Honoring the Legacy and Love of Our Black Trans Women and Trans Women of Color
We celebrate and honor the legacy, labor, divinity, sacredness, and love of our Black trans women and femmes and trans Women of Color in community!
by Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network
Jaelynn Scott
She/her pronouns
Jaelynn Scott, M.Div., is the executive director of Lavender Rights Project. Jaelynn has worked as a director of HR, operations, and education for nonprofits and religious organizations. She is an ordained minister and regularly preaches and facilitates workshops on justice and mindfulness. Jaelynn is passionate about trans liberation, sacred practices for self-care, decolonized labor practices, and mindfulness in the workplace. Jaelynn, we love you and celebrate you! Thank you for your loving leadership and cosmic commitment to Black trans liberation and healing for generations to come!
Ellison Jennings
She/her pronouns
Elle is an active member of the PNW BIPOC community and works as an organizer. A born and raised Texan, she moved to Washington after graduation. Elle works for Lavender Rights Project with the Washington Black Trans Task Force, with coworkers who share similar identities. In this work she provides community access to economic and social justice. Elle is the proud Dutchess of the Royal House of Noir, Seattle's premiere all-Black ballroom house. The House of Noir provides outreach and networks to BIPOC communities here in the PNW. Apart from organizing, Elle can be found hunting for the next spectacular thing to eat or supporting Seattle's queer performing arts. Elle, we love you and celebrate you! Thank you for blessing us with your glory, art, and divine love for Black trans women, femmes and community!
Constance Blakeley
She/her pronouns
July 15, 1993—October 2, 2020
"My name is Constance B. I am a Black trans woman. Trans day of visibility means empowering ourselves through collective movements, self love, space-sharing and the continued acknowledgement of injustices that happen to so many of our trans siblings and our work to break the cycle."
Dear Constance,
Your divine heart held depths of joy, love, compassion and cosmic care for yourself and your loved ones. You moved with fierce and gracious wisdom. The grounding presence you brought to each of us will forever breathe life into our community and our movements, even as you transition too soon to becoming our transcestor. You also never hesitated to let a bitch know and for that you were a leader and a driving force in our collective. Our lives are forever touched by you and will never be the same without you by our sides. You were WAY too good for this place. Constance, we love you, celebrate you, and miss you so much! Thank you for being our transcestor, beloved sister, best friend, keeper of secrets, shit talker extraordinaire, and Core Member of TWOCSN.
Agaiotupu Viena
She/her/suga pronouns
Agaiotupu Viena is an unapologetic fa'afafine and trans woman from Amerika Samoa. She is a fa'afafineist, descendant of celestial navigators, cat mama, and lover of all things Pasifika. Agaiotupu works as the director of TRANSformCulture, a program of Pride Foundation. TRANSformCulture works to keep trans communities safe by using public education, community organizing, and political advocacy to shift culture; changing norms, hearts, and minds one story at a time. She is the co-chair for her political home, UTOPIA Seattle (United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance), a fa'afafine and trans Women of Color-led organization. She also co-chairs the first ever Washington State LGBTQ Commission and is a core team member for the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, which provides low to no-barrier funds to Black and Brown trans women and femmes in Washington. Seeing trans people in love, starting families, and traveling the world brings her joy. Agaiotupu, we love you and celebrate you! Thank you for your compassionate heart, fierce femme leadership, and abundant love for trans Women of Color!
TWOC Solidarity Network upholds the self determination of Two-Spirit,Trans Women, and Femmes of Color and creates opportunities for collective community care. This fund is one element in confronting the systemic economic disempowerment and violence that Two-Spirit,Trans Women, and Femmes of Color face in our region. We know that unrestricted financial resources can really make a difference, and we believe that the resources necessary to lift and support community already exist in our community and that it is our job to leverage our privilege to support Trans Women of Color in thriving and surviving.
Featured Image: original artwork by Jiy 杰意 Ludden.
Jiy 杰意 Ludden (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist, teaching artist, and community organizer who has shapeshifted through many mediums. Making art has been a refuge to return to because it is a way of tapping into the generative space between words. They hold an MFA in 4D art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where they focused on digital media and socially-engaged arts practices. Since then, they have returned to watercolor and the magic that can be created from a piece of paper. Their organizing home is PARISOL, a Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong diaspora group dedicated to local and international solidarity, community building, cultural and politicized learning, and abolition/anti-racist work. Instagram: @actiontheory. Website: http://ecologyofwhy.com.
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