This Pride, we’re launching an exciting storytelling campaign: “Voices of Pride: Sharing Our Stories”. This initiative is all about celebrating the beautiful diversity and resilience within the 2TIGE community. We believe that every story holds power—the power to inspire, to educate, and to connect us all on a deeper level.
As part of this campaign, we’ve pre-loaded a couple of prompts for our community storytellers to share their experiences.
Why Your Story Matters:
🌟 Authentic Representation: Your experiences contribute to a richer, more vibrant tapestry of our community.
💌 Connection: Sharing your journey can be a beacon of support and solidarity for someone in a similar situation.
🎉 Celebration: It’s a way to honor our achievements, struggles, and the ongoing journey towards equality and understanding. How to Participate:
Reflect on your unique experiences and what Pride means to you.
Craft your story—whether it’s a defining moment, a message of hope, or a celebration of identity.
Share it with us! Submit your responses to the prompt(s) that excite you, by clicking here.
Also, please don’t worry about perfection; it’s your authenticity and joy that we want to see!
Clothing is what makes the (Hu)man; or so they say, which is why as our founder, I started TEP with a clothing swap.
I realized that clothing was one immediate form of gender expression that we have access to. Clothing amplifies outwardly the energy within our bodies. It introduces us to the world, without us having to say a word and is one of the many ways that we as humans have to connect to the world around us. Allowing us all to explore who we are, what we’re feeling, what we want to project to the rest of the world and affords comfort, especially against the elements during extreme weather.
Despite the fact that clothing is one of the most abundant resources on our planet, especially in the United States, where we are high subscribers to fast fashion, it can be incredibly difficult to access gender-affirming clothing that is affordable for our community.
From the discomfort of trying to shop in what may be an unaffirming and potentially unsafe space, to not having the cash needed to get the affirming clothing we want/need, clothing is one resource that the 2TIGE community is always in need of.
For the last few years we’ve been shipping out clothing packages to folks in need, but that’s just not sustainable!
So, now we’re asking our community members to join us in hosting clothing swaps across the country to make sure more folks get access to the clothing resources that they need.
Not only that, but clothing swaps can be a lot of fun; especially when organized with friends! We’ve had folks hold one off-events and also held them as regular functions in Knoxville, TN until COVID hit.
You can organize clothing swaps with friends or open them up to the larger community. They’re a great and affordable way for everyone in the community (including our accomplices) to come together for fun and to freshen up their wardrobes with fresh finds.
ICYMI: Clothing swaps can help protect the earth by ensuring that unwanted clothing ends up in the hands of communities who need them rather than adding to overfilled landfills!
Did you know: “It takes almost 8000 litres of water – what one person drinks in seven years – to make one pair of jeans. And when those jeans are discarded, they join the 21 billion tons of textiles that end up in landfills each year. Of 100 billion items produced yearly, 14 for each human on the planet, three in five will be discarded within the year.”(UN, 2019) & (NRDC.org, 2019)
In a world that never seems to pause, the act of resting can sometimes feel like a luxury we’re not afforded. Yet, for members of the 2 Spirit, Trans, Intersex, and Gender Expansive (2TIGE) community, taking time to rest is not an indulgence—it’s a crucial aspect of self-care that fosters empowerment, resilience, and healing. Unfortunately, rest has also been historically weaponized against marginalized groups, like ours, and used as a means to diminish and control.
Understanding this context is vital in reclaiming our right to rest and prioritize our well-being.
The Weaponization of Rest
For too long, resting has been entangled with narratives that paint it as a sign of laziness or lack of ambition, especially within marginalized communities. This harmful rhetoric serves as a tactic to perpetuate cycles of exhaustion and disempowerment, making it more challenging for individuals to advocate for themselves and their community. The cruel irony is that those who most need rest to heal and fight against systemic barriers are often the ones denied it.
The Consequences of Rest Deprivation
Physical and Mental Health: Chronic lack of rest can lead to serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, and significantly weakened immune systems. For the 2TIGE community, this adds another layer of stress to lives already navigating complex terrains of discrimination and transition-related health care.
Emotional Well-Being: Without rest, our emotional reserves dry up, making it harder to cope with stress, navigate even the most simple of daily challenges, and maintain healthy relationships. Emotional exhaustion leaves us feeling alienated and burnt out, diminishing our capacity to engage with others, even those in our support networks.
Community Impact: On a larger scale, when members of our community are too tired to participate fully in life, our collective vibrancy and activism suffer.
Rest is not just an individual necessity but a communal one, vital for sustaining the movements that propel us forward.
Rest as an Act of Resistance
In the face of narratives that seek to keep us perpetually on the back foot, prioritizing rest emerges as a powerful act of resistance. Here are a few suggestions to incorporate rest into your self-care regimen:
Listen to Your Body:
Learn to recognize the early signs of fatigue and give yourself permission to slow down. Your body’s needs are legitimate, and honoring them is the first step toward healing.
Set Boundaries:
It’s OK to say no to additional responsibilities if you’re feeling stretched thin. Setting and maintaining boundaries is crucial in safeguarding your time for rest.
Create Restful Routines:
Identify activities that genuinely relax and rejuvenate you. This could be as simple as reading, writing, listening to music, taking a walk, or practicing mindfulness. Incorporating these into your daily routine can help ensure that rest becomes a non-negotiable part of your day.
Seek Community Support:
Sometimes, the weight of the world can make resting feel impossible. In these times, leaning on your community can offer relief and strength. Remember, you’re not in this alone. At TEP we have a community Discord for clients and volunteers to better connect with one another.
Moving Forward:
The right to rest is inherent and non-negotiable, forming the bedrock upon which we build our strength, creativity, and resilience. As a community and as individuals, we must reclaim and protect this right, recognizing rest as essential to our empowerment journey.
We must commit to treating rest not as a luxury but as a critical element of our self-care and activism. By doing so, we not only nurture ourselves but also strengthen our collective capacity to thrive and affect change. The path may be long, but together, with rest as our ally, we continue to move forward towards a future where empowerment and healing are accessible to all.
At Trans Empowerment Project, we understand the pressures and challenges our community faces, and we stand firm in our commitment to support and uplift each other. We’re here to help you find the balance and the space to rest, grow, and empower yourself and those around you. Which is also why TEP has never been in the habit of sending our already exhausted community to the front lines to be targeted by the Chad and Karen at Chick-fil-h8. Not only is it not sustainable but also we don’t owe others the time and energy it takes to convince a closed mind that we deserve to exist.
We all deserve the freedom of owning our own bodies. The freedom to dream and the freedom to exist in a world not controlled by white supremacy and colonialist values but one where we all get to thrive.
For Disabled 2Spirit, Trans, Intersex, and Gender Expansive community members who are also Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, these acts of aggression are further compounded by the biases of others and systemic oppressions, which we already know were designed to keep people of color disempowered. Many of us have spent our lives fighting to survive, while being denied access to the tools and resources we need to live a basic life, let alone our best lives.
While we will always encourage our community to participate in their own liberation, especially through learning about our rights and by participating in civic engagements like casting our votes, we also strongly urge you to take care of yourselves, through practicing proper self-care habits, especially through rest.
Prioritize healing, improve your mental health, and take the time needed to rest and recharge.
Your turn! Click the button below to share your fave methods of selfcare with us!
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, a critical moment unfolds before the Supreme Court—a moment that will invariably leave deep imprints on the fabric of our collective conscience and on the lives of countless individuals across our nation. The city of Grants Pass, Oregon, has brought forth a case to the highest court with the potential to criminalize homelessness. As an organization built on the pillars of empowerment and support for the most vulnerable, we at TEP feel compelled to raise our voices against this alarming moment.
Imagine, if you may, the stress and strain of living without the safety of shelter, compounded by the looming threat of being criminalized just for existing, reacting or responding to circumstances—circumstances often beyond your control.
It is a grave injustice when the laws of the land do not protect, but rather persecute, those in the throes of misfortune and a somber reflection of our society when individuals are penalized for seeking the most basic human need for shelter.
Over the last several years, we’ve watched as the rates of the unhoused surge along with the cost of living and the rise in mortgage rates.
Compounding this issue are motions like the Safer Kentucky act, a piece of proposed legislation that has been deemed cruel, and would potentially authorize deadly force against those without homes—a thought that shudders the heart and shakes the spirit, especially for those of us who have had the misfortunate experience of being unhoused in a capitalist society. If unchecked, these movements could lead to a reality where the absence of a home is met not only with indifference but with hostility—a stark contradiction to any society that honestly deems itself as morally just and/or compassionate.
While doing the work that I do at TEP, I have witnessed firsthand how housing insecurities are ravaging our community, as—over 40% of our clients have shared their tribulations of not having any source of income whatsoever and 1 in 5 have indicated they had no place to call home when reaching out to us. Their stories are not mere statistics; they are harrowing narratives of resilience amidst adversity, of seeking dignity while staring down the face of societal neglect.
As members of a community that cherishes inclusion and uplifts the most marginalized, we must now band together more than ever. To align on our values of solving inequities by centering Disabled 2TIGE-BIPOC in our solutions; To advocate for policies that understand, prevent, and compassionately respond to homelessness rather than punish it.
We believe that no individual should be deemed a criminal for simply trying to survive without shelter.
Please join us by signing the petition below urging the Supreme Court to affirm the right to adequate shelter and to protect the human rights of all individuals, housed or otherwise. Let’s unite to alter the trajectory of this conversation—from one that criminalizes to one that humanizes, from punitive action to compassionate policy.
Your voice has power. Your signature is a beacon of hope. Your action is a step towards a future where the inherent dignity of every soul is recognized and upheld. Speak out, show up, and let your humanity echo through the halls of justice.
Together, we can shift the course of history—towards empathy, towards compassion, towards dignity for all.
While my Trans identity is only a part of who I am and does not define me, my womanhood does. So, I adamantly refuse to be excluded from conversations about women’s issues; all women, regardless of their background or identity, deserve a seat at the table
Jacquii Cooke
Client Success Manager,Trans Empowerment Project
Jacquii Cooke
Client Success Manager
March marks a time of celebration and reflection as we commemorate Women’s History Month. It’s a time to acknowledge and honor the remarkable contributions of women, past and present, who have shaped our world in countless ways. As we pay tribute to these achievements this year, it’s crucial to recognize and uplift ALL women, especially our Trans-femme siblings. We are making history TODAY!
I’m Jacquii Cooke–Client Success Manager for Trans Empowerment Project (TEP). As a 48-year-old Trans woman myself–having proclaimed my womanhood at the age of seventeen–I have endured the harsh realities of blatant misogyny, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, and the many struggles women face on a daily basis.
The words of black Trans icon Dr. Lourdes Ashley Hunter resonate with my spirit as she says, “I don’t want to be visible because I am trans. I want to be seen, affirmed and celebrated as a whole damn person… [I want to] thrive in a world that celebrates all of who we are… Humans.” While my Trans identity is only a part of who I am and does not define me, my womanhood does. So, I adamantly refuse to be excluded from conversations about women’s issues; all women, regardless of their background or identity, deserve a seat at the table.
Being an advocate for the 2TIGE (Two-Spirit, Transgender, Intersex, and Gender-Expansive) community is a title I also proudly claim. I have had the privilege of getting to know and assisting hundreds of clients from 44 states in the US who are working hard to overcome disproportionate amounts of personal trauma, criticism, bias, and unjust legislation. In 2023, TEP took a significant step forward by providing ~$25,000 in direct aid through our inTRANSitions Program.
The inTRANSitions initiative aims to empower all our 2TIGE clients in need, 40% of whom are Trans women and Trans-femme individuals from diverse backgrounds. By providing programs like inTRANSitions, TEP is not just offering food & toiletries deliveries, access to HRT, gender-affirming items, and much more. We’re creating pathways for empowerment and inclusivity!
This Women’s History Month, let’s celebrate women’s achievements, resilience, strength, and courage by committing to ongoing action and support. Let’s continue this momentum and strive for greater joy, celebrating each other’s triumphs as we thrive together in sisterhood, not CISterhood.
As we look to the future, let’s recognize that women are making history now. Because we are! In fact, over 50% of TEP’s amazing staff is managed by a talented, passionate, diverse group of women dedicated to advocating for our community. Please excuse my language when I say that we are a group of badasses who are kicking some major ass fighting for our community’s right to exist joyfully! We’re changing the narrative on the disinformation floating about, building bridges of inclusion among all women, and helping our community accomplices become captains of organizing in their local communities. My colleagues and I are doing impressive work and are doing our part in defining history by helping to create a better tomorrow!
And we can continue making history when we work together to create a more equitable and empowered society. Whether through financial donations, volunteer work, community organizing, or simply spreading awareness, every action counts. So let’s join hands in solidarity, writing new chapters in history daily–chapters where everyone’s voice is heard, valued, and celebrated.
Your contribution to TEP’s inTRANSitions program directly supports this mission, enabling us to create lasting change and opportunities for 2TIGE folks in need. To make your charitable contribution directly to TEP’s inTRANSitions program and be a part of this transformative revolution, visit our donation page. Today, a contribution. Tomorrow, you will have made all the difference! You can also create your own fundraiser on Tiltify and share it with your trans-affirming family, friends & colleagues! Complete directions on how to do so can be found online at https://tiltify.com/trans-empowerment-project. Let’s continue to write history together, one act of empowerment at a time.
![[Call to Action] Show Solidarity with the Unhoused](https://transempowerment.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/homeless-6887060_1280-1080x675.jpg)
