Through the ups and downs of the past year, GJL has continued to stay on the front lines of resilience and resistance. In 2021, we skillfully navigated our continuous remote work and service delivery amidst COVID, regrouped after some staff turnover, and have drawn closer than ever to other trans-led and serving organizations. Here are some of the accomplishments we are most proud of:
SafeHouse & Direct Support:
- Expanded SafeHouse to the Olympic peninsula, opening up services to trans & gender diverse youth in Mason, Thurston, Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, and Pacific counties.
- Gave nearly $30,000 in cash assistance to trans & gender diverse people, with over 75% going to trans & gender diverse BIPOC.
- Sheltered 41 trans & gender diverse people through SafeHouse, with priority to trans & gender diverse BIPOC.
- Increased support for incarcerated trans & gender diverse people by dedicating a staff member to respond to incoming letters and requests for advocacy, facilitate connection to SafeHouse and other resources, and organize a virtual letter writing event alongside Black & Pink SeaTac during the winter holidays.
Policy Advocacy:
- Advocated for state policies related to housing, police accountability, and healthcare, alongside our advocacy team of trans people with lived experience.
- Helped to pass The Gender Affirming Treatment Act, a first in the country transition related health Insurance law that bans so-called “cosmetic” exclusions for medically necessary gender-affirming procedures that are prescribed by a physician.
Special Programming:
- Supported trans people navigating the continued COVID pandemic by creating custom infographics and a resource guide; hosting 2 live Q&As on trans mental wellbeing in the time of COVID and navigating COVID vaccines while trans; and creating 4 videos featuring trans community leaders on topics including asking for help, masking & social distancing, self-care, and vaccines.
- Co-hosted a workshop series on Decolonizing Gender featuring Malcolm Shanks and local trans community leaders (part 1 / part 2).
- Hosted our Gender Justice Awards virtually, celebrating and uplifting 9 community leaders and organizations making incredible strides for trans & gender diverse communities.
As GJL moves into our 10th year in existence—and as we continuously respond to a large, coordinated effort of nationwide anti-trans legislation—we are reflecting on our influence in our region, how other states are faring, and how we can begin to build something bigger than just Washington. We can’t wait to see what we can do together in 2022.
Your ongoing support makes all this work possible. Thank you for being part of the movement to ensure trans & gender diverse people have what we need to survive and thrive.
Love,
Gender Justice League