About Us
Our Mission
TEP is a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to move our community out of crisis by creating equitable systems of support centered around Disabled 2TIGE-BIPOC (2Spirit, Trans, Intersex, and Gender Expansive members of the community who are also Black, Indigenous, and or People of Color), to ensure that we all get to thrive.
About TEP
Founded in 2016 with a simple clothing swap, Trans Empowerment Project (TEP) has grown into a global grassroots movement supporting the lives and leadership of 2Spirit, Trans, Intersex, and Gender Expansive (2TIGE) individuals, especially those who are Disabled and BIPOC. We’re not just working to meet basic needs — we’re building sustainable systems of support, solidarity, and joy through cultural change to challenge and outlast oppression.
We believe that our liberation won’t come from institutions nor will it be won through legislative actions — it will come from building the inclusive future that we wish to see, together.
Our Story.
TEP began in a small community space, offering free clothing to help Trans people live more fully and safely in their truth. What started as one act of care quickly revealed the overwhelming gaps in safety, resources, and support for our people.
As attacks on Trans existence have intensified — with over 950 anti-trans bills proposed in 2025 alone — we’ve expanded our work to provide direct aid, safety tools, leadership training, and healing-centered community building. Our growth has always been fueled by and for those most impacted.
You can read our full founding story here.
What we offer
TEP addresses immediate needs while also building long-term systems of care and resistance:
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Mutual Aid & Microgrants – Providing direct financial and material support to those in crisis.
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Safety Kits – Supplying free self-defense and survival tools to Trans folks nationwide (U.S.).
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Group Leader Program – Training community leaders to host events, actions, and healing spaces across the globe.
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Ally Academy & Trainings – Educating allies to take action responsibly through workshops and programs like Sisterhood Not Cisterhood.
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TEP Africa – Offers a safe and supportive space for 2TIGE folks across the African continent to be in community with one another, especially while navigating the rise in hate across the continent.
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Influence 4 Good – Partnering with Twitch streamers, influencers, and creators to fundraise and to grow our advocacy campaigns.
Our Guiding Principles
Justice & Equity
- We believe in dismantling systems of oppression and redistributing resources to build true equity for those most impacted.
- We live in a world of abundance and need to change our programming away from a scarcity mindset
Community-Led Change:
- Those closest to the harm must lead the way to healing and liberation.
- However, those who are the closest to harm also deserve to rest and play , right now; today!
- Those who have had the most privilege should be at the front lines, doing the heaviest lifting, in support of the leaders that already exist within our communities.
Intersectionality:
We center the lived experiences of Disabled 2TIGE BIPOC folks in all that we do. Regardless of which lanes we swim in, we know that the only true way to build equity is by ensuring that the most marginalized members of our communities have their needs met.
Rest & Joy
Rest is a right, not a reward. Joy is resistance. Our work centers both so that we can all move out of a crisis mindset and into a place of sustainability so that we can truly live our best lives.
Accountability & Growth:
We’re building spaces, free from white supremacy, where learning, unlearning, and doing better are always possible!
How we Operate
TEP is led by our founder and executive director, with the support of a board of directors and a wide network of volunteers, group leaders, and community collaborators. We prioritize collective input, transparency, and responsiveness to the evolving needs of our people.
While we’re often excluded from traditional funding, our programs thrive thanks to grassroots giving and bold partnerships with streamers and creators who believe in what we do!
Vision for the Future
We’re building an equitable future where ALL people, especially those most marginalized of our community members (disabled, BIPOC, folks who are not included in a binary system)— don’t have to wait for safety or joy.
With the resources we need, TEP can scale up sustainable, community-led infrastructures that ensures rest and resilience are accessible now.
We’re calling on those who’ve had the most rest to do the heaviest lifting, so those of us who’ve carried the weight for too long can finally thrive.