Queer|Art announces judges for 3rd annual Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists

To commemorate Transgender Day of Visibility, Queer|Art, NYC’s home for connecting and empowering generations of LGBTQ+ Artists, is pleased to announce the judges for the third annual Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists: interdisciplinary artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase; writer, curator, and activist Kimberly Drew, and model, performer, and fashion illustrator Connie Fleming.

Developed and named in partnership with Mariette Pathy Allen, Aaryn Lang, and Serena Jara, this annual $10,000 grant, awarded to draw attention to an existing body of work, sheds light on the under-recognized contributions of Black trans women visual artists and provides critical support to their continuing work. The first of its kind, the Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists aims to correct the exclusion of Black trans women from the larger art canon and uplift profound lineages of Black trans women artistic practices, mapping avenues for future generations of Black trans women artists.

Queer|Art is pleased to announce that the grant will also provide a $1,250 award to four finalists, in addition to the $10,000 awarded to a winner each year. The winning artist will receive professional development resources, including a studio visit with each participating judge, to bolster their creative development in the field.

Applications are open March 31 - June 30, 2022, and the grant will be awarded in September 2022. Learn more and apply here.

PFLAG: Rising up for Transgender People on Transgender Day of Visibility

Today, President Biden marked Transgender Day of Visibility by announcing concrete steps to change administration policies to improve lives of transgender and nonbinary people and their families. 

Brian K. Bond, executive director of PFLAG National made the following statement:

“While lawmakers across the country race to the bottom and strip transgender and nonbinary youth of their rights to education, health care, and support systems, President Biden and his administration are fighting back in defense of transgender and nonbinary people and their families. PFLAGers across the country recognize that the President’s actions and words are significant, especially at this moment. 

“Today’s actions on Transgender Day of Visibility by President Biden will help PFLAG families and our transgender and nonbinary loved ones live more freely. Families need access to health care, which includes mental health care. Schools need to teach honest and accurate curricula. Students need the chance to live authentically and without discrimination in order to reach their potential. Families need to be free to go on vacations without worrying about invasive travel screenings or inaccurate travel documents en route. Today’s actions will make it possible for transgender and nonbinary people to enjoy elements of everyday life that have been out of reach for people whose gender identity doesn't align with their sex assigned and gender assumed at birth.

"We know that the work is far from over to ensure that our transgender and nonbinary loved ones are protected from the onslaught of harassment and harm that is happening in dozens of states across the country. But it helps to know that the President and the administration recognize, affirm, and uplift all people, inclusive of our differences, because we all deserve the freedom to be ourselves. Thank you, President Biden, for caring about and supporting our families in meaningful ways.”  

Human Rights Campaign Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s Actions on Transgender Day of Visibility

Today, on International Transgender Day of Visibility, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) applauds the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of major policy reforms that will benefit transgender and non-binary people in the United States. Notably, the administration will start issuing passports with an “X” gender marker in April and will improve the travel experience for transgender and non-binary people by implementing enhanced screening technology and streamlining identity verification. The administration is also providing resources to transgender kids and their families, confirming the positive impact of gender-affirming care, improving access to federal services, and advancing inclusion and visibility in federal data. Many of these reforms were included in HRC’s 2020 Blueprint for Positive Change, a document detailing more than 80 policy changes that the administration should put into effect that would meaningfully improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

“News of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to policy reforms that will improve the lives of transgender and non-binary people in this country is a wonderful way to kick of this year’s International Transgender Day of Visibility,” said Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison. “Today’s actions prove that transgender people have an ally in the White House, and come at a much needed time when transgender people – particularly young people – are under attack in statehouses across the country. As lawmakers across the country are trying to ban transgender youth from participating in sports, criminalizing medically necessary age appropriate care, and banning discussions of LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom, today the White House is proving that they do have the transgender community’s back.”

So far, in 2022, HRC is tracking 583+ pieces of potentially LGBTQ+-related legislation and, of those, more than 310 are anti-LGBTQ+, and more than 135 are specifically anti-transgender bills. Just yesterday, the day before Transgender Day of Visibility, the Governors in South Dakota, Arizona, and Oklahoma signed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation into law. Earlier this week in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill (HB 1557) — discriminatory and dangerous legislation that seeks to silence teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ issues or people—into law. Iowa, South Dakota, and Utah have enacted laws this year that ban transgender girls from participating in sports. Additionally, last month, Texas Gov. Abbott and Texas Attorney General Paxton took unprecedented steps to prevent transgender youth from accessing best-practice, age-appropriate, medically necessary, gender-affirming care by threatening to charge parents and medical care providers of transgender children with child abuse.

Lawmakers in statehouses nationwide are seeking to ban transgender youth from participating in sports; criminalize medically necessary, life-saving healthcare for transgender youth; ban discussion of LGBTQ+ youth and families in classrooms, effectively erasing our community; revive “bathroom bills” to prohibit transgender young people from simply using the restroom at school; and even undermine companies’ own internal inclusion and safe workplace programs.

HRC’s timeline of the LGBTQ+ related policies and achievements during President Biden’s first year details these and other noteworthy milestones paving the way toward a more equitable future for all LGBTQ+ people.

Even in light of the manifest accomplishments of the past year, a great deal of work remains to be done. In November 2020, the Human Rights Campaign released the Blueprint for Positive Change, a document detailing more than 80 policy changes that the administration should put into effect that would meaningfully improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Many of those proposals still await action, and their implementation, along with the passage of the Equality Act, would help to guarantee for LGBTQ+ people for decades to come that they can participate fully in every part of society.

Today's the Day! Transgender Day of Visibility with Laverne Cox

GLBT Student Services at Auraria's annual Transgender Day of Visibility event takes place today and will highlight the accomplishments of trans people in our society. 

And if that's not enough to get your juices pumping, Laverne Cox of 'Orange is the New Black' is the keynote speaker!