i just want to say, in conjunction with the ceremonies and efforts for visibility and recognition for our community on this day that im proud to have been named on 2015’s trans 100 list in the ceremony in chicago there. i say that with the caveat that i sincerely hope that i was so named due to my work promoting and moderating trans housing network and generally speaking out about the situation of homelessness in our community and not for any other reasons.

given those circumstances i feel obligated to draw attention and visibility to the situation of the trans homeless on this day. a couple of months ago, HUD reached a decision that any shelter receiving federal funding is not allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression. across the united states, similar anti-discrimination policies have become more common and have been implemented in more and more states and local governments.

i believe that this is not the major coup that it may seem. even assuming that these policies are evenly executed, for many trans and gender nonconforming shelter guests being allowed to access the shelter resources that are more commonly used by persons of the opposite dsab will not necessarily be a safer or more comfortable arrangement.

if a trans shelter guest is recognizable to other persons as trans, the other shelter guests may become hostile. rather than risk entering into that situation many trans people would rather avoid entering the shelter system all together (and are therefore sometimes unable to access necessary resources). i myself have been in this situation even in cities and states with non-discrimination policies on the basis of gender identity.

this is why transhousingnetwork.com is an important stop gap resource but especially why we need to work to create gender neutral emergency shelter accomodations and transitional housing available to trans and gender non-conforming persons of all ages in every state

in the mean time, if you have a spare couch or room and can help get someone off the street for even a couple nights, and you feel safe and comfortable doing so, please consider submitting to transhousingnetwork.com