Trans Communities of Color Survive, Thrive and Fight Back
November 20, 2018I am Black, I am queer and I am here.
I am Jordan Scruggs, a 28-year-old non-binary person, and I stand with thousands of Black transgender and gender-nonconforming folks who call the United States home.
Trans and gender-nonconforming people have always existed. We have always been powerful, and we cannot be erased. But trans people of color, especially Black trans women and femmes, continue to face epidemic levels of violence and discrimination. Despite this violence, and attacks from the Trump administration, we’re resilient: our communities survive, thrive and fight back.
On November 20, we celebrate this resilience through art created by and for trans, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary people of color. The Trans Day of Resilience art project, which is launched by Forward Together, is an extension and reimagining of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the annual event memorializing people killed by anti-trans violence. This project connects four trans and gender-nonconforming folks with four trans-led organizations to create art that honors and supports trans people in life, and not just in death.