The year is 2023. There are as of April 24th, 2023 over 400 (FOUR HUNDRED) anti-LGBTQ+ bills in circulation of legislation being heard and voted on, made into laws, and pushing us to the shadows of society further with every new one voted on. Not all of them will make it through this process of legislation, but this is a fight we have been fighting since 2017’s original bathroom bills and every year more and more have been presented and more and more actually pass.

Politicians and media personalities “declaring war” on transgender people / our community, suggesting they should “do what they did in the 50s/60s” with us, calling us “demons” and “mutants” during hearings, and ultimately one such person calling for a “complete ban on “””transgenderism”””” claiming we are “not a legitimate category of being, therefore cannot be target of genocide.” This same person was protested and yet still allowed to speak at the University of Pittsburgh recently.

It is now a time where it is justified to want to panic and feel like giving up compared to the times when I wrote my last article and suggestions for allyship. However, now is when it is most important organize and refuse a world where trans and queer people are erased at all levels of society.

This, all of this combined — is nothing less than genocide. Why is it considered this? Is it too extreme to call it that? Check out this breakdown thread to learn more about why it is necessary to identify it as such.

What can you do to help stop it? It seems hopeless, but there are actually many things you can do to BE the hopeful force of power we all wish to see in the world. The opposition – those who seek to oppress us – want us to think there is no way to compete with their power over our lives. They are wrong, though. They are not in control.

It is not the church, and not the state, only WE decide our fate!

This article is an intro for all LGBTQ+ allies or potential allies to provide entry points to trans allyship that are organized by energy levels required to do said activities.

Have a job or two, kids, and barely any time? Look for something to do from the “Low Energy” category. Have a significant amount of time available and want to know where to start organizing more effectively? Look no further than the “High Energy” category. The “Medium Energy” category fills in the gap with even more ideas.

Let’s go and find where we can make a difference, together!

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

DIY HRT DIRECTORY – What is DIY HRT?

DIY HRT (Do it yourself Hormone Replacement Therapy) is when people are getting their HRT (Testosterone or Estrogen from outside sources online and from grey markets. This is needed for many people. In a world that is increasing the restrictions on gender affirming care, DIY is life saving and can connect people without resources to what they need. Keep this directory in mind if you know of gender affirming care bans for your state and know people who might need it. Gender affirming care is a human right.

Learn the basics of what being transgender means with the National Center for Transgender Equality’s basic guides and introduction videos to our community and keep this website ready to help direct other people who might be confused but want to know more about us. This is a trans led organization with up to date information.

A new grassroots organization is helping trans folks and their families and/or partner(s) flee transphobic states and get settled in trans safe states. It is called A Place For Marsha! Allies can help by donating to them or keeping their site saved in case you know any trans folks who might need it. Spread the word.

LOW ENERGY

• URGENT: Send a quick automated e-mail to help STOP HB 1686 and SB 14 through Resource Center’s form.
  
• URGENT: Send a letter/email or make a phone call to your representatives in TEXAS to fight back against SB14, the gender affirming care ban, it could be voted on any day now. Follow the guide in the thread linked to find a template to base yours off of.

• Put a sign or a trans or rainbow flag in your lawn or window of your home or business that makes it clear you stand with your trans neighbors or customers so they know they are not so desperately alone right now. Oh, and get your pride stuff from actual LGBTQ+ vendors too!

Follow trans journalists, activists and on the ground reporters to keep up to date on the fight for our rights:

• Erin Reed on SubStack who reports on LGBTQ+ legislation and rights
  
• Imara Jones’ TransLash Media features trans stories to save trans lives. The Anti-Trans Hate Machine and TransLash Podcast are informative, essential, and available to listen to with more to check out at TransLash.org
  
• Alejandra Caraballo, law, gender and tech
  
• Eli Erlick, writer, activist, public speaker and trans history buff;

• Rep. Zooey Zephyr of Montana’s 100th House District
  
• Amber Briggle, mother of a trans youth and fighter for trans rights, currently suing Greg Abbott
  
• Chase Strangio, leading the fight in the courts for transgender rights
  
• Gender Reveal podcast, a podcast about what the heck gender is featuring countless trans and/or non-binary people who are notable for their work in this wonderful world

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• Donate to a local trans person in your area that is trying to relocate from a fascist state, trying to afford HRT and gender affirming care, or just trying to get something to eat and survive another day. There’s nothing better than direct action when in doubt as to how you can help in small ways.

Where to Donate Based on States Currently Under Worst Attack:

• Texas GoFundMe’s in LGBTQ+ Community
• Texas Fundraisers of Various Trans Folks, Sourced From Twitter
• Texas Non-Mainstream LGBTQ+ Organizations to Donate To

• Alabama GoFundMe’s in LGBTQ+ Community

• Missouri GoFundMe’s in LGBTQ+ Community

• Tennessee GoFundMe’s in LGBTQ+ Community

• Florida GoFundMe’s in LGBTQ+ Community
• Florida Fundraisers of Various Trans Folks, Sourced From Twitter

There’s more, so if you know of your own state enacting anti-trans legislation you can find some fundraisers on GFM to support easily.

• Donate to bail funds when they show up to bail out those who courageously protest these genocidal anti-trans bills being voted on in legislature. The most recent one was successful 2x the amount for the Montana protestors for trans youth. Be aware and keep an eye out for current bail funds in need if you know people are out protesting in your state or others.

• Read more trans comics and introduce yourself to more trans comics creators, check out 31 Trans Comic Creators to get started!

• Read more trans authors and enjoy trans made media, participate in your yearly #TransRightsReadathon and document your support of our community to help raise money for trans rights (readathon created by Sim Kern)

That is the gist of the Readathon, you can read trans led and written books all times of the year though – and you can still definitely share what you love about what you read too!

Check out these book recommendations:

Supplied by A Room of One’s Own book store – alt text available in this thread.

• Enjoy seeing colorized historical photos from trans history and share things like these to remind people that trans people have always existed
  
• Be a safe listening space, be someone a person can come out to, be supportive to your trans and queer AND questioning friends as we are going through a lot right now
  
• Open your heart and ACT UP
  
• Push back against haters and bigotry in personal situations offline and online, stand up for what is right. Don’t allow people to simply get away with telling transphobic / homophobic jokes or spreading misinformation that harms our community. Educate them and provide reasons why it is wrong and ask them to please do better.
  
• Provide food, clothing, shelter, and love to trans and queer people
  
  

MEDIUM ENERGY

• Help generate visibility for trans and queer people in need by supporting mutual aid for those in your immediate community. Make posts or images to help succeed in meeting needs. Run threads where people can respond with their fundraisers. Share a trans person you know’s fundraiser, start a $5~$25 train and challenge others to match your donation.

• Drive someone to gender affirming care appointment(s)

• Hold a free clothing boutique or trade event / free market for trans and nonbinary folks

• Create / send care packages to trans and queer people you know.

• Write letters of support to trans and queer youth (there are many local events for this or you can host you own, just get in contact with local LGBTQ+ youth groups and see if they would accept encouraging letters of support like OutReach Denton does!)
  
• Write postcards and/or host a postcard writing event to legislators urging them to protect trans kids using this Postcard Party Toolkit supplied by Amber Briggle.

• Learn and share self-defense and safety skills

• Email your local legislators voting on anti-trans legislation and urge them to support the LGBTQ+ community and vote no on anti-trans legislation. Find out what legislation is moving through your state with the 2023 Anti-Trans Bills Tracker.

• Learn Eight Tips for making Compelling Posts in regards to fighting for trans rights in the online sphere. Spreading positive messages on social media is key and essential to helping the world see us in a better light.

• Develop relationships with your neighbors, of all walks of life, and eventually trade numbers with them for safety and/or make a group text / whatsapp group / signal app text for encryption / some kind of group messaging for your apartment complex or neighborhood.

• Show up for meetings and events in your area, speak to organizers and regular members of communities. Show up, help unselfishly, and use good faith to develop relationships with people in your area.

• Tell your church that you insist on a public statement from leadership in support of trans adults, trans kids and their families. Be a rock in their shoe, be a splinter in their thumb until it HAPPENS.

• Urge people to take the anti-trans attacks seriously on social media, challenge 3 friends to take action with you when you do things as an ally and ask them to challenge 3 more people they know to do the same. We need a community of helpers now more than ever.

HIGH ENERGY

• Challenge your co-workers to fundraising efforts and see who can get their social networks to reach set goals for raising money for small trans led organizations helping trans people and their families relocate from Texas and other fascist anti-trans states. You can also help raise funds for grassroots organizations that help educate people and fight at the capitol for our rights.

Great organizations to fundraise for:

• Equality Texas

• Trans Education Network of Texas
  
• Lambda Legal
  
• Transgender Law Center
  
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• Check out 17 Organizations Supporting Trans Folks in Texas from Queerency
  

• Look up your own area’s organizations that you can direct your efforts to, I simply started with Texas organizations because they are my locality.

• Prepare written, spoken or video testimony for various themes of bills (medical bans, sports bans, bathroom bans, drag bans, book bans, school / parents rights bills) and learn about writing testimony with Equality Texas’ Guide to Writing Testimony.
  

• Join a community defense group

• Contact organizers to find out how you can help defend a drag show, drag storytime, LGBTQ+ supportive business, LGBTQ+ gathering, or otherwise pride / LGBTQ+ related event that is being “protested” aka threatened by fascists. Please take your safety into consideration and be ready for anything, stay connected to the groups organizing a resistance to the protests and prioritize yours and everyone’s safety first. We need people on the ground defending us where they are targeting us, though, so every effort – especially if you can use your cis and/or het privilege to your advantage – is so important to the cause of our freedom and right to exist.

• Attend a protest in support of trans rights, listen and amplify speakers and their messages of hope and resistance. Most importantly, stay prepared and do not attend with your phone – use a b*rner if needed for emergencies – mask up, wear non-descriptive black clothing, cover your hair, eyes, and do not film to make “content” out of these events.

• Learn how to make a paint balloon to help destroy anti-trans hate groups signage and advertisements brought to intimidate us at pride events in this simple thread

• Attend school board meetings: demand your district support and protect queer kids, trans kids access to sports, all kids access to being allowed to use their chosen names and pronouns at school and have them respected, and all kids access to all kinds of books and library access.

• Help create safer land and community space for trans people in your area in any way you feel you can contribute with, get creative! 🙂

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Got more ideas? Share them with others! Becoming a positive and proactive trans ally is imperative in today’s nightmarish environment. Can you inspire others to do the same? Picking as little as one thing within your energy level can cause a butterfly effect and help so much more than you might think. I believe we can create a future world where transgender, nonbinary and queer people are free. It starts here, now and within all of us.

I leave readers with my favorite motivational Kylie Minogue song. Enjoy! Remember, things can only get better as long as we are doing something to make it happen! ❤