Dear TGIJP Community
An update from TGIJP Staff and Board
Talking with ancestors Bobbi Jean Baker, Melenie Elenke, and Jazzie Collins keeps me going. I‘m reminded to remain prayerful that, one day, the treatment of Black transgender, gender variant, and intersex people will be one of world history’s shames. Furthermore, it reminds me that we must militantly love and protect one another for that day to come.
Janetta Johnson (she/her), Executive Director of TGIJP
Staying True To Our Mission
by Janetta Johnson
TGIJP has experience practicing perseverance long before the coronavirus pandemic. At the height of the pandemic TGIJP staff and I were unable to shelter in place because the very function of our role in the community is to provide people with a space to receive services. I have immense pride in all we’ve accomplished — especially through the many obstacles, including discrimination. I want to commend the remarkable dedication and rise in leadership I’ve seen from current TGIJP staff, as well as honor the fierce work ethic and leadership from the preceding TGIJP staff that demonstrated resilience.
The evolution of “THE WORK”
While working to provide resources, our team uniquely experienced some of the same discrimination as our clients. Scrutiny of gender expression and appearance, especially of Black trans women, result in facing denial of rental opportunities by establishments. We’ve experienced relentless discrimination from price-gouging, security deposits unethically increased, unreturned deposits to being fully denied lodging if our TGIJP representative was Black and trans.
One of our earliest setbacks happened during the beginning stages of COVID 19. TGIJP intended to support 6 TGI people into a safe rental property in Stockton, yet after only 48 hours we were notified that the building was not under the right codes to house people. After being escorted out by the city and county of Stockton, we stayed committed to the goal of providing adequate housing. We worked to secure housing and help provide proper necessities so our clients could quarantine in various hotels in San Francisco. Unfortunately, during that time we continued to experience discrimination, impeding on our ability to safely house our members.
After the observation that our new clients were ecstatic about having a safe place to be due to increased and compounding barriers to securing housing, we promptly began our outreach to people in the Polk Street area and corridors. We began to reach out for support so we can continue providing resources our clients need to adhere to the shelter in place guidelines, and prevention of further subjection to criminalization. We were denied pandemic-relief support from the Office of Trans Initiatives. Without delay we were able to secure support from the Human Rights Commissioner, Director Sherly Davis and her team. Their support allowed us to continue to support our unhoused community members/new clients so they can shelter in place.
Throughout the years we continue to prioritize serving TGI communities. With a staff of marginalized people who are serving the most impacted, we face difficulties as an organization. Despite the realization of where we are usually housed and how we are housed; despite the struggles and traumas we experienced dealing with gentrification, transphobia, prejudice, and systemic oppression, TGIJP is STILL DOING THE WORK! We have been through some struggles and more may come, and we will continue to DO THE WORK!
Next Steps
TGIJP has decided to spend the rest of 2020 focusing on permanent housing for both the clients we have outreached to throughout the coronavirus pandemic as well as for ourselves as an organization. TGIJP will not be taking new clients or using our current office for drop-in services until early 2021 in order to focus on investing our energy and resources in our current clients, staff, and organizational needs.
Over the next few months, we will be prioritizing the many opportunities in front of us that will ensure we secure our next political home, the Miss Major Griffin-Gracy Trans Cultural Center. With the commitment from a generous donor, offering upwards of two million dollars towards our efforts, as well as our work to find matching donors, we will have the purchasing power to secure and relocate to a permanent home! We are seeking space with room for a Black Trans Cultural Museum, the first of its kind, and space for the magnitude of our programming.
We believe our clients and our organization deserve our full attention. During this time, TGIJP will be celebrating the work that we’ve accomplished, especially since we were too busy on the frontlines to celebrate our 15th anniversary! We are so proud of what we have done over the years, especially during the pandemic, that we want to transcend our own modesty to congratulate ourselves. A step further, we will place particular focus on:
- Staff Wellness programs
- Staff Training + Professional Development (such as transformative justice mentorship, professional coaching, and accountability practices)
- Our Hiring Process + Welcoming / Orienting new team members.
We look forward to this time of reflection and celebration, for this time of growth and renewal. And we thank you: our community, our donors who made 2020 a record year of funding, our Leadership Team, our staff and our board. I hope you all hear my prayers and war-cries for Black trans liberation and autonomy all the way into the new year.
