Letter to Our Communities: Georgia SB 140

Reproductive Justice Is For Everyone—Including Trans Youth In Georgia

We are sad and angry that Georgia’s governor has signed Senate Bill 140, a deadly bill to ban hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgeries for trans youth under the age of 18. Despite Georgians’ overwhelming opposition to SB 140, on March 21 the state legislature passed this bill, and today, March 23, Governor Kemp signed it into law. In addition to denying care to trans minors that can be life-saving, it allows their doctors to be held criminally or civilly liable for practicing according to the standard of care. While this law denies gender-affirming medical care for trans youth, it will in contrast protect medical providers who harm intersex children by performing unnecessary surgeries. This is an attack on multiple communities.

To our trans community members, we want to make two things very clear:

  • This law takes effect on July 1, 2023, but any minor under 18 who started HRT before July 1 can continue that care. The Atlanta Trans Resource Guide can help you find transition-related medical providers in the Metro Atlanta area.
  • Wherever you are in your healthcare journey and no matter what the law says— you are loved; you deserve safety and care; and you can count on us. Please visit the Trans Lifeline if you are in need.

This law is harmful. It panders to extremist partisan lobbyists and the minority of people who want to further marginalize an already singled-out and oppressed group: trans and gender-expansive minors. As Georgia organizations fighting for reproductive health, rights, and justice, we have strongly opposed SB 140 since its inception. Grounded in our commitment to bodily autonomy, we believe the decision to pursue gender-affirming care is best made between trans youth, their caregivers and healthcare professionals—without meddling lawmakers. To this end, healthcare providers serving trans youth should not be criminalized simply for following the rigorous standards of care established by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the lived experiences of trans people.

Just like their cisgender counterparts, trans minors deserve to experience their youth in embodied and affirming ways. Gender-affirming care sets trans youth up to exist in their fullness—in sports, education, relationships, employment and ultimately public life. We imagine a world where trans children get to live their full authentic lives on their own terms. Trans youth deserve the support and care that is necessary for them to not only survive, but to thrive.

We are asking for sustained, public solidarity with trans youth from all our organizations’ supporters and all people allied with trans minors. At this time, trans youth need assurance that there is a strong coalition of people working to protect and honor their existence. SB 140 may have been signed into law, but we will never stop fighting.

In the face of continuous attacks on trans people, particularly trans youth, it is important to remember that transness is not solely a site of discrimination and sorrow, but can also be a source of connection and joy. Take action with us next week in honor of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV). Although “visibility” alone will not lead us to trans liberation, TDOV is a time to come together as a community and celebrate transness and raise awareness. In a time when our identities are being legislated out of existence, the celebration of trans life is a powerful act of resistance. Some upcoming Georgia TDOV events include:

  • March 26-31, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW’s TDOV programming to celebrate our Black trans communities and trans communities of color.
  • March 28, Trans Liberation Day at the Capitol, organized by local organizers, activists, and community leaders across movements for trans, environmental, immigrant, and racial justice.
  • March 30, local drag collectives Chapel Beauty and Amen are hosting an all-Black trans drag show at Noni’s Deli to raise funds for local trans organizations and mutual aid; and trans-led AAPI drag show (Persuasians) at Mary’s in East Atlanta Village.
  • March 31, rallies with Queer Youth Assemble in Atlanta (Georgia Capitol) and Gainesville.

For trans folks and the caretakers of trans youth, we are living in a difficult time. It can be scary to be trans right now, especially as lawmakers continue pushing legislation targeting trans people. But through sustained action, we can win. We will continue to fight for and stand in solidarity with trans people across our state. The liberation of trans people is necessary for the liberation of us all.

In solidarity,

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW!

URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity

Access Reproductive Care – Southeast

Amplify Georgia Collaborative

Feminist Women’s Health Center

Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates

NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia

Women Engaged

The Power in a Name Project

The Power in a Name Project is a long-term organizing and advocacy campaign to affirm and uplift Trans and Non-binary folks in the state of Georgia.

This project will assist Trans and Non-binary folks in navigating the often lengthy name and gender marker change process by providing the resources necessary to make the current processes easier. In addition, this project will utilize grassroots organizing and advocacy to transform culture and policies in the state of Georgia. The project will work to take away barriers for Trans and Non-binary folks in legally changing their names and gender markers.

Visit www.thepowerinanameproject.com for more information.

SPARK’s 2020 Policy Report is now live!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT

This report aims to highlight and lift up the critical research conducted by Trans and Gender Diverse communities to provide an intersectional analysis of the current state of health care experienced by TGD folx in Georgia. It furthermore seeks to identify the policies in place that both harm and help TGD communities, and how laws and policies play a role in the health and wellbeing of TGD communities by determining the extent to which TGD folx are exposed to social determinants of health such as racism, transmisogyny, and economic inequity. This report provides an overview of helpful language and concepts from the reproductive justice framework that guide SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW!’s advocacy. Finally, this report and its inserts offer an accessible overview of TGD rights and protections under the law in Georgia and the U.S. and what SPARK’s policy recommendations are to improve the health disparities experienced by Trans and Gender-Diverse people. 

 

Spread the word about our policy report and the important information it provides by posting on social media!
CLICK HERE for our social media toolkit

Celebrating Queer & Trans Women for Women’s History Month

Tracing its origins to 1911, Women’s History Month has steadily become the most visible public show of solidarity within the feminist movement. The occasion is all the more visible this year following Trump’s attacks on women’s reproductive freedoms. However, the conversations around the month often neglect to acknowledge the lives of queer and trans women which is an all too familiar reflection of feminism’s long-standing history of ostracizing the LGBTQ movement. Over a century later, women’s history month marches and rallies still focus only on the experiences of cis-gendered women while queer and trans lives are pushed to the margins.

c/o bitchmedia.org

 

This kind of exclusion is not limited to the feminist movement and has had catastrophic repercussions in all facets of society. This year, seven trans women of color have been murdered, with four of those seven homicides taking place right here in the South. In Louisiana alone, Jaquarrius Holland was shot on February 18; Chyna Gibson was gunned down in a parking lot on February 25; and Ciara McElveen was stabbed to death two days later, while Mesha Caldwell, a black trans woman, was killed January 4 in Canton, Mississippi. The south is not unique in this tragic phenomenon and trans women have been targeted across the country. Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow, a two-spirit trans woman, was killed on January 6 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Keke Collier, another black trans woman, was shot in Chicago on February 22 as was Jojo Striker, who was killed on February 8 in Toledo, Ohio. Though their deaths and lives have been circulating around small corners on the web, these women’s names are still unfamiliar to a significant number of Americans and have yet to cross the headlines of any major publication.

This year, SPARK wishes to commemorate the lives of these women as well as highlight the queer and trans leaders whose contributions continue to push the often tragic limits placed on femininity.

We’re starting off with Jaquarrius Holland, the 18-year old black trans woman who was shot in Louisiana following a verbal altercation.

c/o MIC.com

From MIC:

In a phone interview with Mic, Chesna Littleberry, a friend of Holland’s, said Holland identified as transgender and used “she” and “her” pronouns. She and Holland met about seven months ago and quickly became friends. Holland, who was unemployed and housing insecure, often stayed at Littleberry’s home, though she often moved around a lot.

“She didn’t want to feel like she was intruding, but she didn’t live with her parents or anything like that,” Littleberry said. Littleberry said Holland also went by the name Jaquarrius Brown and often used the hashtag #PrettyBrown to describe herself.

Littleberry said Holland loved R&B singer K. Michelle. When they first met, Holland told Littleberry that she reminded Holland of the R&B songstress. Littleberry had promised to one day bring Holland to a K. Michelle concert.

Tweet us or tag us on Instagram and Facebook and tell us what you are doing to protect trans lives.