Trans Justice is Reproductive Justice

Trans Justice is Repro Justice21 trans women, largely trans women of color and many of them Black, have been murdered in the United States in 2015. In death, they’ve been mis-gendered, deadnamed, shamed and blamed for their murder, and denied self-determination. From mainstream media to elected officials, even our progressive movements, their struggles have remained largely invisible.  Business as usual.

According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs’ Report on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and HIV-affected hate violence, in 2014 50% of homicide victims were transgender women of color, transgender people of color were 6.2 times more likely to experience police violence, and 1.6 times more likely to experience physical violence. We know that across the board, trans people of color, particularly Black trans folks, are more likely to experience discrimination and violence in housing, employment, and healthcare. Simply put, trans communities of color are in a state of emergency. Enough is enough.

On #BlackTransLiberationTuesday, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! stands in solidarity with our Black trans friends, lovers, colleagues, and accomplices in the fight for justice and liberation of all our communities. We condemn the senseless violence and constant devaluing of your lives. We uplift and name the ways in which trans women of color, particularly Black trans women, disproportionately face the brunt of this racist, sexist, transphobic, transmisogynist world. We speak your names. We affirm that Trans Justice is Reproductive Justice. We must fight for Black Trans Lives.

We call their names . . .

Papi Edwards. Lamia Beard. Ty Underwood. Yazmin Vash Payne. Taja DeJesus. Penny Proud. Bri Golec. Kristina Gomez Reinwald. Keyshia Blige. Vanessa Santillan. Mya Hall. London Chanel. Mercedes Williamson. Jasmine Collins. India Clarke. K.C. Haggard. Amber Monroe. Shade Schuler. Kandis Capri. Elisha Walker. Tamara Dominguez.

We remember you.  We love you. We honor your memory by fighting for those left behind to build a future free from violence!

In community power,

The SPARK Family


 

Two Ways to Take Action NOW!

Raise your consciousness: 24 Actions You NEED to Take to Help Trans Women of Color Survive

Raise your voice: Find a #BlackTransLiberationTuesday event in your area!

If you’re in Atlanta, show up tonight at Underground Atlanta, 50 Upper Alabama St, Atlanta, GA to show your support and love for Black trans people, especially Black trans women. Facebook Event

Healthy Sex, Healthy Futures!

HSHF 2015 FlyerJoin Spark Reproductive Justice Now, in partnership with SisterLove, Inc and Georgia Equality as we expand the conversation on HIV prevention into a larger conversation around sexual health and reproductive justice to empower young folks to have honest conversations around their sexual health and wellness and build their AIDS Free Generation! This event is a part of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. Free HIV testing will be available.

When: April 8, 2015 – 5:30 to 8:00PM

Where: Phillip Rush Center – Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

RSVP: Registration Form & Facebook

This event is open to young folks 16-25 and will center LGBTQQ young folks of color.

#WERUNTHIS Takeover Day at the GA Capitol!

Crossover-Day-2015-IGJoin SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW in partnership with SisterSong, SisterLove, and the Feminist Women’s Health Center on Crossover Day as we host #WERUNTHIS Community Takeover Day at the GA Capitol!

March 13th – Crossover Day – is the last chance a bill has to move from one legislative chamber to the other to have a chance at becoming law. Starting at 10:00AM EST we will gather in the GA Capitol South Rotunda for a full day of popular education teach-ins and grassroots lobbying to support proactive reproductive justice legislation that reflects our communities in Georgia for the 2015 Legislative Session!

For more information, please contact Taliba Obuya at taliba@sparkrj.org.


Reflections on the 8th Annual Legislate THIS!

On February 19, 2015, SPARK Reproductive Justice Now gathered for our 8th Annual Legislate THIS! – A day of action and lobbying at the Georgia Capitol. Under the theme “From the Grassroots, to the Gold Dome,” community members, organizational leaders, activists, and allies joined together to raise our collective voices in solidarity and brought our fight for reproductive justice and proactive policy that centers the needs of our communities – Black Women, Queer & Trans Youth of Color, and Young Mothers – to the Capitol. Watch as SPARK leaders and lobby participants reflect on their experiences and speak on the importance and power of this event!

Join the SPARK Organizing Intensive!

The SPARK Organizing Intensive (SOI) will be a fierce group of young folks (18-25) interested in being trained on or deepening their skills and understanding around organizing and movement building in Georgia and the South.

The SOI is geared towards supporting and empowering women of color (while centering the experiences of Black Women), young parents, and LGBTQ youth of color on issues that impact their lives and will provide an opportunity for new and experienced organizers and activists to dig deep on pressing issues that affect our communities across identities, gain concrete organizing skills, and directly organize and support community events and projects throughout 2015.

Time Commitment

The 6-week program will begin in late March 2015. SOI trainings will occur once a week on Saturdays from March 28th to May 2nd from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and will include political education and skill development.

What’s expected of me as an SOI Participant?

SOI members are expected to:

  • Bring an open, willing spirit and positive attitude that lends to community building and friendship.
  • Be curious, stretch, and have fun!
  • Be willing to fight for the dignity and safety for all families!

You can apply online here. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 13th, 2015. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than March 20, 2015. For more information, please contact Quita Tinsley at quita@sparkrj.org.

Join us in creating a Georgia that respects our bodies and our futures!

Women of color, LGBTQ, trans* and gender non-conforming people color, young parents, low-income people, people with disabilities, people living in the South and in rural communities, and those living outside of the metro Atlanta area are strongly encouraged to apply.

No phone calls, please.

Closing The Gap

On this National Youth Enrollment Day, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW remains committed to uplifting the voices and experiences of LGBTQ youth of color. During the 2014 FYRE Media Justice Camp, 10 youth of color came together from three Southern states to develop short films and blogs that touched on various issues important to them as Queer and Trans youth of color living in the South. One group chose to use their voices to address the coverage gap.

Georgia has the fifth largest population of uninsured people in this country. And according to Young Invincibles, “up to 44 percent of the approximately 481,000 Georgians who fall in the coverage gap are young adults aged 18 to 34.3 The proportion of young adults in Georgia’s coverage gap is greater than the proportion in other non-expansion states, such as Texas (38 percent), Virginia (38 percent), and Florida (36 percent).”

It is important that the voices of queer and trans youth of color are heard in this fight for healthcare access.  Please listen, share the stories of these amazing young leaders, and join us on February 19th, 2015 for our annual statewide day of action and lobby event, Legislate This! We will hear from key leaders about pertinent public policy and social justice issues, rally with other Georgians, and educate our policymakers at the Capitol about reproductive justice.

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW Affirms the Agency of Black Lives on the 42nd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW celebrates the spirit of this victory, even in the face of federal and state-based attacks to restrict women’s access to abortion care.

As an organization that works to improve access to reproductive healthcare for Black women and queer and trans youth of color, Roe has helped to affirm the bodily autonomy of women in our communities. Black women are three times more likely than white women to have an unintended pregnancy, four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, and are more likely to raise their children in poverty. Access to abortion remains vital to the lives of Black women and families to protect our health and well-being.

“SPARK’s commitment to ensuring that Black women have access to the resources they need to lead self-determined lives extends to all forms of healthcare – including abortion,” says SPARK board member Tonya Williams. “We will continue to fight so that Black women can make liberatory decisions about our bodies, our health, and our lives.”

On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the protections assured by the Roe v. Wade decision.  We stand with those who are fighting back attempts to corrode those protections. And we celebrate the victories we have won, and those to come.

We Are Here. We Are Strong. We Matter.

During the 2014 FYRE Media Justice Camp, 10 youth of color came together from three Southern states to develop short films and blogs that touched on various issues important to them as Queer and Trans youth of color living in the South. One group chose to use their stories as Black Queer youth to highlight the disproportionate amount of violence faced by Queer and Trans people of color and women of color.

From the Missouri Grand Jury’s decision to not indict Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown, to Marissa Alexander having to accept a plea deal to avoid a lengthy prison term for daring to defend herself in the face of domestic violence – our media has become inundated with countless examples of violence perpetrated against people of color, particularly Black communities.

During this time, we feel that it is important to amplify and center the voices of queer and trans youth of color in the fight against systemic oppression. Please listen, share the stories of these amazing young leaders, and join us as we continue to fight for justice in the South and a future free of violence.

Remember Trans Power. Fight for Trans Lives!

Today, Thursday, November 20th, marks the National Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) dedicated to honoring and lifting up the names of those members of the trans community whose lives have been taken due to racist, sexist, transphobic, and tramsmisognyst violence.

As a member of Strong Families, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW is lifting up trans women of color as living and powerful members of our families, communities and movements and reaffirming our commitment to fostering a Southern RJ movement grounded in the beliefs that individuals and communities should have the resources and power to make sustainable and liberatory decisions about their bodies, genders, sexualities, and lives.

SF Remember Trans Power BazantWe share this original art by Micah Bazant with you as one way to lift up the power and resiliency of trans women of color. Micah says about the piece:

“I created this piece with input from the TransJustice group at Audre Lorde Project. We wanted an image that continues to reframe TDOR as a time to honor the living as well as the dead, keeps pushing LGBTQ communities to center trans women of color, and draws attention to the criminalization of trans women of color by the police. We also wanted to celebrate love and support between trans feminine people of color of different generations and gender expressions.”

Please continue to share this image with your families, friends, and colleagues using the hashtag #fightfortranslives and let us all continue to honor the fallen and fight like hell for the living.

Yours in community struggle,

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW

Atlanta TDOR Events

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil “It’s Time…”
Event Link

Thursday, November 20
6:30pm – 10:00pm
Phillip Rush Center Annex Bldg.
1530 Dekalb Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), people who identify as transgender were 28% more likely to experience physical violence than those whom are not Trans identified.

Keynote Speaker: Reverend Maressa Pendermon
Unity Fellowship Church Movement (Atlanta)
Event Sponsors: Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal
Media Sponsor: Alternative Perspectives Radio Host Betty Couvertier

Trans* Day of Resilience
Event Link

Black Is Blue FilmFriday, November 21
6:00pm – 10:00pm
Phillip Rush Center Annex Bldg.
1530 Dekalb Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

It is so important that we honor our trancestors, and especially those whose lives were taken in violence. It is also ever important that we remember how resilient we are and take a moment to reflect and celebrate. Please join Lambda Legal the day after Atlanta’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, for a Trans* Day of Resilience!

  • Happy/healthy hour – (drinks and hors d’ouevres)
  • Art exhibit
  • Film screening
  • Panel Discussion
  • Performances

First ATL screening of “Black is Blue” with lead actor, Kingston Faraday there for a question/answer following the film. Check out the trailer: http://vimeo.com/105449883

Women of Color Amplify Their Voices in the 2014 Midterm Elections!

Metropolitan areas across Georgia made impressive strides in progressive voter engagement and turnout; Georgia is headed in the right direction.

SPARK Canvassing TeamA heartfelt thanks to the staff of SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW and our enthusiastic canvassing team for your dedication and diligence to our integrated voter engagement work for the 2014 midterm elections.

Progressive voters in Atlanta, the State of Georgia, and across the nation may have lost important Gubernatorial and US Senate races, but we won locally and on the issues!

Latin, African American, and Asian women are an increasingly large voting block within Georgia and the United States. Nationally, women tended to vote for progressive candidates this election cycle. Further, a majority of voters in metropolitan cities and counties across Georgia demonstrated support for progressive policies. Progressive lawmakers were able to maintain majority control of important local seats as demonstrated by the results of the Fulton County Commission race.

Initial data also shows that women of color were particularly supportive of social issues, including reproductive justice and LGBTQI rights this election cycle. Issues like minimum wage and paid leave were won in several states, while personhood was soundly defeated in others. Women of color understand and experience the intersectionality between poverty, race, gender, and access to health care – and brilliantly bring this framework to the polls.

While there is still much work to be done, be encouraged. Georgia is headed in the right direction.

Ms. Benètta M. Standly, MPA
Interim Executive Director
SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW

SPARK Canvassing Positions Available

SPARK is a reproductive justice (RJ) organization based in Atlanta, GA advocating for policies that protect and expand access to the full range of family planning options, abortion, and sexual health education for women and youth of color in the state of Georgia. Importantly, SPARK ensures the voices of women of color, young parents, and LGBTQQ youth of color living in the south are included in the reproductive rights and justice movements.

SPARK is seeking professional and outgoing individuals to conduct door-to-door and phone canvassing in Fulton County. Canvassers will provide voter education and engage the public on their experiences with accessing health care. No prior experience is required.

Responsibilities

  • Educate and engage voters through door-to-door or phone canvassing
  • Complete daily and weekly reports on progress and meet all goals and metrics
  • Effectively use technology tools to ensure accurate and timely data entry
  • Participate and complete all required training

Qualifications

  • Must be over 18 years old
  • Must have excellent communication and people skills; must be comfortable speaking with strangers and people from different backgrounds
  • Ability to work with other staff and canvassers in a team
  • Ability to work under deadlines
  • Experience in phone or door-to-door canvassing is a plus
  • Political Campaign experience is a plus
  • Must be able and willing to walk for long distances outside in a variety of weather elements (door-to-door canvassing)
  • Licensed and insured drivers are desired; fuel reimbursement is available (door-to-door canvassing)

Hours & Hourly Rate

  • Door Canvassers work 8 hours/week (late September – early November). The position pays $10/hour.
  • Phone Canvassers work 9 hours/week (late September – early November). The position pays $9/hour.

Location
The candidate must be located in or willing to relocate to Atlanta, GA.

Application Process
Please complete the online application at https://sparkrjnow.wufoo.com/forms/canvasser-application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Thank you for your interest. No phone calls please.

SPARK is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or any other non-merit based factor.