Milestone: Smithsonian Accepts Original Trans Pride Flag

Today, Monica Helms, a transgender activist and Navy veteran,  presented the original transgender pride flag created 15 years ago this month to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The flag will be added to the Museum’s permanent archives along with several other objects that represent cultural milestones in LGBT history. Along with the transgender pride flag, the Smithsonian accepted artifacts from Helms’ military career and Renee Richards’ racquet used to play in the 1963 All-Navy Championship and the 1964 New York State Men’s Championship.

NCTE Executive Director, Mara Keisling, who joined Helms at today’s ceremony, said:

​”The cuts of blue, pink, and white fabric that Monica first bound together 15 years ago now form a symbol of the trans community. They have fused forever into a flag that’s been carried into places previously unwelcome to us, charting community and fellowship in the face of violence and mistreatment. Finally today, that same fabric is being recognized as part of the red, white, and blue fabric that make up the richness of America. I’m deeply honored that today, the transgender pride flag—our flag—is being accepted as an American historical treasure that honors transgender people. Today’s ceremony is part of the forward cultural change that says—in the eyes of America—transgender people are here, have been here, and will always be here.”

NCTE Director of Policy to keynote Philly Trans Health Conference

This Friday, National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) Director of Policy Harper Jean Tobin will give the keynote address at the 2014 Philadelphia Trans Health Conference (PTHC), the nation’s largest transgender conference drawing over 3,000 diverse members of the community. Author Janet Mock will also be featured as a keynote speaker.

Tobin’s speech lays out a bold vision for the future of the transgender movement including outlining new ways of thinking about how to advance legislative victories at the federal, state, and local levels, improve institutions like prisons and nursing homes, healthcare, and expand access to identity documents. Tobin also proposes a path forward on how the transgender movement can lift up the most vulnerable members of the transgender community.

Tune in to Harper Jean Tobin’s keynote address on Friday, June 13, 2014 at 1:00 PM in room 108A.

Reflections on the 2014 Black Trans Advocacy Conference

by Theo George, Online Communications Manager, National Center for Transgender Equality

The 2014 Black Trans Advocacy Conference (BTAC) kicked off in Dallas, Texas last month. The conference is three years old and included six days of activities, workshops, and seminars. This year’s theme was “One Earth. One People. One Love”.

Photo: Esperanza Brown

I had no idea that this type of event existed until doing some of my own research earlier this year. These types of opportunities are desperately needed in Black trans and gender non-conforming spaces. As disturbing as the general findings were for the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), they were even more so when looking at respondents of color:

• 34% of Black trans people live in extreme poverty, reporting a household income of less than $10,000/year.
• Half reported having attempted suicide.
• 50% who attended school expressing a trans identity or gender non-conformity faced harassment.

I remember reading the results of this survey nearly a year ago or so, a little after I began my own transition process, and being completely overwhelmed. It’s quite overwhelming for anyone to try and comprehend these types of discouraging statistics. Black transgender and gender non-conforming people seem to face tremendous obstacles in virtually all areas of life from employment opportunities to attending school.

NCTE’s Mara Keisling Celebrates Pride with Sec. Kerry, Rep. Lewis

At a US State Department Pride Month event yesterday afternoon, NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling spoke with State Department employees alongside Secretary of State John Kerry and Congress member John Lewis.

Foreign Service Officer Kenneth Kero-Mentz opened the event with a story of how he received anti-gay hate messages on his desk during his first few days at State years back. When he let others know they replied with “What did you expect?” Attitudes have changed since that time, however, with the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, LGBT inclusion in the Affordable Care Act, expanded benefits to foreign service same-sex partners, and the recent State Department policy change that allows transgender people to be issued passports that reflect their gender identity.

NCTE Panels and Presentations at the 12th Annual Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference

National Center for Transgender Equality will be presenting panels and workshops at the Philly Trans-Health Conference coming up on June 13^th – June 15^th. Find out about what we will be presenting and where you can connect with us below.

National Center for Transgender Equality will be presenting panels and workshops at the Philly Trans-Health Conference coming up on June 13^th – June 15^th. Find out about what we will be presenting and where you can connect with us below.

Thursday June 13^th

10:15am – 11:15am
ID Documents – How to Change Your Own and Advocate For Better Policies
Presented by:
NCTE Director of Policy Harper Jean Tobin
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Transgender Civil Rights Project Director Lisa Mottet
Jerner & Palmer, PC Managing Shareholder Benjamin Jerner, Esq.

2:20pm – 3:40pm
Deafhood, Transhood: Cultural Identity and Activism
Presented by: NCTE Director of Operations Avory Faucette

4:05pm – 5:25pm
Non-Binary Narrative As Self Care
Presented by: NCTE Director of Operations Avory Faucette

Saturday June 15^th

8:45am – 10:05am
Trans Aging Policy – how we can support those who paved the way
Presented by:
NCTE Director of Policy Harper Jean Tobin
SAGE Director of Federal Government Relations
Transgender Law Center Equal Justice Works Fellow Danny Kirchoff

4:05pm – 5:25pm
The Trans Advocacy Toolbox: Concrete Strategies to Improve School Communities for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Students
Presented by:
NCTE Director of Policy Harper Jean Tobin
Trevor Project Government Affairs Director Alison Gill
GLESN Public Policy Assistant Bryce Celotto
Bullying Stops With Us and Reach Out activist Caden Krawchuk

NCTE Panels and Presentations at Creating Change 2013

The National Center for Transgender Equality is excited to present a number of panels and workshops at the upcoming 25th national Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. Learn about some of our presentations below and we hope you will be able to connect with us in Atlanta, GA.

Learn more about Creating Change here.

Thursday, January 24, 2012

3:40 PM – 4:40 PM
GLAAD New Media Training Institute
Organizations Making an Impact with New Media
NCTE Director of Communications Vincent Paolo Villano, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition Resident Filmmaker Jesse Begenyi, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice Director of Communications and Digital Strategy Jenn Sturm

Friday, January 25, 2012

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Cruel Exclusions: The Fight to End Health Care Discrimination Against Transgender People
NCTE Director of Policy Harper Jean Tobin

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Social Media, Ethics, and the LGBT Community
NCTE Director of Communications Vincent Paolo Villano, Freedom to Marry Director of Online Programs Michael Crawford, Blue State Digital Business Development Manager Leone Kraus

3:00 PM – 6:15 PM
Transforming Your LGBT Organization to be Fully Trans-Inclusive
NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling and Transgender Civil Rights Project Director Lisa Mottet, Esq.

9th Anniversary Celebration Wrap-Up

Last Wednesday, over 150 transgender advocates celebrated the National Center for Transgender Equality’s Ninth Anniversary, and honored the service of Gunner Scott, Andrew Barnett, and the Service Employees International Union. We were joined by keynote speaker Roy Austin Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, who discussed the work needed to secure safety and justice for transgender Americans.

Gunner Scott, Lauree Hayden, and Andrew Barnett accept their awards at the 9th Anniversary Celebration.

This year, Gunner Scott, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, was awarded the Julie Johnson Founders’ Award for his pioneering advocacy for transgender equality. Most notably, Gunner was at the helm of the successful five-year campaign to enact the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Bill. Scott said, “Without the work of NCTE on the federal level we would not have the progress on the state level and without the work of the state and local trans advocacy groups, we would not have the success on the federal level.” He added, “It is working together, state trans advocacy groups and NCTE that is moving the trans movement forward.”

NCTE to Honor SEIU, Gunner Scott, and Andrew Barnett at 9th Anniv. Event

From advancing critical health care and employment protections for transgender people to Vice President Joe Biden’s reaffirmation of transgender civil rights, our movement for equality has experienced renewed energy this year. Elected officials, fair-minded Americans, and allied lesbian, gay, and bisexual movement leaders now understand that progress must include transgender advocates at the table.

NCTE’s Ninth Anniversary event celebrates the advances of the last year. The event also honors transgender people who have pushed equality forward, and recognizes allies that continually find ways to make sure transgender people are treated fairly and equally.