Trans Undocumented Immigrants Also Look Like Us

One thing we have been aware of is the face of trans undocumented immigrants being a Latina one.   We know that many trans Latinas are here in the US because of anti-trans violence directed at them in their Latin American and Central American nations.

But the Caribbean nations also have problematic levels of anti-trans hatred that drives people from those nations to move elsewhere to escape it.

New York based activist Kim Watson was born in Barbados in 1964, and left at age 23 to attend fashion school and avoid the anti-TBLG abuse she experienced from family and other people there

When her tourist expired in 1988, she stayed here in New York City and after some personal struggles, earned a degree from Pace University, began grassroots organizing for trans and HIV issues. Eight years ago she met and married her husband, and is now a wife and mother in addition to being a kick butt award winning advocate.

But she still faced the real possibility of being deported back to Barbados until she received the good news after a November 19 immigration hearing that she can stay in the United States.

Kim's story is one that comes at a time in which we need to to be paying attention to the lives of undocumented African, Caribbean and Afro-Latinos.  Their #BlackLivesMatter,too  and we need to be as unapologetically Black people who love all Black folks also standing up for their humanity and human rights as well.

Interestingly enough there is a first ever convening being organized to take place in Miami from January 15-17 called Undocumented and Black that seeks to create a safe space for conversations, own and tell their stories, create acceptance and awareness and become active in creating movement in Blacks for getting involved in the immigration issue.

Because as Kim's story tells us, some of the undocumented immigrants look like us.

Hillary Talks About Trans Immigrants

I've been asking the question in these TransGriot electronic pages what are Hillary Clinton's stances on trans human rights issues?   Will she not only say the word 'transgender' repeatedly in this 2016 presidential campaign cycle, but if she becomes the Democratic nominee and eventually the POTUS, will she exceed what President Obama has done for transgender Americans?

In her recent campaign stop in Nevada, Clinton was asked a question about an issue that has long been a concern of my trans Latina sisters in terms of what would she do about trans women being housed in immigration detention facilities that don't correspond with their gender presentation.

“I think we have to do more to provide safe environments for vulnerable populations,” she said in answer to that question.  “I don’t think we should, you know, put children and vulnerable people into big detention facilities because I think they are at risk. I think their physical and mental health are at risk,” Clinton said in response to a subsequent question about trans asylum seekers.

She answered she would be in favor of reviewing and changing some of those policies



We now have an indication of where Hillary stands on one issues of importance to trans people.  Where does she stand on the passage of ENDA?   Open trans military service?   A nationwide standard for changing identification without undergoing genital surgery.

Presentation On Trans Latina Immigrants Today

For you folks on the Left Coast looking for Trans Awareness Week stuff to attend or get your learn on about our community, there will be a presentation at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center lead sponsored by the TransLatin@ Coalition entitled TransVisible: Transgender Latina Immigrants In US Society'.

Everyone's transition is different, and transitions and how they happen are also affected and experienced differently when race and class enter the mix. 

This Transgender Latina immigrants event will be presented by Karla Padron and it will start at 2:00 PM Pacific time. 2.5 CEU's will also be available for this event if you register in advance. 

The UCLA Downtown Labor Center is located at 675 S. Park View Street in Los Angeles, CA 90057.  I hope people will consider attending what should be an interesting discussion about the issues our trans Latina immigrant sisters face.    

TPOCC And NCTE Join Forces To Lobby For ENDA And Immigration Reform

With a trans inclusive Employment and Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) once again being introduced in the 113th Congress in both houses on April 25 and The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act  currently being debated that will affect our community, the time has come for trans* people across the United States to let our voices be heard and for us to be seen exercising our constitutional rights to talk to our legislators about this important legislation.  

That's why the Trans People of Color Coalition and the National Center for Transgender Equality will team up today to ensure the voices of trans people across the country are represented and the diversity of our community is visible in the fight for justice.

"Immigration reform is equally important in addressing the concerns of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Many immigrants have lived here their whole life or were born here, we need to include the needs and voices of these people into this legislation," said Bamby Salcedo, the president of the Trans Latin@ Coalition.

“Both ENDA and comprehensive immigration reform allow us the opportunity to sustain ourselves and our communities. The experiences of Trans* and gender non-conforming communities of color highlight the reality that  these are not two separate issues. When we Lobby on Monday we will be working to secure legal protections for trans*, gender non-conforming, and immigrant individuals who are already working in our schools and our businesses. We are already here doing the work and deserve to be free from violence and discrimination while we help build this country,” stated Parker T. Hurley, deputy director of TPOCC.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.   ENDA (H.R. 1755/ S. 815) would create explicit protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people similar to those available under existing federal anti-discrimination laws for other protected classes of workers.

“America prospers when all are given basic protections for economic and job security - and ENDA is a critical piece of legislation to help ensure job security for millions of people and families in the United States, particularly transgender people and people of color that suffer from pervasive discrimination due to societal misunderstandings and stigma. It’s important that the playing field be level for all.” said Kylar W. Broadus, executive director TPOCC. 

The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) is a bipartisan immigration reform bill with several components, including: (a) creating pathways to citizenship for undocumented youth and adults; (b) preserving family unity by clearing out green card backlogs; (c) expanding protections for asylum seekers and refugees; and (d) reforming immigration detention.

TPOCC and NCTE will gather in Washington D.C. at 8:30 AM EDT at the American Federation of Teachers - AFL-CIO headquarters building at 555 New Jersey Ave NW, 4th Floor, for a rally and briefing before heading to Capitol Hill to tell our stories to House and Senate legislators that will be voting on immigration reform and this much needed trans* human rights legislation.

“We hope this will be one of the most diverse lobby days for transgender Americans on Capitol Hill," added Broadus. "While we realize everyone cannot come to Washington D.C. it is important for us to be here. We will do follow up with those not able to make it here to ensure their voices are heard.”

We hope that you will join TPOCC today in lobbying for the passage of ENDA and immigration reform that takes into account the needs of trans" immigrants.  If you can't join us on Capitol Hill please call your congressional representatives offices and ask they do so.


TPOCC is an organization to inspire and nurture collaboration among communities of color dedicated to anti-racism, fighting transphobia and the empowerment of transgender persons of color. We work to strengthen and mobilize individuals, families, and communities by changing laws, educating the public, and building social and economic strength among all persons of color.

Well Conservafools, When Are You Leaving?

To all the conservapeeps who claimed that they would leave the USA if President Obama was elected to a second term, what are you waiting for?   Time for y'all to improve our nation by y'all making good on your threats to leave. 

As a TransGriot public service, here are the links to help you get started on your journeys to self-deport yourselves from the USA. 

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

Great Britain

Ireland


Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya..

POTUS Swears In New Americans

Imagine if you were a person seeking to become an American citizen, how you would feel if you got the opportunity to not only have your naturalization ceremony on Independence Day, but at the East Room of the White House. 

That's what happened for some lucky new Americans today of which 25 of them were light years ahead of many of us who were born here (Rep Joe Walsh and other GOP chickenhawks) by serving in our country's military.

 


It was also a way for President Obama to whack the Republicans over their knee jerk resistance to the DREAM Act, discuss immigration policy and give out a little history lesson in the process..

Rep.Gutierrez 'Pick Out The Immgrant' Speech

Love this 'Pick Out The Immigrant' speech by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) that he recently gave on the House floor while eviscerating the Arizona SB 1070 'Your Papers Please' law that was gutted by the SCOTUS last week.

Here's the video for it.

'Transgression' Film Focuses On Trans Immigrants

We touched on the issue during the Netroots panel, but there needs to be more serious community discussion about trans immigrants and the challenges they face in the immigration detention system.

For You Black Peeps Who Think Deportations Are Just A Latino/a Problem, Think Again

You may want to reconsider that after hearing the story of  Jakadrien Turner, a Dallas teen who had been missing since she ran away from home in 2010.

Granted, she got busted in H-town for shoplifting and gave a false name to the po-po's that unfortunately for her also happened to be the name of a wanted twentysomething Colombian national with a warrant and ended up being deported out of the country.

What needs to be questioned here is why ICE officers and officials didn't take the time to positively ID her, much less ask themselves the things that make you go hmm question of why a person who has given you the name of a Colombian national can't speak a word of Spanish, much less her fingerprints didn't match the name of the person in question?

But this catch 'em and deport 'em strategy is problematic on a lot of levels because it is breaking up families, and as Jakadrien's case points out, a lot of Latinos look like us.  

With African-Americans increasingly living in neighborhoods side by side with Latinos, work with them and patronize Latino/a owned businesses.   Because we live in a world with interlocking webs of mutuality, as Jakadrien's case was evidence of, what affects one group affects all of us.  

Let's conjure up a scenario in which ICE raids say for example a Dominican beauty shop in which a sistah is getting her hair hooked up.  She happens to not have her license on her and finds herself with a one way ticket out of the country if the same sloppy procedures and bad luck that reared its head in Jakadrien's care happened to my hypothetical sister getting her hair hooked up.       

Jakadrien is back in Dallas now, but what happened to her highlights the fact that this is not just a Latino problem in terms of the ICE deportations breaking up and separating families.

We need to as a nation come to a common sense solution to deal with immigration policy that everybody can live with. Probably isn't going to happen this year, but we definitely need to be discussing it with our Latino/a allies