April 30, 2020: How are you centering the voices of women of trans experience of color living with HIV? How does your organization support the leadership of folks of trans experience? What is currently underway to ensure that women of trans experience of color living with HIV are given a fair shot of representation in the HIV workforce?
When we think of trans leaders in the HIV movement, many of us come up with the same names–amazing trailblazers who have poured years of hard work, dedication, expertise, and organizing into supporting the trans community and making sure its needs are recognized and addressed at all levels of power. Positive Women’s Network – USA is committed to uplifting the next wave of trans leaders who may not have that name recognition, but who do have the same passion and determination.
PWN, the premier national membership body of women living with HIV, in collaboration with Transgender Strategy Center, is proud to announce a new program, R.I.S.E. (Resist, Inspire, Sustain Through Education) to train, prepare, and coach trans women of color living with HIV to be certified PWN trainers, who will develop and deliver workshops in the areas of trans history, trans justice as it intersects with racial justice, trans-centered reproductive justice, and PWN herstory.
When we think of trans leaders in the HIV movement, many of us come up with the same names–amazing trailblazers who have poured years of hard work, dedication, expertise, and organizing into supporting the trans community and making sure its needs are recognized and addressed at all levels of power. Positive Women’s Network – USA is committed to uplifting the next wave of trans leaders who may not have that name recognition, but who do have the same passion and determination.
PWN, the premier national membership body of women living with HIV, in collaboration with Transgender Strategy Center, is proud to announce a new program, R.I.S.E. (Resist, Inspire, Sustain Through Education) to train, prepare, and coach trans women of color living with HIV to be certified PWN trainers, who will develop and deliver workshops in the areas of trans history, trans justice as it intersects with racial justice, trans-centered reproductive justice, and PWN herstory.
Trans women of color living with HIV deserve leadership opportunities and compensation for educating the community–and PWN is excited to open doors and help build leaders to take on the current challenges and those ahead.
The pilot cohort consists of eight trans women of color. Participants will receive coaching so they can provide the trainings with confidence. Once participants graduate from the program, they will be featured on our website and will be available to be hired for trainings on trans history, trans justice as it intersects with racial justice, and trans-centered reproductive justice in HIV and HIV-adjacent spaces.
R.I.S.E. participant Angela Hunt said, “I am very happy and excited to be forwarded the opportunity to continue to shape and mold my experiences so that I can best assist those who are in need who are just like me.”
The program began last fall with virtual training sessions covering: trans history, trans justice as gender justice, racial justice, reproductive justice, and meaningful engagement. Participants completed homework for each module and had an opportunity to evaluate the program. Participants finished the six-part webinar series in December 2019 and have now entered the second phase of the program.
On April 23, the second phase kicked off with PWN herstory. The second phase of R.I.S.E. originally included 2.5 days for in-person meetings, but as a result of COVID-19, it was changed to more virtual training. The curriculum will go more in-depth with the cohort providing teach backs over the covered material. By the end of August, the cohort will have developed a workshop as a final project that speaks to the lived experiences of trans folks, albeit access to fair housing and shelters, employment opportunities, recovery spaces, and other topics.
PWN Communications and Training Assistant Tiommi Luckett, who helped to develop the program from inception to implementation, said, “The R.I.S.E. program is our organization’s response to ensuring economic justice and opportunities for advancement in employment for marginalized and often disenfranchised communities. The program teaches skills that the cohort can take into any job market because they learn facilitation skills. This program says to me that we, trans women of color, are more than our bodies. We are capable of using our brains as well.”
The pilot cohort consists of eight trans women of color. Participants will receive coaching so they can provide the trainings with confidence. Once participants graduate from the program, they will be featured on our website and will be available to be hired for trainings on trans history, trans justice as it intersects with racial justice, and trans-centered reproductive justice in HIV and HIV-adjacent spaces.
R.I.S.E. participant Angela Hunt said, “I am very happy and excited to be forwarded the opportunity to continue to shape and mold my experiences so that I can best assist those who are in need who are just like me.”The program began last fall with virtual training sessions covering: trans history, trans justice as gender justice, racial justice, reproductive justice, and meaningful engagement. Participants completed homework for each module and had an opportunity to evaluate the program. Participants finished the six-part webinar series in December 2019 and have now entered the second phase of the program.
On April 23, the second phase kicked off with PWN herstory. The second phase of R.I.S.E. originally included 2.5 days for in-person meetings, but as a result of COVID-19, it was changed to more virtual training. The curriculum will go more in-depth with the cohort providing teach backs over the covered material. By the end of August, the cohort will have developed a workshop as a final project that speaks to the lived experiences of trans folks, albeit access to fair housing and shelters, employment opportunities, recovery spaces, and other topics.
PWN Communications and Training Assistant Tiommi Luckett, who helped to develop the program from inception to implementation, said, “The R.I.S.E. program is our organization’s response to ensuring economic justice and opportunities for advancement in employment for marginalized and often disenfranchised communities. The program teaches skills that the cohort can take into any job market because they learn facilitation skills. This program says to me that we, trans women of color, are more than our bodies. We are capable of using our brains as well.”
