AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to recognize Transgender Awareness Week and the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Visibility matters – so many transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people are living full lives, sharing their stories and breaking through barriers in government, corporations and communities all over the country.
Despite the progress in the transgender community, discrimination, harassment, and barriers to opportunity still exist. “Transgender people are faced with severe discrimination and stigma,” said Queen Victoria Ortega, International President of FLUX, an affinity group of AHF, “this results in a lack of access to quality healthcare, housing, and jobs, and even death due to transphobia.”
Transgender women and girls — especially transgender women and girls of color — continue to face epidemic levels of violence. Each life lost is a tragedy, a human being denied justice and joy. We must honor their lives with action by advancing equity and civil rights for all transgender people.
In the past year, hundreds of anti-trans bills have been introduced in states across the country, most of them targeting transgender kids. These bills are wrong, and we are committed to fight them. Efforts to criminalize gender affirming medical care, to ban trans kids from playing sports, and to outlaw discussing LGBTQ+ people in schools, are damaging to the mental health and well-being of transgender youth, putting children and their families at greater risk of bullying and discrimination. Transgender individuals are also at high risk for HIV, in part because of the stigma, violence, marginalization and exclusion they face.
“Trans Awareness Week is a time to connect at a human level so we can all learn and do better together,” added Queen Victoria.
Transgender Awareness Week runs each year from November 13th – 19th and is a time to celebrate transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people, and to raise awareness of this community through education and advocacy. This week is followed by the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, which is a day to remember those whose lives have been cut short by transphobia and violence.
AHF is committed to protecting transgender people and ensuring they enjoy the freedom and equality that are promised to everyone in this country. We will continue to work to help transgender people live healthy lives free from discrimination and violence.
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