GBVP Community Engagement: A Spring 2022 Update
by Mahkyra Gaines (they/them or No Pronouns)
GBVP Community Engagement Manager
The GBVP Department is working hard these past few months in garnering community engagement in diverse areas of advocacy. To keep communication with the public transparent, we are updating you all with an update on projects currently running.
Advocacy Team 2022:
One of the most exciting news is that our Advocacy Team has officially started to meet. Taking honorably from nikkita oliver and our Black Trans Task Force’s “An agenda for Black Trans Liberation” , our main focus with this group is the decriminalization of Black Trans Women & Femmes in King County. This advocacy group is composed of Black Trans Youth who are being compensated at a rate of $300 per meeting. These individuals will also be providing crucial input on Lavender Rights Project’s commitment to keep us inline with community needs. We are still looking for up to 3 more members to take stake in this team, so if you are interested in applying please reach out to us by clicking here.
Public Service Announcements:
After a few months of outreach to the community for highlighting Black Trans Narratives, we have selected a participant and begun collaborations with Indie Genius Media to help share their story via video. This PSA project will be supporting Black Trans Youth and their stories of building conversation on gender identity with parental figures during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a timeline to have the video shot, produced, and edited by June 30th, and we are excited to share the final piece with you all soon.
Excerpt from a recent post on our Instagram calling for the protection of trans people at King County Jail
King County Jail Advocacy:
Post-learning about the recent deaths of individuals at the King County Jail (including a trans person of color), the Gender Based Violence Prevention Department joined a collective committee to plan out a vigil that would spread public awareness of the violence occurring within the jail’s walls and to show support to those still currently incarcerated. We asked the community to come out with eclectic candles and flowers, and you all did not fail to miss the mark with that request; we appreciated everyone who came out that day. LRP is still monitoring the jail’s activity and recently spread word on the jails refusal to comply with laws on reporting death to the public in a Seattle Times Article. Mahkyra Gaines and nikkita oliver are stewarding another advocacy group that is navigating the jail policies on engagement with transgender people who are incarcerated (housing placements, privacy, proper name-usage, and pronouns), and we hope to take a abolitionist stance moving forward as #jailsarenotasafeplacefortranspeople.
In the upcoming months we hope to proceed with wrapping up our Public Service Announcement video, connect with broadcasting networks on sharing it, amping up our bystander training for the King County Regional Homeless Authority, and strengthen the advocacy teams involvement with decriminalization work. Looking forward to the next update! Again reach out to us if you have any questions or want to get involved with our projects!