The Legal & Policy Work
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Leadership on policy and program initiatives:
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California Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex Policy Alliance (CTPA)
CTPA is a coalition of community members, collectives, and nonprofit organizations that serve transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex (TGI) communities across the state of California. CTPA works to advance policy for the TGI communities across the state. This includes advocacy and lobbying with the State Legislature to make sure TGI communities are considered and included in the state budget. Throughout 2022, CTPA has been working on two state budget requests: the TGI Wellness and Equity Fund and Community-Based Reentry Services for TGI People. Both of these requests are based on the lack of services for TGI people, and especially BIPOC TGI people, across the state and the desperate need that our multiple marginalized communities face. From our work with TGI communities, we know that these funds would be life-saving and life-changing for so many TGI people.
Due to rampant discrimination across society, TGI people, and especially transgender women of color, face major obstacles in obtaining basic things like competent and inclusive medical care, adequate and stable housing, and meaningful employment. Many TGI people are forced to turn to underground economies to support themselves and face significant criminalization. The TGI Wellness and Equity Fund would provide funding to TGI-serving organizations across the state to increase services for things like housing, medical and mental health care, emergency food assistance, and more.
The TGI Community-Based Reentry Services budget request would provide much-needed funding for services for TGI people leaving jails and prisons. We know from our work with TGI people in custody that many end up incarcerated due to the rampant discrimination and criminalization they face in society. Due to racial profiling, the criminalization of poverty, and lack of public awareness about TGI identities, TGI people are frequently incarcerated. Lack of access to institutions of education, employment, and healthcare, among others, pushes TGI people to the margins of society, leaving this community vulnerable to entry into the prison industrial complex. Once incarcerated, TGI people experience alarmingly high rates of sexual abuse, harassment, and violence by both incarcerated persons and jail and prison staff. TGI people struggle with the trauma of being detained and face systemic challenges to reintegrate into society after being released. Post-incarceration is a critical time when TGI people need support to get back on their feet. Funding for TGI Community-Based Re-Entry Services would help fund culturally competent programs that include things like rental and housing assistance, transportation support, emergency food, and wraparound services.
CTPA and the LGBT Legislative Caucus requested $15 million in annual funding for the Wellness and Equity Fund and $25 million in annual funding for the Community-Based Re-Entry Services. We requested this funding as recurring for three years. In a year when California has a $68 billion budget surplus, this funding would be a drop in the bucket in comparison to the overall state budget, and yet it would have an absolutely critical and life-changing impact for so many in California TGI communities.
California Legislature Rejects All New Funding for TGI Service
Despite months of working with community organizations and allies in the legislature, the California Legislature rejected almost all of CTPA’s funding requests for TGI communities. This was even after legislators had provided misleading assurances for weeks that funding for these programs would be included in the budget. The budget includes no funding for TGI-specific reentry services and only a one-time $13 million re-allocation for the TGI Wellness and Equity Fund. Even this $13 million was actually already allocated last year, but has yet to be released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). So the Legislature provided no new funding for TGI communities.
This rejection of critical funds for TGI communities comes at the start of Pride Month, when politicians like to talk about what they are doing (or pretending to do) for LGBTQ communities. But the Legislature has shown once again that so much of this is empty lip service, and TGI people get put last once again.
We want to recognize our allies in the Legislature such as Assemblymember Santiago and the LGBT Caucus for their work and leadership on this issue. But now that the Legislature overall has once again let us down, we must mobilize to demand that Governor Newsom fund TGI services in the budget. The Governor has the ability to add funding back into the final budget. See below for information about how you can help get this funding added back to the budget!
Sign onto “Governor, Give Us Our Roses” Petition
By clicking this you are able to sign onto the Governor, Give Us Our Roses Petition that will be sent out to the Governor.
Due to rampant discrimination across society, TGI people, and especially transgender women of color, face major obstacles in obtaining basic things like competent and inclusive medical care, adequate and stable housing, and meaningful employment. Many TGI people are forced to turn to underground economies to support themselves and face significant criminalization. The TGI Wellness and Equity Fund would provide funding to TGI-serving organizations across the state to increase services for things like housing, medical and mental health care, emergency food assistance, and more.
The TGI Community-Based Reentry Services budget request would provide much-needed funding for services for TGI people leaving jails and prisons. We know from our work with TGI people in custody that many end up incarcerated due to the rampant discrimination and criminalization they face in society. Due to racial profiling, the criminalization of poverty, and lack of public awareness about TGI identities, TGI people are frequently incarcerated. Lack of access to institutions of education, employment, and healthcare, among others, pushes TGI people to the margins of society, leaving this community vulnerable to entry into the prison industrial complex. Once incarcerated, TGI people experience alarmingly high rates of sexual abuse, harassment, and violence by both incarcerated persons and jail and prison staff. TGI people struggle with the trauma of being detained and face systemic challenges to reintegrate into society after being released. Post-incarceration is a critical time when TGI people need support to get back on their feet. Funding for TGI Community-Based Re-Entry Services would help fund culturally competent programs that include things like rental and housing assistance, transportation support, emergency food, and wraparound services.
CTPA and the LGBT Legislative Caucus requested $15 million in annual funding for the Wellness and Equity Fund and $25 million in annual funding for the Community-Based Re-Entry Services. We requested this funding as recurring for three years. In a year when California has a $68 billion budget surplus, this funding would be a drop in the bucket in comparison to the overall state budget, and yet it would have an absolutely critical and life-changing impact for so many in California TGI communities.
California Legislature Rejects All New Funding for TGI Service
Despite months of working with community organizations and allies in the legislature, the California Legislature rejected almost all of CTPA’s funding requests for TGI communities. This was even after legislators had provided misleading assurances for weeks that funding for these programs would be included in the budget. The budget includes no funding for TGI-specific reentry services and only a one-time $13 million re-allocation for the TGI Wellness and Equity Fund. Even this $13 million was actually already allocated last year, but has yet to be released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). So the Legislature provided no new funding for TGI communities.
This rejection of critical funds for TGI communities comes at the start of Pride Month, when politicians like to talk about what they are doing (or pretending to do) for LGBTQ communities. But the Legislature has shown once again that so much of this is empty lip service, and TGI people get put last once again.
We want to recognize our allies in the Legislature such as Assemblymember Santiago and the LGBT Caucus for their work and leadership on this issue. But now that the Legislature overall has once again let us down, we must mobilize to demand that Governor Newsom fund TGI services in the budget. The Governor has the ability to add funding back into the final budget. See below for information about how you can help get this funding added back to the budget!
Sign onto “Governor, Give Us Our Roses” Petition
By clicking this you are able to sign onto the Governor, Give Us Our Roses Petition that will be sent out to the Governor.
Decarceration Campaigns
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FREE ASHLEY DIAMOND!
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