A call to action for trans rights
Over the past four decades, I’ve witnessed a transformation in our society that once seemed unimaginable. As a child of the 80s, being transgender meant living under a constant shadow of fear, with violence and exclusion always nearby.
But we fought back. We organized, we carved out spaces where trans people could live with more freedom. This fight for recognition and safety has been long and arduous.
In 2002, New York passed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA), but transgender people were deliberately left out — a painful compromise that left us exposed.
I remember the mixture of hope and frustration during those years, as I attended my first community meetings and rallies. Our focus shifted to passing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA).
