Members of Louisville’s community gathered to recognize a national call to show up for Trans life and justice. The convening took place in Central Park and was collaboratively organized by Black cisgender males as a response to being asked to use their privilege to amplify the voices of Black trans women who are both at the extreme margins of visibility and narrative within mainstream coverage of #BlackLivesMatter movements and at the center of some of the most horrific acts of white supremacy and state-sanctioned violence. National organizations like Southerners on New Ground (SONG) and others are calling the levels of transphobic violence an epidemic, with one of the organizers of Tuesday’s event Jaison Gardner citing that a trans-person is murdered every three days globally.
The community came together to show up for our sisters, to tell them they are valued, seen and loved, however, as another organizer pointed out early in the convening….where were our Black trans sisters? Because they were noticeably absent, and this for me is central to where our commitments need to be focused, and many people echoed these sentiments. Talesha Wilson, committed to opening up her Monday meeting known as Diversity at the Table to becoming a trans inclusive safe space, they meet from 6:30-8:30 at the Office for Women at 810 Barret Avenue. T. Gonzales informed community members of a support group for trans masculine people. The community was given updates on the murder of Papi Edwards, and reminded that we must hold the city accountable for justice. Stand Up Sunday was in attendance, and committed to using their weekly gathering at the Carl Braden Memorial Center every Sunday as a trans safe space.
Nationally people were urged to photograph themselves with a written commitment to our trans family and share these commitment on their social media. Please share your photos and commitments in the comments section, or on our facebook page. At Forward Radio, we are committed to amplifying the voices of trans people, we want to be a space where people can share and shape narrative in ways that create more self-determination and autonomy over media productions.
#AllofUsofNoneofUs #BlackLivesMatter #BlackTransLivesMatter
-SCZ