New Year, Continued Resistance

“This year I want to see the whole city be powerful together” – Sheneeneh Smith, SRLP Movement Building Team member

SRLP Movement Building Team leaders during a membership meeting

The urgency for continued resistance this New Year has a lot of us thinking, dreaming, and fearing what’s next. In the last year, our struggle to support the rights, leadership, and lives of trans, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGNCI) people has faced continued threats while making powerful strides f. How do we continue to move forward.

Every day in our communities we utilize hope as an organizing tool; hope helps us dream, encourages us to vision and strengthens our resistance at SRLP to keep on resourcing our communities with direct legal services, public education, community organizing support, and grassroots mobilization.

We talk about what it looks like to have hope as TGNCI people, people of color, undocumented people, people living with HIV, no and low-income people, people of all abilities, and people behind the wall as we enter this New Year. Last week around the table, SRLP’s Movement Building Team members grounded in and shared: goals this coming year as advocates and organizers, the hopes they have for the TGNCI community, and the kind of change they want to see in NYC and beyond. Folks shared their visions for housing, healthcare, and economic justice – their dreams to reach their employment and wellness needs – the importance of more compassion and direct support for one another – and the need for less harassment by the NYPD and more support from city agencies and organizations.

Organizing in the New Year following an intense election year and amidst continued anti-trans, anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant violence and the struggle for indigenous sovereignty has required our continued hope. With mounting pressure to fight for reproductive, economic, racial, and gender justice, SRLP received in an influx of people wanting to join and support our work for collective liberation, and we appreciate that there are more folks out there who believe in us. In December, we oriented close to 40 new members and received calls, emails, and a surge of donations.

New and continued members at SRLP are making sure that in this New Year we remember that we are a powerful resource to each other and can find big and small ways of making a difference in folks’ lives.

“Before the new year, we had a party and clothing swap at my place, after which we brought a bunch of clothing into SRLP. It’s exciting to know that clothes that no longer work on our bodies or in our lives will be embarking on new adventures. I loved seeing everyone excited to dig in and find items that work for them. What a fun way to exchange positivity and share resources within this awesome community.” – Siena, SRLP Member.

SRLP Movement Building Team leader Sadaya Davis

Movement Building Team leader Sheneeneh Smith

Because of you, we are able to continue our powerful work resourcing each other and providing space in the last few months for:

• Letter writing and legal support for our Prisoner Advisory Committee members behind the wall
• Gathering gender-affirming clothing and other resources for our community leaders and clients
• Coordinating volunteer attorneys and allies to provide legal support and assistance
• Building community and resources through the work of our grassroots mobilization team

We appreciate all of the love and energy you give us despite the challenges we face ahead – thank you for believing in our work for collective liberation!