April
LETTER FROM THE CO-CHAIRS
| To our NTBA Community: Welcome to April. Spring has now sprung here north of the equator. Unfortunately, despite the return of the flowers and melting of snow for some, 2023’s record blizzard of anti-trans legislation has not ceased. When last we wrote to you, anti-trans legislation had been proposed in 38 states. That number is now 47. 47 states are considering anti-trans legislation and 26 of these bills have passed. We are, however, still here. Moreover, as the origins of this anti-trans movement are revealed and the bills increasingly show unmitigated animus, more and more people in this country are protesting this injustice. Please take care of yourselves and continue to run this marathon. Continue to take action against the bills in your state, such as testifying about the harms the bills cause, writing to your governor, writing to legislators, or supporting local organizations that are doing that work. We continue to stand ready to provide you with resources on what you can do and how you can help. Reach out to us. We are here to support you in this fight. Rest assured, there is not a bill, regulation, executive action, or even school policy that will escape the attention of our community’s activists and litigators. They are strategically addressing this nation-wide assault. No member of our community will be forgotten. |
| The NTBA continues its work of building and supporting the trans legal community. We invite you to sign up to join us at again for TLI at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Lavender Law Conference. Don’t forget to register for Lavender Law! The NTBA Board decided we want to start including bright spots to share joy with our community, particularly in light of the heavy policy news we’re constantly mired in. During the Trans Week of Visibility, we were particularly engaged in sharing our experiences. NTBA Co-Chair Rafael spoke to more than 50 law schools about how gender non-conforming people can meet and change standards of professionalism in the United States. They were joined by trans elder and criminal defense attorney Mia Yamamoto, Supreme Court of Hawai’i Justice Sabrina McKenna, and Professor Renee Allen, who shared their own perspectives on standards of professional affecting intersectional identities. Justice McKenna said she would take back lessons learned, particularly about gender presentation in court, to improve the inclusivity of the Hawaiian court system. And NTBA Co-Chair D and one of our new NTBA Board members, Jen, spoke on a TDOV panel alongside Ky Peterson, moderated by Jennifer Love WIlliams of Reclaim Pride Coalition NYC. The group of activists and advocates spoke about various aspects of living at the intersection of being Black and trans, sharing stories of gender euphoria as well as experiences of discrimination. You can watch the panel on Facebook @QueerMarch or on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/6UjO56blpJo?feature=share. |
 NTBA Co-Chair D and one of our new NTBA Board members, Jen, spoke on a TDOV panel alongside Ky Peterson, moderated by Jennifer Love WIlliams of Reclaim Pride Coalition NYC. |
| Last but certainly not least, the Transgender Law Center has released a Spring 2023 Zine on trans youth joy. So many of us are working to support our community. Please do not hesitate to share your work, your successes, and your joys with us!Yours in solidarity,D Dangaran and Rafael Langer-Osuna, Co-Chairs for the NTBA Board |
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