On this Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), Positive Women’s Network-USA reaffirms our daily commitment to our trans and non-binary family, and our dedication to elevate and center transgender leaders within our organization and across the HIV field. PWN was founded in 2008 by 28 diverse women and people of trans experience living with HIV and we remain steadfast in our commitment to women of trans experience living with HIV. Trans justice is gender justice!
Trans people are not political pawns. Their existence is not up for debate. Trans men are men. Trans women are women. Non-binary and gender diverse people are valid, whole, beautiful people. Any person, policy or institution that questions or undermines these facts fails, on a very basic level, to recognize our shared humanity.
We envision and strive for a future where trans and gender diverse people will not only be safe, but celebrated for their experience and contributions—a future replete with housing and food security; economic justice and opportunity; quality, affordable, and non-stigmatizing healthcare; and freedom from the criminalization, prejudice, discrimination and physical violence faced especially by Black and brown trans women.
Yet, despite the strides we’ve made towards this future, painful reminders of how far we have yet to go loom around every corner. Only three months into the new year, we have already seen a slew of hateful bills that assault the rights, health and dignity of trans and gender diverse people. Texas Governor Abbot and Attorney General Paxton used “child abuse” investigations to threaten families that are providing gender affirming healthcare for their trans children. Iowa and Utah have passed laws banning trans students from sports that accord with their gender identity. Florida passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill to censor discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Alabama is poised to criminalize gender affirming care for young trans people.
These policies violate our fundamental human rights to health care, work, education, and bodily autonomy and dignity, and devastatingly, they’re nothing new. The criminalization of healthcare for trans youth, censorship of sex and gender education, and religiously-motivated discrimination harm people of trans experience in myriad ways. In the HIV field, systemic transphobia leads to incomplete data on the impact of HIV on transwomen and gender non-binary people, yet we know that trans women—especially Black trans women—are disproportionately impacted by HIV.
Not only must we combat these transphobic policies, but actively organize and pursue radical changes in the systems that harm our communities and demand the policies and support that trans people need and deserve.
PWN is committed to rallying behind our transgender family and acting to protect, uplift and include transgender and gender diverse folks in the HIV movement. We throw our political will and person-power behind young trans folks, their parents, and anyone of any age who needs access to safe, affordable, non-stigmatizing gender affirming care.
To our transgender and gender diverse family living with HIV, staff, leaders, and movement partners: You are critical and honored members of our community. You are our family. Until all trans people and especially women of trans experience living with HIV can live organically, authentically, and unapologetically, PWN’s work will not be complete. We see you, we love you, we honor you, we celebrate you and we will continue to uplift you until this vision is our reality.
