It’s More Important Than Ever to Stand With the Trans Community

Elva Escobedo // November 13, 2024

During Transgender Awareness Week, We Must Recognize Trans People Are Vital to Our Communities

Elva Escobedo is the events manager for The Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Elva is also a grassroots community organizer, a committed advocate for women and oppressed people, and a writer for Breaking the Chains Magazine. Elva grew up in Colorado and has spent her career advocating for reproductive justice; women’s and queer liberation; and gender, racial, and economic equity.    

I am surrounded by dozens of queer, trans friends who are experiencing fear

As a queer woman living in Denver, I am surrounded by dozens of my queer and trans friends and community members who are experiencing fear and uncertainty about the future of our community. As I have stepped into my queer identity, I have consistently witnessed how transgender people are cornerstones and leaders of our LGBTQ+ communities. Watching the attacks and villainizations of these kind, funny, brave, selfless people ratchet up year after year and their fear ever growing makes me question how I can be a better advocate and spread awareness to those around me.  

This Transgender Awareness Week (November 13-19) comes at a crucial time. Transgender Awareness Week is an annual observance in November to bring attention to the trans community, share stories and experiences, and advance advocacy around the prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affects transgender people year-round. Trans Awareness Week takes place the week before Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20), in which we honor the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-trans violence that year.  

The villainization of the trans community

In 2024, anti-trans rhetoric, policies, and misinformation have increasingly dominated the political landscape. Trans people are being used as scapegoats for the political and economic turmoil many are feeling and are being used to scare people into voting how certain interests would like. This rhetoric and legislation are deeply dangerous to a community that is already four times more likely to be victims of violent crime. A fear campaign directed against transgender people has been the top issue to persuade voters in many states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Michigan. Despite transgender policy being low on the list of voter priorities, Trump’s campaign and pro-Trump groups spent over $95 million on TV ads leading up to the election, 41% of which were clearly anti-trans ads.

If trans policy ranks so low on voter’s priorities, why have we seen so much money pouring into the villainization of the trans community? The unfortunate truth is that a fear campaign to distract voters by making them afraid of a certain group of people is very effective in making voters throw out other issues they want real answers for such as the cost of groceries, housing, and health care. We see this same tactic being used against immigrant communities.  

A staggering number of anti-trans bills introduced in 2024

Forty-five anti-trans bills have passed in the country in 2024. More anti-trans bills were introduced in 2024 than any year on record – a staggering 664 and an unprecedented 81 bills are being considered at the federal level to target trans community. Odessa, TX recently passed a bill for a $10,000 bounty on trans people found in public restrooms. Gender-affirming care, which is truly lifesaving for trans individuals, is attacked in troves of anti-trans legislation.  

In 2024, at least 27 transgender and gender-expansive people have been killed by anti-trans violence (and likely many more that are unreported). Transgender people are up to four times more likely to experience homelessness or workplace discrimination than cisgender people and twice as likely to be without health insurance. With lower access to mental health care and the ever-increasing transphobia seen across the country, studies indicate that transgender individuals are 9 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. That means that around 40% of transgender adults report having attempted suicide at some point in their lives, compared to 5% of cisgender adults.  

All these factors contribute to the tragic fact that trans people’s life expectancy can be significantly lower than their cisgender counterparts. Black trans women’s life expectancy is between 30-35 years lower than the general population. 

Cisgender allies and advocates are needed more than ever 

Transgender people are under attack in this country and need cisgender allies and advocates more than ever. As of recent surveys, about 70-80% of Americans report that they do not personally know a transgender person. This lack of direct contact often contributes to misunderstandings or lack of awareness about transgender issues and may influence public opinion and policy attitudes toward the transgender community. 

The truth is that trans people are vital to our communities. They are health care workers, community organizers, healers, parents and beloved family members, actors and actresses, models, and performers. This month, Sarah McBride became the first openly trans person elected to Congress, winning Delaware’s at-large House of Representatives seat! Trans people ought to be embraced and loved for all the vibrancy and dedication they bring to our communities.   

Transness is no new phenomenon. Transgender people have existed as long as humans have existed. It’s only when our society began enforcing gender norms, patriarchy, and male supremacy that trans people became targeted. Hundreds of Indigenous communities have embraced trans/two-spirit people for their leadership and participation in all facets of society for thousands of years and still do today. 

Women and transgender people’s struggles are interconnected, so too must be our advocacy

It is important to educate trans-exclusionary radical feminists (or TERFS) in the movement and never accept transphobia as any real form of feminism. Trans people are allies against patriarchy, and transphobia is a tool patriarchy uses to divide and conquer, keeping women and trans people from gaining power in society.  

The Women’s Foundation of Colorado knows this to be true. We’ve seen the power of women and trans individuals coming together at our Chat4Change: Gender Affirming Healthcare is as American as Apple Pie featuring Dallas Ducar. It is more important than ever that we are constantly asking ourselves how to be better advocates for trans individuals, educating ourselves and our community on what trans people are facing, standing against transphobia when we see it, and celebrating the lives of trans people in our communities.  

Further reading/resources

• The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s gender identity resources
• A brief history of transphobia
• 2024 anti-trans bills tracker
• First period anti-trans legislative risk assessment map
• Fatal violence against the transgender and gender-expansive community in 2024
• GLAAD on Transgender Awareness Week
• Erin Reed writes

Denver safe spaces  

• Petals and Pages is a book store, flower shop, and community space (hosts trans events for community building) 
• Town Hall Collaborative is a women-owned community gathering space providing a safe and inspiring environment for underrepresented groups

Colorado specific trans resources  

• Their House empowers the transgender community by providing housing, gender-affirming services, and a supportive network.  
• The Trans Continental Pipeline helps transgender, queer, and LGBTQ+ individuals move from unsafe/unaccepting environments within the U.S. to Colorado through a four-step relocation program.
• The Center on Colfax offers weekly transgender social and support programs, a legal department, and ongoing educational and networking sessions. 
• Northern Colorado Equality has support groups and other social activities in the Fort Collins area. Eclectic transgender support and social group with education, support, and social activities for the Northern Colorado transgender/genderqueer/intersex community. 
• One Colorado is a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to securing and protecting equality and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Coloradans and their families. They advocate by lobbying the General Assembly, executive branch, and local governments on safe schools, relationship recognition, and LGBT health and human services. 
• Bee The Vibe is a program of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare promoting and offering safer solutions to sexual health and substance use through harm reduction resources and information. Bee the Vibe offers Colorado residents FREE educational sessions, fun events, as well as safe and sober spaces, so you can truly be yourself and BEE the vibe. It also offers free drug-checking options, sexual health testing options and peer-led prevention coaching sessions to help you live a better lifestyle and just keep vibing. 
• Also a program of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare is Transgender Center of the Rockies, which provides holistic mental health services for transgender and gender expansive community of Colorado.   
• Rocky Mountain Equality has several transgender support group meetings and activities, including the Longmont area. 
• PFLAG Denver has support groups for parents, family members, friends, partners, and active allies. The SOFFA Group is an in-person group for the Significant Others, Family, Friends, and Active Allies of trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming loved ones. The SOS Group (Significant Other Support) is an in-person group centering on the lived experiences of folx having a partner, spouse, significant other or co-parent who is trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming or recently out as anything under-the rainbow.  
• Queer Asterisk provides various therapeutic services for LGBTQPIA folx who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer/questioning, pan, intersex, agender/asexual or non-conforming, and their allies. 
• Joy as Resistance offer mental health counseling services for LGBTQIA2S+ youth ages 10-24 and their families, mentorship through our program, Big Queer, Little Queer, and a variety of consultation and professional development services via our school and non-profit partnership program, Joyful Spaces.