What a year to be in grad school, right?
2020 has brought some great highs, as well as the lowest lows I think many of us have ever felt.
Many of my academic highs have had to do with my final project towards obtaining my Master’s degree (or when I say something in class and at least one other person knows what I’m talking about). I have been lucky enough to meet and speak with such incredibly talented and deserving women, and now I hope to give back to them.
TAG 2020 is a page dedicated solely to supporting and empowering Black Trans women in whichever part of themselves they’d like to share with the world.
When I first moved to New York City, 2 Black Trans women were murdered in Brooklyn within my first two months of being here. Now, I always knew (anecdotally, through my work with the LGBTQI+ communities in South Africa and across Africa, or just being an open minded social media consumer) that the transgender community lived their lives with very real targets on their backs. And I never fell short of examples to prove this to those who would listen.
Countless stories of Trans women (Black women especially) being beaten up by shameful excuses for men, being ostracised by their fellow female comrades (still very much a WTF @ Mrs Rowling), not to mention the workplace, housing and medical oppression Trans women face every day. And of course, the death rates.
So. Much. Death.
I once saw someone tweet that the life expectancy of a Black Trans woman is 35. Yes, these women are fighting back and yes there is more and more ground being broken and yes, Trans women are strong. But, it’s all too much terror for one group of people to experience on their own. They deserve allies and they deserve support.
So! Little-ol-me wants to help my ladies!!!
Look, I love Black women and I love Black women supporting each other — and that means all of them. I love Black women, and I want to see them win at everything… all the time… forever.
The pandemic has definitely hindered a lot of the work and plans I had. In an ideal world, I would have been meeting with community members, attending events and maybe even hosting in-person events and just so much fun shit. But, this is not the case and if this year has taught us anything, it’s that you need to take things for what they are and keep it moving. So, that’s what we’re doing.
This medium page will be used in conjunction with the Instagram page — @tartistsgroup. Each woman featured on the page will have a feature written up, published here and their story will be out for the world to bask in.
I am so excited. I am so scared. And I am so happy to have found this community. I hope you’ll stick around 💕
