As many of you know, I had the great blessing of leading support groups with queer and trans people locked up in San Francisco's County Jail for almost 5 years. What became clear to me almost immediately after I began going in was just how many systemic barriers most of these folks faced long before winding up in jail. Rampant social stigma and discrimination, especially toward trans women who are black, makes finding and keeping safe housing and well-paying work incredibly difficult. The daily violence these women face just walking down the street is something that very few of us can comprehend. More often than not, homelessness looms upon release from jail. And yet, in spite of all the struggles they faced, the thing that made me so love going in there week after week was the incredible kindness, humor, resiliency and grace with which I watched these women navigate their lives, using the limited resources available to them.

Trans women of color are survivors, and I am committed to doing everything I can to support the incredible organizing of Ms. Ceyenne Doroshow and her many mentees in creating safe, long-term housing that will create the opportunity to heal and get a solid footing after the many traumas of transphobia, poverty and incarceration. I'm lucky to say that I know Ms. Doroshow personally, and couldn't be more thrilled about supporting this project; if anyone can do and do it right, it is her.

Given the real estate market, this moment represents an incredible and rare opportunity. Anyone among us who believes that black lives matter should know and understand that investing in the well-being of black trans women will bring us all a step closer to collective liberation. Please join me in digging deep, right now, and donating as much as you can possibly afford to help make this dream a reality. Frankly, the fundraising goal of $1M is far too low for the kind of work ahead, so please give as generously as you can.

Thank you in advance for joining me in this work. This is just the beginning, and I'm grateful to get to roll up my sleeves and do it with you. #BlackTransLivesMatter