In honor of our relaunch of “It’s War in Here,” a report on the experiences of trans and gender non-conforming people incarcerated in New York State, we reached out to several Prisoner Advisory Committee (PAC) members who have offered their guidance and voices to the project. We wanted all of our readers to get to know some of the beautiful and resilient people fighting for justice on the inside, so we recently sent out a “self-interview” to our PAC members. Folks were eager to share their responses, recorded below in the following profiles:
Name: Charm Ebony
Pronouns: they/them
Tell us a bit about yourself: “I am a genderqueer person in transition. I’m outspoken, and educated. I also love to advocate, and be involved in the struggle for equality.”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “How difficult it is for us in prison, and a desire to help change the conditions.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “In a bone snatch ponytail.”
What animal best represents you? “A Lion!”’
Name: Miss Kitty Jane Rotolo
Pronouns: she/her
Tell us a bit about yourself: “I am a 53 year old… Pre-operative transsexual whom was born and raised in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. I am an advocate for transgender people incarcerated and in the free world!”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “A better insight on the horrors and oppressions that transgender people incarcerated are subjugated to. I hope that it makes them want to get involved.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “In an 80s style. Rainbow colored mohawk.”
What animal best represents you? “Why a Kitty Katt of course! But since I’m such a big girl… It would have to be a big Kitty Katt. Like… a fierce lioness.”
Name: Osha Oneeka Daya Brown
Pronouns: she/her, Mrs., Ms.
Tell us a bit about yourself: “Am kind, smart, unbrackable, Protective, Loving, Caring, warmhearted, Powerful, march to my own Beat, stubborn, am a Goddess, Capricorn I can’t help it.”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “That we Transgenders and TGNCI Go Through a lt but we still stand as Goddesses and Gods and Even more Powerful, Its not easy it takes Heart, we have Rights.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “LOL nice straight down to the middle of my Back with Different colors every other month starting with Pink cause Pink is my #1 color.”
What animal best represents you? “Cat and Wolf. Cat because you have to work for my respect and I can do on my own and am stubborn. Wolf because am going to always Protected mines and I like to be a loner @ times.”
Name: Sara G. Kielly (aka Red Queen)
Pronouns: miss, she/her
Tell us a bit about yourself: “I am a 28 year old transgender woman of Irish descent, incarcerated in NYS prison. One of my greatest passions is LGBTQ-2SI+ advocacy work as a jailhouse lawyer. I am a member of the National Lawyers Guild and my motto is, as I always say: ‘When you’re told to sit down and shut up, embrace the torch that is your tongue, and light the world on fire!’”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “My deep hope is that hearts will be bent, so that society can understand the inhumanity that’s being projected against the transgender inmates in NYS prisons. I hope they remember we are human, and we bleed Red just like they do.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “My hair would be shoulder length with a slight wavy flow, even length with no bangs (nah, can’t do no bangs girl!) 😀 and it would be a chestnut brown with blonde under and highlights. I would wear it in a loose braided ponytail over the right shoulder, with a jeweled butterfly clip over the left ear.”
What animal best represents you? “Ladybug! They are simple, beautiful creatures that are only there to help things grow, and to make us smile. Sweet, simple, and red (which is my favorite color).”
Name: Shaylanna “The Simi” Luvme
Pronouns: she/her, Ms., girl
Tell us a bit about yourself: “I’m an artist, poet, I write urban fiction novels & I like to read autobiographies, murder/mystery/true crime & paranormal romance. I like to stand on the front line with my brothers & sisters in our fight for justice, equality, & our rights as citizens of the United States.”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “A better & more real understanding of our fight but also some of the good changes that’s been won over the last 10 yrs. ago. Like, trans women weren’t allowed hormones unless we were previously on them prior to our incarceration.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “Permed, with bangs that covers my forehead but not my carefully shaped eyebrows. And I’ll have dark pink strips blended in.”
What animal best represents you? “I do not have to think about this: PANTHER! I’m loyal to those around me, graceful, stealthy, beautiful, wild, protective & I only attack for survival and to protect those I’m loyal to.”
Name: Sterling Fleming
Pronouns: Prefers being referred to by name, but is okay with they/them or gender neutral pronouns when necessary
Tell us a bit about yourself: “An advocate for social justice, lover of nature, the performing arts, love cooking and meeting new people.”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “To know of the many challenges that most TGNCI incarcerated individuals encounter, which is commonly exasperated by being alone and without any outside support.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “Fingerwaves.”
What animal best represents you? “I can envision myself as a falcon/hawk, a soaring bird gliding above the fray and confusion of man, yet sees it all.”
Name: Ms. Synthia China Blast AKA Ms. Synthia China Morales
Pronouns: she/her, ella, ñeña
Tell us a bit about yourself: “I’m hated by many, loved by so much more. They can slam me down, beat me down, degrade me, and yet still I Rise!!!”
What is one thing you hope people get from reading the new report? “Reality of what dirty little secret’s exist to help end it all.”
If you could style your hair any way you wanted, how would you wear your hair? “Red, down to the floor!”
What animal best represents you? “Lioness.”
[…] out “self-interviews,” and you can read more about who is serving on our Committee here and here (second link to be added […]
[…] asked all of our Advisory Committee members to share short “self-interviews.” We shared some of these responses with our readers a few weeks ago, and today we have another round of profiles from our lovely and resilient community members […]
[…] they face while in state custody. We began the process of republishing this report in 2017. Our advisory committee, which includes members of our Prisoner Advisory Committee (PAC), helped us create a 54-page survey […]