By Northern California Youth Council
Since the start of the new administration, we are noticing an uptick in hate speech, threats, and violence on our communities. We know that state-sanctioned violence will have devastating impacts on trans/queer youth and we want to be proactive in preventing harm in our communities.If we feel it, then we know other trans/queer youth are feeling this stress, too.
We created the #TQYouthResist campaign to resist the various ways systems of oppressions show up in our day-to-day lives and stand up for what is right. We hope you and your GSA will join us!
As the Northern California Youth Council, we will resist any challenges that attack our bodies. This includes any restrictions to our access to comprehensive healthcare, including medical care, mental health resources, reproductive services, and other healing options.
Standing in Solidarity
We will stand in solidarity with communities of color, immigrants, undocumented folks, and religious minorities because we know that their struggle is our struggle. We call on GSAs to address white supremacy, xenophobia, and Islamophobia in your clubs because these issues are LGBTQ issues, too.
This GSA Day for Racial Justice–and every day–we are committed to fighting against policies that are racist, and anti-black specifically, in our trans/queer communities. We ask you to take a stand and interrupt instances of discrimination that you witness.
Our GSAs will be a place of intersectional organizing where black trans youth, undocuqueer immigrant youth, queer muslim youth, and young femmes of color will be centered. All GSAs should advocate for racial justice, gender justice, and for all who are attacked by this administration. Now more than ever, GSAs need to act as sanctuaries for those who need it and become spaces for action and resistance.
We’re calling on trans/queer youth to lead in making GSAs spaces of organizing. Some of us are partaking in direct actions, like protests, walkouts, and teach-ins. We are making our schools into places that care for the whole student, and that means all of us taking care of each other. We are sharing resources in our communities because that is one way community shows up for one another.
Resisting Together
We are demanding that our local governments actively resist Trump’s policies and that our elected officials actively speak out against the current administration. We should not normalize bigotry and hate speech. We need our government to pass protections for our rights in employment, bathroom access, housing, and many other things. We will fight for those rights when the government does not and take care of ourselves while doing so.
We have lots of work to do. We know that our friend groups, our families, our ethnic communities, and schools are sites for trans/queer youth liberation. We organize knowing others cannot, and knowing others are no longer with us. We ask that you join us. Think about what you can do, and take action—resist!
About the Northern California Youth Council
The Northern California Youth Council is composed of high school and middle school GSA leaders. We build community, learn organizing skills, and support local GSA campaigns. We strategize for trans/queer youth power and resiliency and center racial justice in our LGBTQ and ally organizing. Contact Aldo Gallardo, GSA Network Lead Organizer, for more information.
About the #TQYouthResist Campaign
Join the #TQYouthResist campaign. Take a selfie with our protest sign that explains how you will resist injustice and fight for trans/queer youth of color resiliency and power!
Download the #TQYouthResist protest sign here.
Post your pictures on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr) and remember to use the #TQYouthResist hashtag.