Building Power at the Intersections REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, TRANSGENDER JUSTICE, AND IMMIGRANT JUSTICE Western States Center, Data Center, & Transgender Law Center February 17, 2016
Agenda 1. Welcome and introductions 2. Webinar logistics 3. Project background 4. Findings from our research 5. Next Steps 6. Questions
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Creating Shared Language Justice: Is the lived experience of equality. Rights: legal rules on what is allowed of people or owed to people.
Creating Shared Language Immigrant Justice: Reproductive Justice: Transgender Justice: Intersectional Organizing: When people from any nation can move freely across borders without fear of discrimination, persecution, economic and social repression or state violence. Having the economic, political and cultural power and resources to make healthy decisions over their own bodies, families and communities. It is when all individuals and families in all communities thrive. When all people can identify and express their gender as who they are and have the economic, political and cultural power and resources to make healthy decisions over their own bodies, families and communities, while living free from discrimination and violence based on gender identity or expression. The understanding that identities (like race, gender, class) and systems of oppression (like racism, patriarchy, and classism) are all interconnected and developing strategies and visions that address the connections.
Background Recognized need to work together our organizations our people our issues
Background: our organizations WSC: grassroots movement building TLC: policy advocacy DataCenter: social justice research
Background: our people marginalized groups community leaders resourceful, but low-resource
Shared Values Family Body Sovereignty Opportunity Access Dignity Health
Values Example: Family Immigrant Justice movement: Talk about keeping families together. Transgender justice Movement: Talk about wanting to be able to support themselves and their families without discrimination based on who they are. Reproductive Justice Movement: Talk about getting to decide when and how they become a parent and size of families.
Background: our issues body autonomy state recognition/state violence access to care right wing attacks:
Our Research Method: Landscape Scan Describe the landscape of organizations and groups that are affected by gender oppression and are seeking to advance gender and reproductive justice as part of their work; Identify legislative, policy, and environmental threats to communities at the intersection of their reproductive lives and gender identities; Identify opportunities for transgender justice, immigrant justice, and reproductive justice organizations to collaboratively disrupt and dismantle these threats and potentially shift individual, institutional, cultural, and/or systemic sites of struggle.
Who did we interview? 40 organizations in 11 states!
Organization Size Some large: Budget size $900K to over $2 million (e.g. Planned Parenthood, statewide equality orgs like One Colorado and Equality Nevada) Some small: Budget size $300K or less. Few staff/no staff. (e.g. Trans Women of Color Collective (NM), Transactive in Oregon, Familia Utah Chapter) Nearly 23% < $75,000 annual budget. 15% between $100K and $300K
Organizing Models Public Education Direct Service Policy Advocacy Direct Action
Similar Challenges, Common Root Issues Right-Wing Attacks and Policies
Similar Challenges, Common Root Issues Access to health care and coverage
Similar Challenges, Common Root Issues Violence
Similar Challenges, Common Root Issues Criminal Justice System
Similar Challenges, Common Root Issues Economic Insecurity
Needs and Resources 1. Increased infrastructure stability for organizations working at the state and local level 2. Communications strategies that resonate across diverse communities 3. Strengthen leadership development programs at the state level 4. Align the vision for long-term work through deep political education
Next Steps: strategies for organizing at the intersections Create spaces for communities to engage in the work; Support organizations through leadership development, capacity building, and base-building training; Support and build on our partners existing political campaigns on the administrative, state, and federal level
Gender Equity Network A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS -JFK
Gender Equity Network Multi-Year Multi-State Intersecting Justice Movements Cohort We Anticipate Launching in Summer of 2016
Goals & Outcomes Foster an environment where TJ, IJ, RJ organizations have a stronger understanding of justice frameworks and alignment on the issues we face and have the power, capacity, tools, and skills needed to make change at the individual, cultural, and institutional levels.
Goals & Outcomes Align vision and values of participating organizations to support effective work at the individual, cultural, institutional levels. JUSTICE!
Goals & Outcomes Facilitate a peer network across participant organizations to strengthen collaborative learning, find diverse community-driven solutions, and create more sustainable social justice organizing work.
Goals & Outcomes Develop and nurture the leadership of grassroots organizations and leaders through technical assistance to apply cohort learning.
Goals & Outcomes Create curriculum and best practices that can be applied in other state, political, and geographic landscapes.
What Happens Next? Program Development Fundraising Develop Criteria for Organizational Application Recruit for Cohort Launch First Cohort with 1st Convening in Summer 2016
Questions?
Anand Kalra Health Programs Manager anand@transgenderlawcenter.org 415.865.0176 ext. 305 Owen Smith Capacity Building Manager owens@wscpdx.org (503) 893-3810 Connie Wun, Ph.D. Director of Community Driven Research conniewun.datacenter@gmail.com 510-835-4692