Our June 2020 Shero of the Month is Kiara St. James, who is from Beaumont, Texas, but is currently residing in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. Kiara is the co-founder and executive director of New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG), whose mission is to advocate for more inclusive gender-based policies that benefit transgender and gender non-conforming/non-binary (TGNCNB) individuals through building community leaders, educating practitioners, and influencing policymakers. PWN Communications Assistant Tiommi Luckett said, “Kiara’s advocacy is one of ferocity, and she works to liberate Black trans folks. She is someone I hold close to my heart and take time to talk to at any time of the day. She fights to dismantle oppressive systems not only in New York state but nationally as well.”Most people think of New York as a progressive place, but Kiara sees it differently. “It would be incorrect to think that NYC is progressive when you look at how Black and Brown trans women are still targeted for harassment and discrimination. I know we may look progressive on paper, but in reality, the city still has a lot of phobias and -isms it has not yet systemically addressed.”
A good amount of Kiara’s work is hands-on as she organizes her community to be active in policies and procedures that impact them. But COVID-19 has presented some challenges to doing the work in depth. On the one hand, Kiara said, “I choose to see COVID-19 as a godsend from the universe; it has literally prevented the world from ignoring the global inequity and racism that exist everywhere, and it has also made a lot of us adapt to an online platform, which allows us to have a larger audience for our different Zoom discussions.” On the other hand, “the downside to it is that we had to close down our office due to this ongoing crisis. We will be soon fundraising to reach a max of half a million dollars to attain a more permanent location owned by NYTAG.”
When asked what accomplishment born out of NYTAG would she like to see happen in other states or the country, she responded, “GENDA! GENDA! I would love to see more states legislate the Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act (GENDA), or what I like to call the transgender civil rights bill, into state law.” In order for this to catch on nationally, Kiara said, “I have always expounded upon the fact that we should have a national strategy to our collective liberation, and a manifesto that we live by so that our messaging can be clear. But I also recognize the nuances that exist in each state and that must always be acknowledged.”Within five years, Kiara hopes to see NYTAG established as a national policy organization that creates and influences policies, cultivates and uplifts national TGNC leadership, and is able to fund national trans-led organizations. Recently, she and Aryah Lester, Deputy Director at Transgender Strategy Center, started a National Petition for Black Liberation that condemns the state-sanctioned killing of Black people and demands respect for cis and trans Black lives alike, equitable government investment in Black communities, economic development and protection from gentrification for Black communities, and more. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and George Floyd amongst others, must not be in vain. The petition includes demands that will go a long way to the liberation of Black people. Sign on to the petition here.
Congratulations, Kiara!