After Four Years of Setbacks, the Trans Community Sets New Priorities and Launches Wellness Campaign
In 2017, we were saddened to learn of the federal ban on trans people serving in the military. The reasons cited by the prior Trump administration were a thin veil, masking the transphobia that would shape federal policy for the next four years. The harmful rhetoric continued, unabated, targeting trans and LGBTQ communities from every angle. Each new proposal aimed to narrow the definition of gender, limit healthcare access, and more; One in particular discriminated against trans people seeking access to homeless shelters, right in the middle of a pandemic that disproportionately affected our community.
The last four years have been characterized by these setbacks, forcing offices like ours into a never-ending cycle of react-and-respond. And we were not alone in this fight. The past administration had no bounds, inspiring an all- out assault on civil rights, women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) that emboldened and brought new rise to white supremacy.
However, even in the face of an antagonistic administration, the trans movement continued to make progress against all the odds. We launched the first and only trans-specific government agency in the country, grassroots organizations mobilized, expanded their reach and furthered advocacy work in difficult times.
In California, the #InvestInTransLives campaign successfully advocated for the first statewide Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund. Throughout the COVID pandemic, San Franciscans have come together to support their neighbors, deliver groceries to seniors, ensure our communities find and keep their housing, and expand virtual services and community events. Many were able to access services our office provided, such as EmergeSF, our fellowship program for trans and gender nonconforming immigrants, or support with emergency housing services and subsidies through Our Trans Home SF.
And with our Transgender Advisory Committee (TAC), we hosted a virtual Trans Advocacy Week, where TAC members shared their stories, participated in leadership development sessions, and met with members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to share community priorities.
Renewed Hope for Equality
We were thrilled to see that when the Biden Administration issued executive orders to overturn harmful policies, they signed one to combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. This has given us hope, and it is a reminder of what is possible in the years ahead. More than ever before, the rhetoric matters. The San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives is ready to partner with the current administration, building on solutions that work for everybody. And with greater support from our elected leaders, we can accelerate the work of making our community more resilient.
To build on the progress, our communities are now calling on the new federal administration for support. It is clear that we need a strategy at the Federal level, to ensure that communities without local government support still have protections and access to resources. And while San Francisco proudly invests in our local trans communities, it is going to take a partnership at all levels of government to fully address the needs of communities and move us towards a more equitable and inclusive world.
As we look to the year ahead, we wanted to share a few details on our priorities:
First, we must continue to support economic relief and mobility for trans people, ensuring equal access to employment, education, housing, and benefits; LGBTQ small businesses in particular have been heavily impacted, and they need resources to stay open. Second, as the pandemic continues to highlight disparities in healthcare access and gaps in mental health services; we will continue support health equity and advocate for access to COVID-19 vaccines specifically for our communities most impacted by the virus.
This will complement our efforts around leadership development, supporting advocates that help get us a seat at the table, while advocating for policies at the local, state, and federal level. Lastly, in 2021, we will have a much bigger focus on trans wellness. In a moment when mental health is being recognized as a crisis nationally, we know that the issue is even more dire for trans people.
In response to the continued impact of the pandemic, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has made several critical investments to support the LGBTQ community. These include supporting local small businesses, relief for artist and arts organizations, emergency housing, and senior services including over $5 million annually in support of critical life-saving trans community services including housing, employment, education, violence prevention, health and wellness programs. Read more about these priorities and investments here.
Advocating for Trans Wellness during COVID-19 and Beyond
Today, along with the SF Bay Area LGBTQ COVID Relief Coalition, we launched the Trans Wellness SF campaign — the first of its kind. It is a collaborative and multi-phase initiative that aims to improve the health and mental well-being of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) communities, during the pandemic and beyond. The campaign includes the release of a Trans Wellness Survey, which will measure the impact of COVID-19 on the community.
A December 2020 report from the Movement Advancement Project highlighted the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ community. Since the pandemic began, 64 percent of LGBTQ people and their families experienced a job loss or disruption; 38 percent of households were unable to access necessary medical care.
Over the last year, TGNC communities have been severely impacted by the pandemic, and similar to the general population, it has had a greater impact on Latinx and Black trans and gender nonconforming residents. This is the result of long standing inequities and a higher prevalence of underlying health conditions that make TGNC communities much more vulnerable to the virus. Access to wellness programs can be disparate depending on where one lives, and the stigma associated with getting help often becomes a roadblock.
The 2021 Trans Wellness SF campaign will include a series of community efforts that help address these barriers. Foundational to this campaign will be a push to gather more data on the experience of trans people. Policymakers and LGBTQ organizations often lack insight to better understand barriers TGNC communities face when they seek critical services.
To address this, we are announcing today:
- A Regional San Francisco Bay Area Trans Survey, that will assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the trans community, while identifying barriers in essential services, including testing, vaccine access and information, and medical and mental health services. The insights will become critical in helping inform new program development, public education efforts, and investment areas. The survey is available here.
- An advisory committee of TGNC health and wellness experts will deliver an initial assessment of existing healthcare, wellness and mental health services. This will help identify barriers to care and gaps in services, and support the collaborative building of a series of community recommendations that will be shared with City leadership, departments, and community organizations. Learn more at transwellnesssf.org.
Through the leadership of Mayor London Breed, the City of San Francisco has also made a historic investment of over $5 million annually to support critical and life-saving trans community services including housing, employment, education, violence prevention, health and wellness programs. Learn more about these investments here.
In March of 2020, when the San Francisco Stay Home order went into effect, the office joined with Bay Area trans and LGBTQ organizations working on the front lines of the pandemic to launch the SF Bay Area LGBTQ COVID Relief Coalition. In response to COVID-19, the coalition shared public health guidance, while providing food relief, financial assistance and emergency housing. It also assured the community was getting access to essential services. The coalition has provided emergency food and cash relief to over 500 Bay Area TGNC residents impacted by the pandemic.
The initiative also includes a public education and advocacy campaign, #TransWellnessSF, that will address the stigma associated with accessing mental health services, along with testing and vaccine resources, virtual events and wellness tips to combat social isolation. The resources also include a new website and social media campaign, with support for those navigating vital resources such as housing, food relief, mutual aid efforts and more.
Learn more at transwellnesssf.org.
For more information about the services offered by the SF Office of Transgender Initiatives, please visit here. And to learn more about the Trans Wellness 2021 campaign, visit here.