TLC executive director Kris Hayashi

At Transgender Law Center, we believe in the brilliance, beauty, and power of our people to create a world where the dignity, self-determination, and life of every person is respected and held as sacred. Every stroke of Donald Trump’s pen this week, just the first of his presidency, has been an assault on all that we value. In between the lines of executive actions ordering the construction of walls, the building of pipelines, and the expulsion of refugees lie death sentences for the most vulnerable in our community.

We repudiate these actions. As Donald Trump rejects facts, so we reject his inhumane policies and worldview. We will not only resist, but continue to build toward the just and fair world we know is possible.

As news emerges and changes, we encourage people to look toward trusted sources like Muslim Advocates and reach out to immigration attorneys to understand what is happening today and what it means for Muslim, immigrant, black, and brown communities. We encourage everyone to develop safety plans for yourselves, your families, and your neighbors. Our new project, the Trans Immigrant Defense Effort (TIDE), is here for immigrants seeking answers to concerns and for attorneys looking for ways to help in this moment.

And as we resist President Trump’s bleak vision of the world, we are resolute and will not lose sight of our own vision for liberation. Just this week, we defied the national push to roll back protections for trans and gender nonconforming folks by introducing a bill in California to establish a third gender marker for nonbinary members of our community.

As I said in a statement earlier this week, we must be a refuge to each other as President Trump attempts to destroy any official refuge the U.S. would offer us. Join us by signing our pledge for our 2017 Plan of Resistance.

Together in the movement,

Kris Hayashi
Executive Director
Transgender Law Center