“Uplifting Transgender Women of Color”: August 21 Congress Panel With Activists

At a WILPF US Congress panel on August 21, learn about some current advocacy efforts on transgender rights and how you can support them.

By Nikki Abeleda
Field Facilitator, WILPF US Inside and Out Initiative

August 2021

Every day, transgender people face marginalization due to discrimination and violence based on their gender identity or expression (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2011). In 2020 and 2021, there have been a record number of violent fatal incidents against transgender and gender non-conforming people, the majority of them Black trans women and trans women of color (TWOC) (Human Rights Campaign, 2020). 
    
On Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 12:15 pm (PDT) / 2:15 pm (CDT) / 3:15 pm (EDT), Nikki Abeleda (She/They), Field Facilitator of WILPF U.S’s Inside and Out Initiative and Communications and Marketing Organizer of the 34th Triennial Congress, is moderating a panel on “Uplifting Transgender Women of Color.”*

The objective of the panel is to share and uplift the narratives of Transgender Women of Color (TWOC). Nikki will be joined by Ebony Ava Harper (She/Her), Michaé De La Cuadra (they/she), and Nghĩa Nguyên (She/They). In this panel, the panelists will discuss their advocacy efforts on transgender rights and issues and provide information on Assembly Bill 2218 (AB2218): Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund. 

The panelists come with direct experience in advocacy and policy-making:

• Ebony Ava Harper (She/Hers), Director and Founder of California TRANScends
• Michaé De La Cuadra (they/she), Manager of Policy and Community Engagement of TransLatin@Coalition
• Nghĩa Nguyên (She/They), Member of the California Transgender, Gender Non-conforming, Intersex (TGI) Policy Alliance (CTPA) and API Liberation Network:  Instagram: @ca_tgipolicy  linktr.ee/catgipolicy

Join this important panel held the second weekend of the WILPF US 34th Triennial Congress. Register here.    
 
*Nikki Abeleda will also be facilitating a weekday presentation on Building Branches from the Inside & Out Initiative on Tuesday, August 9, 2021 at 5 pm PDT / 7 pm CDT / 9 pm EDT. More info and updates to come about the Inside & Out Initiative in the September 2021 eNews. 

    
References

Jaime M. Grant, Lisa A. Mottet, and Justin Tanis with Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (Washington, D.C.: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011).

“Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in 2021,” Human Rights Campaign, 2020.