Transgender Law Center stands in solidarity with Michael Brown’s family and the people in the streets of Ferguson protesting today’s gross miscarriage of justice.
What’s happening in Ferguson cannot be understood outside of the deeply troubling context of systemic oppression in policing in the United States. Nearly half of Black transgender people have been incarcerated at some time, and only 35% of trans people report that they feel comfortable seeking police assistance. One in three Black men will be imprisoned at some point in their life. Continued collusion between local law enforcement and immigration authorities means the mass profiling of immigrants of color and the mass deportation of non-citizens. It is clear that these realities are not just a few problems with a system that otherwise works.
As we work to create a just system, our thoughts are with the people of Ferguson, who are striving to have their voices heard over an extreme military response to dissent. We hope that they will stay safe and stay strong.
Black lives matter.
Trans lives matter.