NO APPROVAL DATE IN SIGHT: PROCEDURE TO PREVENT TRANSPHOBIC DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE/WELFARE

Source: The Audre Lorde Project


A few weeks ago at a meeting with the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) we learned that the new procedure to address transphobic discrimination at HRA, which was developed over the last year with community input, is still not approved. In fact we learned that very little progress had been made. When asked when the procedure would be approved Jane Corbett, the Executive Deputy Commissioner of Constituent Services and Policy Improvement at HRA stated that she did not know when it would be approved.

This is unacceptable.

Our recent communication with HRA has been hostile – their admitted lack of progress amounts to a refusal by HRA to prevent Transphobic discrimination. Trans and Gender Non Conforming people face rampant Transphobia, discrimination and harassment when seeking to access welfare/public assistance in New York City every day. Every day that HRA does not approve the procedure this injustice continues.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please continue to forward this email as widely as possible and continue to collect petitions and postcards. Thank you so much to everyone for all your support – to date we have over 900 signed postcards and petitions! Look out for upcoming announcements about future campaign activities.

Join us in continuing to pressure HRA and Support Justice for Trans and Gender Non Conforming people!

1)Sign the e-petition and get others to sign.

2)Collect HRA Postcards. We are also collecting signed postcards to send to HRA. You can either:

·Make your own copies - Download the HRA Postcard, print it, sign it, get others to sign and mail the signed postcards to TransJustice, ALP, 85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Download postcard here.

Or

· Request postcards - Contact Mya Vazquez at 718-596-0342 x 23 or mvazquez@alp.org , tell us how many you want and where to mail them to.

3) Get involved with the campaign. To volunteer with the campaign or get more information contact mvazquez@alp.org


TransJustice, a project of the Audre Lorde Project, is one of the first community organizing groups created by and for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) People of Color in New York City. The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color Community Organizer Center based in Brooklyn, New York.

Campaign Background

Since 2005, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) communities in New York City have been urging the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to address the rampant Transphobia, discrimination, and harassment that Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people in New York City face when seeking to access welfare/public assistance.

In June of 2008, a week before the Fourth Annual Trans Day of Action (annual March organized by TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project) which was set to protest at HRA headquarters, HRA officials agreed to meet with TransJustice to hear community concerns. After this first meeting with HRA in the Fall of 2008, TransJustice formed a committee of organizations including the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Housing Works, Queers for Economic Justice and others, to develop a HRA procedure to address transphobic discrimination at HRA. To date HRA has not approved this new procedure.

In 2005 the New York City Human Resources Administration and a Citizen Advisory Transgender Sub Committee developed Best Practice Protocols for Working With and Serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming Employees and Clients (the new procedure is based on this document), these protocols sat on the shelf for years and were never implemented nor adopted by HRA. This cannot happen again.