By: Jeffrey DeGuia, AJSOCAL’s LA Regional Policy Advocate
“During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for.” – Dan Savage, author and activist
My supervisor recently shared this quote with me—for her it’s a guiding light, and after hearing it, I’m holding it very deeply in my heart too. To say this year has been challenging would be an understatement. The attacks on the trans community from the current administration and their supporters have been harmful and vile. For many of us in community and movement work, hearing the constant stream of anti-trans rhetoric and seeing anti-trans bills being introduced is beyond infuriating. It might be easy to ignore these attacks—especially if we’re not trans ourselves—but choosing to look away simply because they haven’t affected us (yet) is a decision we cannot afford.
It’s hard to face this harsh reality, because it feels so incredibly oppressive and hateful, but if we don’t “hold the line” for and with our trans siblings, who else will? When Dan Savage spoke of the ‘dance,’ he reminded us that even in the darkest of times, our true joy and freedom must remain the goal—existing in partnership with, not apart from, our fight to defend our rights and push for progress.
The last few months have required a different level of courage and hope. I’ve had to ask myself questions like “How will I show up? How can I be brave today?” and to be honest, it shifts, but what I choose to do is show up the best that I can each day. However, I consistently feel the strength from being in the community. Being in-person with our partners, fellow advocates, and organizers has reminded me of the power of us as one people, a unified collective that spans across race, class, religion, and gender, etc. It has been invigorating and energizing and it has been necessary to keep me afloat and focused. As much as the first few months of this administration have challenged us, there is joy and a strong community demanding that we continue to fight even harder. I’ve been so fortunate to be in the company of inspiring partners and their events and actions over the last few months.
On March 26, I flew up to Sacramento for Equality California’s LGBTQ+ Advocacy Day. This year, they have a fierce bill package supporting the LGBTQ+ community in California with bills that focus on areas like housing services, protecting trans folks’ access to gender changes on important documents, increasing access to gender supportive services like helplines, and expanding the meaning of “family” when receiving healthcare services (highlighting the importance of chosen family in the LGBTQ+ community). I joined close to 300 advocates from across the state. This included fellow nonprofit partners, parents, and students – including high schoolers! Advocacy days are opportunities for organizations and constituents to speak directly with legislative offices. In these meetings, we’re able to share important data, but more importantly, we get to share personal stories. This advocacy day brought together folks who passionately believe in the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ+ community. It was a day that reminded me of the strength, that is collective community power.
A couple of weeks later, on April 5, we celebrated International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). TDOV is a day to recognize the “transcestors” of the past, and the diversity, resilience, and beauty of the trans community. This year, I was happy to build a small but mighty AJSOCAL contingent to attend the “Trans Liberation Rally” co-hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Translatin@ Coalition, and Equality California. This inspiring event included a DJ playing ballroom mixes, a resource fair that focused on services and programs supporting our trans, gender non-confirming, and intersex (TGI) siblings. On stage we were inspired by a grand list of community leaders, including one of my favorites, Bamby Salcedo (she/her), the current CEO of the Translatin@ Coalition. She invigorated the crowd with fierce and empowering messages. One being this quote that stuck out to me:
“We (the TGI community and allies) will not back down, we will stand up bravely because our existence is beautiful and necessary in society and in our community”
Community leaders like Bamby are leading the fight for our community and standing up courageously to hate and ignorance. It’s challenging to be in this work, but they lift me up and keep me going.
Amongst the joy, there were also somber challenges. Our partner Translatin@ Coalition (TLC) hosted a vigil for Linda Becerra Moran, a Latinx trans woman who was killed by the LAPD in February. What TLC created as community space was powerful. The speakers included CEO Bamby Salcedo, Linda’s family’s attorney, her sister, and other organizations that aided Linda during her lifetime. The speakers reminded the media that trans deaths at the hands of law enforcement continue to climb. While experiencing a mental health crisis, Linda needed help, but instead, the LAPD ended her life. It was rainy and cold the day of her vigil, but we shared umbrellas and huddled to keep warm. That sense of community powerfully reminded me that we will take care of each other, and community wellbeing will always be prioritized in our work. As we remembered Linda through our tears, we knew that we could hold each other close and find comfort in our protection and care for one another.
Through the chaos, and the mental and emotional challenges, I remembered why we, as community advocates, choose to work in this field, it’s because we believe in justice, in community, and we believe in the care and love that is in the human spirit. As advocates, we are confronted with the harsh realities of what it’s like to live on the margins daily. Whether or not it directly impacts us, we know we have to show up and fight. Too many of us know what it feels like to fight alone, so when we see community members show up and hold space for one another in person, the power we can create is unlimited.
My love for my community is fierce and unwavering. I know I am blessed to be in this fight with my fellow community advocates and leaders who believe that our rights and futures are undoubtedly worth fighting passionately for. We will not back down, we will not cower, and as much as this fight can take from us, we will not let them erase us – I will not let anyone steal our future, our freedoms, or our joy.
Pride month is a perfect time to reflect on how we’re supporting and uplifting (or how we can be better for) our TGI siblings. Below are a few orgs to learn more about their programming and services – and see how we can support the community throughout the entire year.
- Translatin@ Coalition (hyperlink: https://www.translatinacoalition.org/)
- Gender Justice Los Angeles (hyperlink: https://gjla.nationbuilder.com/)
- REACH LA (hyperlink: https://www.reachla.info/)
- Trans Wellness Center (hyperlink: https://mytranswellness.org/)
I’m also proud to share that AJSOCAL started our LGBTQ+ policy initiative in 2024. This year, we have our first-ever bill priorities list chosen by the members of our AAPI Queer Joy coalition, click here to learn more.