Disability Communities Defending Democracy

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Inclusive Democracy Means Including Transgender People

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Words to Know

  • Accessible means that disabled people can easily use it. This includes disabled people with all kinds of disabilities.
  • Anti-democracy groups are organizations that want to get rid of inclusive democracy. They think only some people should be free to be who they are, get a say in the government, and live in their communities.
  • Anti-discrimination laws are laws protect transgender people and many other people from discrimination. Some examples of anti-discrimination laws are the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act.
  • Anti-trans laws are laws that hurt transgender people.
  • Discrimination is when someone treats you badly because of who you are.
  • Federal government means the government for the whole United States.
  • Funders are people with money who give to organizations.
  • Gender Justice League is a nonprofit that advocates for trans rights in Washington State.
  • Homeless means someone who does not have a home. This can mean many different things like:
    • Sleeping on the street
    • Staying on a friend’s couch
    • Living in your car
  • Inclusive democracy is a government and society where everyone:
    • Is free to be who they are
    • Gets a say in their government
    • Gets a say in what happens in their community
    • Gets to live in and enjoy their community
  • LGBTQ means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer.
  • LGBTQ community organizations are organizations run by and for the LGBTQ community.
  • Social services are programs run by the government that help people.
  • Trans-competent means that the people giving services:
    • Know what transgender means
    • Know common issues that transgender people face
    • Are prepared to support transgender people
  • Transgender people have a different gender than the one people thought they would be at birth. Transgender is often shortened to trans.

Inclusive Democracy Means Including Transgender People

Discrimination makes many transgender people leave their homes. Discrimination is when someone treats you badly because of who you are. Transgender people have a different gender than the one people thought they would be at birth. Transgender is often shortened to trans. To learn more about transgender people, check out ASAN’s guide, Definitions and Beyond.

Transgender people don’t feel safe in their homes and communities. Many other LGBTQ people also don’t feel safe in their homes and communities. LGBTQ means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer.

Many states in the US pass laws that hurt transgender people. We call laws that hurt transgender people anti-trans laws. The people writing these laws want transgender people to feel unsafe. They want to force transgender people out of their communities. And they want to force transgender people to stop being transgender.

People writing these laws are not transgender. They also do not care what transgender people think about anti-trans laws.

Some states have passed many anti-trans laws. For example, Idaho and Montana passed many anti-trans laws. Other states have laws that protect transgender people. Laws protect transgender people and many other people from discrimination. People call these laws anti-discrimination laws. Some examples of anti-discrimination laws are the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act.

Washington State and Oregon have laws that protect transgender people. Washington’s law that protects transgender people from discrimination is the Washington Law Against Discrimination. This law also protects people with disabilities from discrimination. This law has been around since 2006.

Many transgender people move to states that have laws that protect transgender people. Gender Justice League estimates that 8,000 to 15,000 transgender people have moved to Washington State since November 2024. Gender Justice League is a nonprofit that advocates for trans rights.

Moving is expensive. And finding a place to live is expensive. Transgender people are more likely to not have a lot of money. This is because of discrimination. Transgender people who don’t have a lot of money are more likely to want to move. Many transgender people without a lot of money move to Washington State. A lot of those people become homeless. Homeless can mean many things. Here are two examples:

Bijan is a transgender person. They moved to Seattle from Florida. They do not have a job. They find someone to live with. Bijan sleeps on a spare couch. Bijan can’t pay rent and they are not on a lease. This means Bijan is homeless.

Craig is transgender. They moved to Portland with some savings. They lived in a hotel for a few months. They have a job but do not make enough to find a place to live. Craig did not have enough money to stay in a hotel. Craig had to move into their car. This means Craig is homeless.

Transgender people who might become homeless often turn to LGBTQ community organizations. LGBTQ community organizations are organizations run by and for the LGBTQ community. Some organizations can give money and help people find a place to live. But these organizations don’t have enough money to help all of the people that are coming.

Gender Justice League wrote a report about this issue. The report says how to help transgender people moving to Washington State. DCDD thinks that report is very important. We want to talk about why that report is important.

Inclusive Democracy Matters

Inclusive democracy is a government and society where everyone:

  • Is free to be who they are
  • Gets a say in their government
  • Gets a say in what happens in their community
  • Gets to live in and enjoy their community

People who write anti-trans laws do not want transgender people to be who they are. They don’t want transgender people to live in and enjoy their communities. They want transgender people to be scared. They write laws about transgender people without talking to transgender people.

Anti-trans laws are anti-democracy. Any laws that discriminate against a group of people hurt inclusive democracy. DCDD believes that transgender people should be free to be who they are. We believe that transgender people should get to live in and enjoy their community. Transgender people should not have to leave their homes and communities to feel safe.

All Means All

Anti-trans laws hurt disabled people. Many transgender people are disabled. Transgender people are more likely to have a disability than people who are not transgender. Some anti-trans laws specifically mention disabled people. Those laws try to say disabled people should not be allowed to be transgender.

Anti-democracy groups advocate for anti-trans laws. Anti-democracy groups are organizations that want to get rid of inclusive democracy. They think only some people should be free to be who they are, get a say in the government, and live in their communities.

Anti-democracy groups want to take away rights from many kinds of people. Anti-democracy groups in the US often write laws that hurt both transgender people and people with disabilities. When anti-democracy groups win, they use their wins to go after more people. We need to work with other kinds of people stop anti-democracy movements. We are only safe when all of us are safe.

Recommendations for Government and Funders

Governments should:

  • Not pass laws that discriminate against transgender people
  • Not pass laws that discriminate against anyone
  • Get rid of all anti-trans laws
  • Pass laws that protect transgender people

This includes local, state, and federal governments. Federal government means the government for the whole United States.

Governments should also give money to LGBTQ community organizations. This money should go to support transgender people. For example, transgender people moving to safer places. Gender Justice League says that Seattle needs $2 million dollars for LGBTQ community organizations. The City of Seattle gave $300,000 dollars to LGBTQ community organizations. This is a great start.

LGBTQ community organizations need more money, but this money will still help transgender people moving to Seattle. We think the state government should help. They can do this when they make a new budget in 2027.

Funders should also give money to support LGBTQ community organizations. Funders are people with money who give to organizations. The Gender Justice League says that funders are giving less money to LGBTQ community organizations. This hurts the LGBTQ community. Funders need to give money to LGBTQ community organizations. This is even more important when states pass anti-trans laws.

One program we think is important is the Gender Justice’s League Community Safety Program. This program helps transgender people who have experienced:

  • Rape
  • Abuse
  • Hate crimes

This program helps people moving to Washington State. It also helps people who already live in Washington State. This program is important.

Governments should also make sure that social services have enough money. Social services are programs run by the government that help people. Some examples of social services are:

  • Disability services
  • Housing vouchers and public housing
  • Medicaid and Medicare
  • Food stamps

It’s very important that social services have enough money to help people. Governments should give more money to social services.

Governments should make sure social services are trans-competent.

Trans-competent means that the people giving services:

  • Know what transgender means
  • Know common issues that transgender people face
  • Are prepared to support transgender people

Governments should also make sure social services are accessible to disabled people. Accessible means that disabled people can easily use it. This includes disabled people with all kinds of disabilities.

For example:

  • Wheelchair users can go to social services offices
  • Information is available in plain language

Nothing About Us Without Us

Governments should listen to transgender people. Transgender people can tell governments what they need. The Gender Justice League report is one example of transgender people telling the government what they need.

Governments should listen to transgender people with disabilities. Transgender people with disabilities can tell governments what they need.

Organizations that work with disabled people should include transgender people. For example:

  • Self advocacy groups
  • Developmental Disability (DD) councils
  • Direct support agencies
  • Supported living providers

Transgender people with disabilities can tell organizations what they need. They can tell organizations how they can do better.