For Immediate Release
Monday, December 11, 2023
Contact:
K Richardson, Communications Manager, [email protected]
National
The Transgender Law Center (TLC) today announced the launch of the Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering a new era of empowered transgender and nonbinary voices in the field of communications and narrative strategy. This strategic endeavor places a significant emphasis on prioritizing Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders and trans-led or trans-focused state-based organizations in the U.S. Midwest and South.
The Narrative Lab will establish a robust talent and training pipeline, providing resources and opportunities for transgender and nonbinary individuals to develop their skills as communications and narrative strategists. The focus on BIPOC leaders is central to the initiative, addressing historical disparities in representation within the field. According to Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Foundations allocated less than 4 cents per $100 of their total giving to U.S. trans communities and issues. With the generous support of the Ford Foundation, ten trans-led or trans-focused organizations in the South and Midwest will receive support in hiring communications staff, training them to advance narrative strategies, and technical assistance from communications and narrative practitioner experts.
Shelby Chestnut, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center, whose work on building trans political power and nonprofit infrastructure established the foundation for the Narrative Lab stated, “The Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab represents a pivotal step towards a more inclusive and equitable future. By resourcing trans-led organizations and investing in the voices of transgender and nonbinary individuals, especially those from BIPOC communities in the Midwest and South, we are fostering a narrative of liberation that empowers us all.”
The Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab builds on years of intensive messaging and narrative work TLC has been doing in response to anti-trans legislation. In collaboration with ASO Communications, Lake Research Partners, and GSA Network, the Race Class Gender Narrative (RCGN) messaging has shaped the local and national conversation around laws impacting trans people in the US. The Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab will further expand our groundbreaking messaging work, partnering with Worthy Strategy Group and partnering with Political Narrative on determining narrative north stars to ensure that as we fight back against anti-trans legislation we illuminate a path forward that uplifts the brilliance and expertise of transgender and nonbinary people in building a world in which we are all free and belong.
For further information about the Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab, please contact Anna Castro at [email protected].
About Transgender Law Center
Transgender Law Center changes law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. Transgender Law Center is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, Transgender Law Center employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.