Issues, which states that only four cents of every one hundred dollars are allocated to trans led organizations. Although what MacKenzie is doing is a great and noble intention, we hope that Trans-led organizations are part of the LGBTQ funding portfolio that will be distributed, and that they not only give the funds to the usual LGBTQ organizations who are transphobic and do not necessarily have internal programs to address the unique needs and issues that trans people are currently facing. It is important that through this process, MacKenzie Scott understands that there needs to be an intentional  investment on trans led organizations, and that through this well intended action, if trans-led organizations are funded, they will be able to not only support trans people but also to build the organizational infrastructure that our community needs to continue to thrive and succeed.

This noble initiative by MacKenzie Scott is an example of how philanthropists and those with access to wealth can intentionally redistribute wealth and resources to communities and organizations that are impacted by state violence. As a corporation, Amazon has harmed millions of lives and people by hoarding money, privatizing resources, exploiting workers, and collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We are grateful that MacKenzie Scott understands this and decided to make sure that some of her money gets put back into the communities who have been damaged and continues to be damaged with its capitalist practices. We see Mackenzie Scott’s donations as a start to addressing the impacts of deep wealth inequality in the United States and how resources can truly support people to achieve a better quality of life in the near future.

We hope that The TransLatin@ Coalition is one who is approached to receive some of the funds to be donated, which will be directly use to providing immediate resources for the urgent needs of our Trans, Gender Non-conforming, and Intersex (TGI) clients, many of which have become more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we would like to use some of the donated funds for initiatives such as trust funds, land acquisition, and direct services that include food, housing, transportation, and re-entry support. This is an intent for our organization to be set up as a sustainable organization. This is also an initiative that is very much needed in other trans led organizations and I hope they are thinking in this way. We need to think about how the future of the trans movement is going to be sustainable, especially now that we are going through a global pandemic and we do not exactly know what are going to be the repercussions that this global pandemic will leave for our community and organizations to deal with.

We want to use MacKenzie Scott’s intention as an example for the philanthropic world  and those hoarding money to continue redistributing their wealth in ways that do not put communities, issues, and organizations against each other to fight for money but rather we can see that there is ways for our organizations to be sustainable organizations if trust funds are donated to trans led organizations as well. Please think about wealth redistribution and funding increases to trans-led organizations, as these efforts will elevate the capacity of trans-led organizations to continue to build the infrastructure of the Trans community and the futures of trans people. We urge the philanthropic world to put words into action and fund trans-led organizations directly. We urge funding allocation to organizations led by state impacted individuals like trans people, who are criminalized simply because of who we are... This could be the beginning of an example of how the intention of MacKenzie Scott will set precedence and what the future of the trans community can look like. When those with money and privilege trust and invest in trans-led organizations, then we will see that the work and the possibilities that many trans people who have been doing social justice work will get to see a world that we wish we can live in, a world that we have been fighting for too long...

Stop the Attacks On Our Trans Sisters and Fight Like Hell for Trans People Living!

July 17, 2020 - In six months, 2020 is already proving to be one of the deadliest documented years for TGI people. According to an HRC report, that has been tracking the murders of Trans Women in the United States, as of July 2020, there have been at least 23 known trans people that have been found dead. Many of the victims have been Black Trans women and as many as 9 being killed in a stretch of two weeks. (Clifton) This past week alone, there are reports of two deaths in Southern California, thus it is not enough for California to call itself a champion of progressive change when we have seen the blatant way that this system harms, attacks, and kills TGI people. As the TransLatin@ Coalition, we are devastated to hear about violence happening to our siblings once again and to know it is happening so close to home, hurts. We mourn the deaths of Marilyn Cazares a TransLatina, and Angela Martinez Gomez an indigenous Muxe from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Marilyn Cazares was a 22-year old TransLatina that was murdered in Brawley, California - east of San Diego. Immediately after her death was made public, numerous media outlets, her family, and local authorities have consistently misgendered and dead named Marilyn. Those in her chosen community have stated her name was Marilyn time and time again. Too often we see a pattern that even after passing, the humanity of trans people is stripped by being dead named and misgendered throughout platforms that are supposed to “honor” us. This was the same case for Alexa Negrón Luciano who was murdered in Puerto Rico and widely misgendered by media outlets. A pattern that dehumanizes TGI people and is exacerbated in every facet of society. In order to honor Marilyn’s life, we need to remember her by her name and for the resilient being that she was. 

Angela Martinez Gomez was a 42-year old indigenous Muxe from Oaxaca, Mexico. She was an essential worker who had been working at Burger King for over 15 years and who died of COVID at the hands of her employer. That despite showing symptoms of COVID for a week, her employer blamed the reason for her passing on her hormones. This is infuriating! Angela was forced to work! For TGI/Gender-Expansive people, the jobs that are attainable become a privilege, because of how hard it was to get said job in the first place. Had Angela refused to work, it was possible that she would be faced with the lived experiences of other TGI people, poverty, homelessness, informal economics, and so on. Arguably, the workforce is often a thin line between struggle, survival, and sustainability. 

Other stories that came to light this week are those of Lea Castillo. A Trans Woman who was attacked in 2017 and despite being beaten with several injuries, the doctors and officers did not give her the adequate resources she needed. It took Lea three and a half years to come forward and denounce the violence she experienced through the system’s lack of action. This is a story that TGI people face far too often, there is blame and gaslighting put on victims of violence when they experience harm instead of addressing the system in place that allows for violence to happen. Hence the urgency to not allow for ambiguous language to be adopted by the Trump Administration when it comes to medical professionals and the assistance they provide. As it is,  TGI people, are consistently fighting for and urging to be heard and seen as valid within the medical field. 

The other person whose story was made public this week was of Niurka Flores. A Trans Latina migrant from El Salvador was attacked in Baltimore, Maryland for being trans. How many more names of TGI people have to be made known in hashtags and GoFundMe’s for the world to make cultural changes on the way they treat TGI people? 

Enough is enough! We call on our community and our allies to join us in taking action to stop the violence from happening. Stay tuned for actions taken by us at the TransLatin@ Coalition to uplift the stories of our siblings. We want to encourage people to stay tuned across our social media networks on some next steps. We want to ensure that we are celebrating, fighting for, and uplifting our siblings in the same breath we mourn them. 

After 1,051 days in detention, Kelly was released from Aurora Detention Center earlier this morning!

Thank you so much to ALL the people who have supported the #FreeKelly campaign. From signing the petitions, calling ICE, calling members of Congress, participating in weeks of action, writing letters to Kelly, creating events to show your solidarity, and so much more, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. 

Kelly’s release is a reminder that ICE could have released her at ANY point during the 1,051 days that she was stripped of her freedom. It is a reminder that ICE has the discretion to release ALL people from their custody, and that community organizing works! Since the campaign to #FreeKelly was launched, over 90,000 people joined us in demanding Kelly’s release. We strongly believe ICE was forced to release Kelly, largely due to the community advocacy that was happening online, outside the detention center, and in their inboxes (offices).

During Kelly’s detainment, she was simultaneously organizing to ensure that others who were detained with her were included in the advocacy for release. We want to highlight two Transgender asylum seekers that have also been detained for an extended period of time, Kendra and Sza Sza, who have both fled near-deadly persecution. Black immigrants like Sza Sza are often denied asylum by immigrant judges, which means being detained for longer periods of time while they appeal their cases and/or face deportation back to places they fled in the first place. Because of anti-Black racism, Black migrants in detention, like Sza Sza, are detained longer, are put in solitary confinement more frequently, are forced to pay the highest bond amounts, and experience more violence than other detainees. Sza Sza is in the very same facility that Kelly was freed from in Aurora, but by herself, apart from her transgender siblings. We hope to use this victory as another stepping stone to free them all! 

We know the fight for Kelly is not over. She is still in immigration proceedings and has a fight to continue, though she will not be taking it on alone. If you would like to send her welcome home letters or signs, you are welcome to send them via email to yessicag@translatinacoalition.org with the subject: Welcome Home Kelly OR ask via email for the address to send them directly. 

In struggle and community, 

#FreeKelly Campaign Support Team

The TransLatin@ Coalition Joins Lawsuit to Block HHS’ Anti-LGBTQ Health Care Rule

June 22, 2020 – Today, The TransLatin@ Coalition with support from Lambda Legal and Steptoe & Johnson LLP filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the health care discrimination rule that purports to carve out LGBTQ people and other vulnerable populations from the protections of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, among other bases. The lawsuit includes other plaintiffs like Whitman-Walker Health, the TransLatin@ Coalition and its members, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, AGLP: The Association of LGBTQ Psychiatrists, and four individual doctors.

We are joining this lawsuit because The TransLatin@ Coalition, as an organization,  believes that everyone deserves easy access to health care and health care that is respectful of who we are. The Trump administration’s decision to change the language that was put in place to protect LGBTQI+ health care rights is an outright attack on our community’s safety and wellness. The reality is that one in four transgender people do not see a health care provider when they need it, in order to avoid mistreatment. Though many large healthcare providers have implemented regulations to ensure this doesn’t happen, the fear of being dead named, misgendered, and not prioritized because of gender expression are realities our communities face to this day. No one should be forced to choose between getting the care they need and staying safe. 

 Our siblings are already being attacked and murdered in the streets simply because of who we are. It is not simply enough to hope that we get treated the way we deserve in healthcare. We simply cannot allow laws and rules to pass that will disproportionately impact our Trans, Gender Non-conforming, Intersex  (TGI) communities without fighting for what we know is right. It is important to make rules with clear language that not only include but advocate for TGI people to be treated with dignity and respect. Everyone deserves easy access to care that is respectful of who we are, that is compassionate and competent. Our lives depend on it and we’re going to fight for it! 

Read the Complaint here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/whitman-walker-clinic-v-hhs

TransLatin@ Coalition’s Statement Regarding Supreme Court Ruling that Prohibits Gender and Sexual Orientation Based Discrimination

June 15, 2020 - Earlier today the Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ+ workers could not be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. This ruling referenced and upheld Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person's sex, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity. This ruling comes just days after the United States president once again targets Trans rights, this time by erasing transgender civil rights protections in healthcare. It is a bittersweet win, especially under an administration that has consistently attacked the rights of transgender people and amidst the murders of our Black trans siblings, Riah Milton and Dominique “Rem’Mie” Fells. 

As a trans-led organization that works with and alongside other Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex (TGI) community members, we know far too well the barriers and levels of discrimination our communities face in the workforce. Often this discrimination excludes TGI people, particularly those of color, from job opportunities and professional advancements because of their gender identity, which in turn makes it even harder to survive. 

Though we are excited to see how this ruling continues to open doors for TGI people nationally, we know that this is just one step in the right direction for justice for Black, Indigenous, TGI People of Color, we know it will take work to continue educating everybody on the need to uplift and cherish TGI people. Our organization is committed to continue to do the work that needs to be done to better the livelihood of all TGI people. We know that this is a long fight and we are counting on your continuous support for all of us to be ready to have many new people join us in our collective liberation and continue to see the justice that our community deserves.

The TransLatin@ Coalition’s Response to COVID-19 Disaster Relief Assistance for Undocumented Immigrants (DRAI)

May 19, 2020 --- As a trans-led organization, we are concerned about the inaccessibility of the Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI) program for Transgender, gender-nonconforming, and Intersex (TGI) people. Unlike The CARES Act, which provided many with a stipend with little to no additional information required, DRAI creates additional hurdles for undocumented people to access money that has already been allocated for them. Those applying for the DRAI program must provide a home address, proof of COVID-19 impact due to employment loss, and proof that they do not qualify for the CARES Act. Additionally, there is a cap of $1000 per household, or no more than two applicants per single home address, regardless if the applicants live as a “single-family” household or not. This requirement erroneously assumes that people live in nuclear family houses. When in fact, TGI people often create and rely on networks of co-living for survival, in which it is very common for more than 2 undocumented TGI people live in the same household. These practices particularly impact the access of Black and Latinx TGI people.

As we have often highlighted, this is yet another example of how TGI people are not considered and do not have access to the services that we need. All organizations distributing money under DRAI are non-LGBTQ specific, which further impacts LGBTQ people, particularly TGI people, from accessing these funds. Communities such as sex workers, houseless people, those who have been recently released from immigration detention who do not have any type of documentation, and all others that live at the intersections of identifying as TGI will experience significant difficulties in accessing DRAI funds.

Undocumented TGI people, many of whom are seeking asylum and ineligible for work, are not able to get a letter from employers, and cannot prove how they have been affected by COVID-19. In addition, for people who do not have access to the internet, the phones have been saturated – we are already seeing the impact of this on the first day and in the inability to even reach an operator. Now, the distributing organizations are trying to dissuade people from panic applying for resources, but the program was largely promoted on a scarcity model of "first come, first served." If California truly cares for all undocumented people, especially TGI people, they should rethink the ways in which the DRAI funds are distributed.

The TransLatin@ Coalition urges the State of California and Los Angeles County Department of Social Services and the local non-profits who were granted these funds to reconsider the requirements and understand the specific needs of undocumented TGI individuals and are least likely to access these funds and should not be disqualified for being unable to meet the requirements. 

End the Violence Against Transgender People in Puerto Rico

May 4, 2020 - In 2020 alone, there has already been eight documented murders of transgender people. Four of those eight murders have occurred in Puerto Rico and it makes clear how the attacks on our transgender and gender non-conforming communities continue to rise. We have witnessed the murders of our trans sisters and watched as most of the nation stayed silent. In February, performer Bad Bunny wore a statement shirt reading, “They killed Alexa, not a man in a skirt,” during his live performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  Many applauded him for defying gender roles and for using his platform to uplift the murder of Alexa Negrón Luciano, a trans woman who was murdered in Puerto Rico and was largely misgendered as a “man in a skirt”. This action engaged the nation to talk about the heightened transphobia in the United States and specifically in Puerto Rico. However, this outraged seems short-lived as violence continues to happen to trans people.

Just three months following the murder of Alexa, two more trans women have had their lives taken due to transphobia, their names are Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, a 32-year-old and Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21. So why has the nation remained silent regarding the continuous violence faced by trans women in Puerto Rico, and across the world? Only giving this issue thought when celebrities, such as Bad Bunny, choose to make bold statements ( Something like that.) Our solidarity with trans women in Puerto Rico requires action, and continuous support/visibility, further than a one-time political statement that more-so uplifted the career of BB rather than the safety of those who are truly being harmed. In the same month, Bad Bunny released a music video for the song “Yo Perreo Sola” (I Twerk Alone)  and was applauded for his bravery in dressing in drag. A cisgender man dressed in drag is praised and celebrated, while trans women in Puerto Rico, living authentically in their bodies, and harassed, assaulted, and murdered.  

In the midst of COVID-19, there is a blanket of stress and uncertainty placed upon the world, and these are difficult times, but the violence against trans women continues despite a global pandemic. Transgender people must be kept in conversation during this time because the silence and lack of action is leading to the death of our siblings. We must uplift and bring attention to the violence being faced by trans women in Puerto Rico, and support those that are still living.

Today, in partnership with our sibling organizations, we are releasing a video to highlight how transphobia presents itself in day-to-day interactions and how each of those instances “kills us.” It’s the silence and lack of action, the indifference, and insensitivity, the stigma, and stereotypes. It’s when you misgender us and call us men in dresses. When you don’t acknowledge our existence and makes us feel invisible. This video is a reminder that trans, gender non-conforming, and intersex people have existed for generations, we are leaders and fighters and we deserve dignity and respect.  Therefore, we demand that you take action to commit to challenging these subtle and damaging micro-instances that lead to larger violence on our community.

An Open Letter From TGI-Led Organizations to Philanthropy Organizations

To our friends in philanthropy ---

In this time of crisis, everyone is being called upon to step up and help each other. And we need your help. In the past few years, issues involving Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex (TGI) people have gotten more visibility than ever before. But we are here every day, when the spotlight is not on us, dealing with the discrimination, the inequities, and the inefficiencies of programs that are supposed to help us but fall short of seriously identifying and addressing our needs.

Five years ago, we felt so left behind by the LGB community; we disrupted the Creating Change Conference in Denver. We called for progressive leaders and foundations to help develop our TGI leadership so we could create our own organizations to better serve the unique needs of our community. Part of that 2015 protest, was a response to a report detailing the inequity of foundation money directed to the TGI community. “Only one penny to every one hundred dollars was invested into Trans led work and organizations,” the TransFormational Impact report said. And here we are again.

On March 30, 2020 -- right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic -- Funders for LGBTQ issues released the 2018 Tracking LGBTQ Funding Report stating there was “an increase in investment for Trans populations of four pennies for every one hundred dollars.” This is in LGBTQ philanthropy. In the overall philanthropic world, TGI people are non-existent. We need to change that because our people are literally dying – not just murdered for being Trans folks of color but also in ICE detention where Trans asylum seekers are often abused and tortured or denied adequate counsel. But the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt even more. TGI people are not part of discussions on how to address LGBTQ needs. For instance, we provide shelter to members of our community in our own places (if we have one) and we feed our people even when we do not have food to feed ourselves.

Those four pennies out of every $100 are inadequate to meet our growing needs. Many TGI people who could once support themselves have become homeless and are not able to make enough money to pay for rent or buy food. Many members of our community who work in service industries like beauty salons and sex work are forced further into poverty. The TGI-led organizations that have been funded in the last five years are trying to provide whatever support we can without new funding because we know what it is to be on the streets.

COVID-19 is a setback to all LGBTQ organizations but it’s a disaster for us. While people are talking about how funders are going to support communities in the midst of this pandemic, the truth is that most people in philanthropy are not even thinking about TGI people or considering funding TGI-led organizations. But if philanthropy is driven by principles of human rights and social and economic justice to uplift the most marginalized in society, philanthropists who care about LGBTQ people and causes have a moral responsibility to help your TGI siblings in this time of crisis. You can literally help save lives and help to change the course of our destiny.

This letter is a request for help and a call to action to our philanthropic siblings. We ask you to act — not just to tell us that you understand and you support us — but rather to use your power to intentionally invest in TGI lives. Here are some grant-making suggestions to consider when preparing your next funding docket during COVID-19 and beyond — with at least 20% of all funding for LGBTQ issues allocated towards TGI- led organizations:

· A rapid response allocation about COVID-19. Funding needs to be specifically to support TGI individuals with basic needs like: rental assistance, paying bills, food and grocery gift cards, open emergency shelters specifically for TGI people led by TGI people and transitional living housing that will support TGI people with a path to permanent housing

· Support TGI-led organizations to build safe spaces for the community. Many members of the TGI community continue to be discriminated against trying to rent spaces where they can provide multi-social supportive services including the arts. Helping these organizations with paying rent for a minimum of five years will provide a sense of security. In addition, helping TGI- led organizations with money for them to be able to put a down payment on a property is an investment in these organizations. This is part of supporting to build the infrastructure of TGI-led organizations and leaders. We know that no one is doing the work that we are doing and only we can do this work because we understand our own struggles.

· Support initiatives that are dedicated for workforce development but not necessarily initiatives that are like the traditional resume-building. Many members of our community have not even held a job and need skills building and training. Fund paid internships at these TGI- led organizations so other members of our community can gain administrative and office skills. Fund paid internship opportunities that will placed TGI people in other industries, but the internships are administered and paid by the TGI-led organization. · Support initiatives that enable TGI individuals to develop our political power. Fund initiatives that will teach TGI communities to understand how policy works, how they can become part of the political process and understand the system so that our community can hold elected officials responsible and accountable to invest in TGI people specifically.

· It is important that in funding announcements you specify that funding is specifically for TGI-led organizations and not programs within cisgender groups. We are not saying do not fund other groups, but rather we are asking that you dedicate specific moneys exclusively to TGI- led organizations. · Ensure that funding is intersectional and at the center are the most marginalized within the TGI population. These may include: Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, immigrant, incarcerated and post-incarcerated, the poor and undocumented individuals.

· Design your docket specifically to TGI communities. Do not use the same approach that you have used for cis gay men because our experiences and level of nuanced knowledge is much different. The funding announcement must be specific, tailored to our community and mindful of region and/or country.

We believe that the new COVID-19 saying, “We are in this together” could become true. We believe that if we hold each other accountable with love and sincerity, we can change the landscape of TGI people. But we need for our siblings in philanthropy to step up to the plate and demonstrate that the principles of humanity and equity are a real driving factor in funding decisions. TGI people want to believe that “we are in this together” building a world that we all want to live in.

Signed,

TGI-Led Organizations

Descansa En Paz, Lorena Borjas

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our dear sister and board member Lorena Borjas. On Friday, March 27th, we were all invited to join in community prayer for Lorena who was fighting COVID19, coronavirus. We joined others around the world to pray and hope that our dear sister would get better. Despite the love, prayer, and energy we sent her way, her health had already been rapidly declining. Because of the strict guidelines and regulations set by the state, Lorena was unable to be surrounded (physically) by the love and support of the community she spent her life serving. Now, we send love to Lorena as she’s moved on, and has become an ancestor that will continue to watch over our community for years to come.

Lorena Borjas was a TransLatina community leader from Veracruz, Mexico, who dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of the TransLatina community in New York. Lorena was a trailblazer in New York that had been heavily involved in community work since the mid-1990’s. A large portion of the work she was doing was supporting many undocumented trans women and working hard to support immigrant trans women navigating the immigration process. Through her work, she founded the Lorena Borjas Foundation, which supported many trans women with bail money to get out of immigration detention. 

In addition, Lorena did HIV prevention work in the Trans community in New York for almost thirty years, focused on street outreach and passing out condoms to many of our trans sisters who were on the streets doing sex work. She was a Board Member of the Translatin@ Coalition for about 10 years and was a personal close friend to our CEO Bamby Salcedo. We are grateful for her work and dedication to the betterment of trans people and specifically of the TransLatinx community.  Her legacy and her memory will always live forever through our organization and the work we do. We honor her life and although it’s sad that she is no longer with us, we will always keep her in our hearts and in our minds. We will remember her as a mother of community in New York and beyond, and we hope that many can find inspiration in her dedication to community to fuel our own mutual support for one another.

Today, we (virtually) hold our trans siblings extra close as we mourn the loss of our dear sister. We invite you all to please do your part in taking care of each other. If it is within your capacity, we ask that you please check up on your loved ones, whether that be through phone or video call, text messages, letters, or other mediums of communication. On an individual level, we remind you to continue practicing physical* distancing, washing your hands, and making sure to be conscious of your health needs. We know that many are feeling the need to support community in this moment, and we must ensure that we are taking care of others, but most importantly ourselves.

If you would like to learn more about Lorena, please consider watching Queens Stories: The Story of Lorena Borjas: The Transgender Latina Activist.

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Con un gran pesar les compartimos el fallecimiento de nuestra querida hermana y miembra de nuestra junta directiva, Lorena Borjas. El viernes 27 de marzo, se hizo una invitacion para unirse a una oración comunitaria para Lorena, que estaba luchando contra el coronavirus, COVID19. Junto a ustedes rezamos y tuvimos fe en que nuestra querida hermana mejoraria. A pesar del amor, la oración, y la energía que le enviamos, su salud ya había disminuido rápidamente. Debido a las estrictas regulaciones establecidas por el gobierno, Lorena no pudo ser accompañada (físicamente) por el amor y el apoyo de la comunidad a la que pasó su vida sirviendo. Ahora, le enviamos amor a Lorena a medida que avanza y se converte en un antepasado que continuará vigilando a nuestra comunidad en los próximos años.

Lorena Borjas era una líder de la comunidad TransLatina de Veracruz, México. Ella dedicó su vida abogando por los derechos de la comunidad TransLatina en Nueva York. Lorena habrio el camino en Nueva York con su trabajo de activista y estubo muy involucrada haciendo trabajo comunitario desde la década de 1990. Una gran parte del trabajo que hizo fue apoyar a muchas mujeres trans indocumentadas y apoyaba a las mujeres trans a navegar el proceso de immigracion. A través de su trabajo, fundó la Fundación Lorena Borjas, que apoyó a muchas mujeres trans con fianza para salir de detencion migratoria.

Además, durante casi treinta años, Lorena se dedo a trabajos de educacion sobre la prevención del VIH en la comunidad Trans en Nueva York. Su trabajo esta centrado en la divulgación en la calle y en la entrega de condones a muchas de nuestras hermanas trans que estaban en las calles trabajando en servicios sexual. Ella fue Miembra de la Junta Directiva de la Coalición Translatin@ durante 10 años y fue una gran amiga personal de nuestra CEO Bamby Salcedo. Estamos agradecides por su trabajo y dedicación al mejoramiento de las personas trans y específicamente a la comunidad TransLatinx. Su legado y su memoria siempre vivirán para siempre a través de nuestra organización y el trabajo que hacemos. Honramos su vida y aunque es triste que ya no esté con nosotros, siempre la mantendremos en nuestros corazones y en nuestras mentes. La recordaremos como una madre de comunidad en Nueva York y más allá, y esperamos que muchos puedan encontrar inspiración en su dedicación a la comunidad para alimentar nuestro propio apoyo mutuo.

Hoy, (virtualmente) mantenemos a nuestres hermanes trans más cerca mientras lamentamos la pérdida de nuestra querida hermana. Les invitamos a todes a hacer su parte para cuidarse mutuamente. Si pueden, les pedimos que les hablen a sus seres queridos, ya sea por teléfono o video llamada, mensajes de texto, cartas o otros medios de comunicación. A nivel individual, les recordamos que continúe practicando distanciamiento físico *, lavánse las manos y asegurense de ser consciente de sus necesidades de salud. Sabemos que muches sienten la necesidad de apoyar a la comunidad en este momento, y debemos asegurarnos de cuidar a los demás,al igual que nos cuidamos a nosotres mismos.

Si desean obtener más información sobre Lorena, consideren ver Queens Stories: The Story of Lorena Borjas: The Transgender Latina Activist.

Art by Michaé De La Cuadra, @_singenero

THE TRANSLATIN@ COALITION & THE LATINO COMMISSION ON AIDS ESTABLISH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

March 23, 2020, New York, NY— The Translatin@ Coalition & Latino Commission on AIDS announced today in New York City and Los Angeles, CA their agreement to establish a groundbreaking community driven partnership. Both organizations will work together to complement their strengths, services and work strategies. 

The strategic partnership, named Corazones Unidos/Hearts United, will develop efforts throughout the United States and U.S. Territories to respond to the impact of the COVID-19, HIV, hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in our diverse communities, especially those most vulnerable and less engaged in prevention, care and support services.

“This amazing strategic partnership will be a positive and shining example of the power of active collaboration and cooperation to deliver unique services to the ever-changing needs of the Trans and Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex (TGI) communities throughout the United States & U.S. territories.” stated Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of The Translatin@ Coalition

Guillermo Chacón, President of The Latino Commission on AIDS, stated, “Our joint commitment to build this strategic partnership will be guided by our visionary principles: creativity, innovation, energy, inclusion, representation and leadership from both organizations. Our partnership will focus on several key areas: organizational development, responding to the impact of COVID-19; community-driven engagement in advocacy, care & prevention; promotion of PrEP; health screening/education on COVID-19, HIV, hepatitis, and STIs; stigma-free community wellness; and social network engagement.”  

—

LA COALICIÓN TRANSLATIN@ & LA COMISIÓN LATINA SOBRE EL SIDA

ESTABLECEN UNA RELACION ESTRATÉGICA

23 de marzo 2020, Nueva York, NY— La Coalicion Translatin@ y la Comisión Latina sobre el SIDA anunció hoy en la ciudad de Nueva York y los Ángeles, CA, su acuerdo para establecer una relación innovadora impulsada desde la comunidad. Ambas organizaciones trabajarán juntas para complementarse en sus fortalezas, servicios y estrategias organizacionales de trabajo.

La relación estratégica, denominada Corazones Unidos/Hearts United, desarrollará esfuerzos en los Estados Unidos y sus territorios para responder al impacto del COVID-19, el VIH, la hepatitis y las infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) en nuestras diversas comunidades, especialmente las más vulnerables y menos habilitadas para obtener servicios de prevención, atención médica y apoyo social.

“Esta increíble relación estratégica será un ejemplo positivo y brillante del poder de la colaboración y cooperación activa para brindar servicios únicos a las necesidades siempre cambiantes de las comunidades Trans y de género no conformes e intersexuales (TGI) en todo los Estados Unidos y sus territorios." declaró Bamby Salcedo, Presidenta y Gerente General de la Coalicion Translatin@.

Guillermo Chacón, presidente de la Comisión Latina sobre el SIDA, declaró: “Nuestro compromiso conjunto para construir esta asociación estratégica se guiará por principios visionarios: creatividad, innovación, energía, inclusión, representación y liderazgo de ambas organizaciones. Nuestra asociación se centrará en varias áreas clave: desarrollo organizacional, respondiendo al impacto de COVID-19; compromiso para abogar y defender a nuestras comunidades, incrementar la atención médica y prevención; promoción de PrEP; diagnósticos de salud/educación sobre COVID-19, VIH, hepatitis y de ITS; bienestar comunitario libre de estigma; y la presencia en redes sociales".

ICE Needs to #FreeKelly, It is a Matter of Life or Death

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Chad F. Wolf

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security

Washington, D.C. 20528

Twitter: @DHS_Wolf

Matthew T. Albence

Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director

U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement

500 12th St., SW

Washington, D.C. 20536

March 21, 2020

ICE Needs to #FreeKelly, It is a Matter of Life or Death

The TransLatin@ Coalition, along with other national immigrant and human rights organizations, call for the immediate release of ALL people being held in immigration detention, especially transgender women, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The urgency of this demand is especially present for transgender women who have spent prolonged periods of time in detention, and have developed significant medical health needs or have had their medical exacerbated by the inadequate care provided at ICE Detention facilities.

For the past year, TransLatin@ Coalition has been organizing to #FreeKelly, Kelly is a 23-year-old transgender asylum seeker who has been detained for nearly three years. Like many transgender folks in the inhumane immigration detention system, she has suffered medical neglect and has been put in solitary confinement arbitrarily, in one instance for four months straight. Kelly has been transferred three times and is now being held in Aurora Detention Center in Colorado, after the Cibola Detention facility in New Mexico where she was previously housed abruptly moved all transgender immigrants from their facility. Despite the fact that she has fled from her country of origin as an unaccompanied minor and for reasons related to her safety,  Kelly has been denied her petition for parole multiple times and is being forcefully held in immigration detention with extreme health needs, only putting her at risk for life-threatening conditions, especially right now during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

We have just been informed that Kelly has been diagnosed pre-diabetic, and has been neglected of her significant dietary and medication needs. Kelly can feel her health is deteriorating, fears the risk of contracting coronavirus, and is being tortured by ICE. At this rate, given the widespread ICE raids and arrests that are continuously happening despite the quarantine, Kelly’s conditions will likely get worse and detention centers will further get overcrowded. 

Kelly is met with the dangerous decision of self-deporting and risking her life in a country that threatens her existence or choosing to stay in a detention facility that will potentially never release and leave her to die slowly.

Several transgender women have died in ICE custody due to medical neglect and inhumane treatment, such as the cases of Roxsana Hernandez and Johana Medina, and we cannot lose another community member to the structural, and institutional violence that our immigration system forces upon trans people. This tactic of prolonging release and providing little to no care to people in detention is a plot by ICE to slowly harm, and kill, immigrant communities. ICE has shown that they intend to be a killing machine and we must not stop until every vulnerable person in immigration detention is released!

Detention of asylum-seekers should not be a part of the asylum process. We should not expose transgender immigrants to continue to be harmed by placing them in detention facilities that restrict their access to appropriate, sensitive, and competent care. The detention of asylum-seekers or other migrants solely on the basis of their migration status constitutes arbitrary detention under U.S. and international law. Detaining Kelly under false allegations is a violation of Kelly's human rights under international law, this is torture!

As an organization that believes in supporting the safety and lives of those seeking asylum and fleeing persecution, we condemn the prolonged detention of transgender immigrants and are demanding they be released NOW! ICE continues to criminalize immigrants for seeking safety, tortures them while in custody without taking into consideration the specific needs of these communities, especially Transgender Latina immigrants. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the time is now for Kelly and all trans immigrants to be released, without hesitation as the lives of trans women who are in immigration detention are at the mercy of the ICE killing machine.