Transgender Family Dinners

Website

https://www.facebook.com/translivesmatter

How would you cultivate a deeper relationship with the community you’d like to serve?

Trans Lives Matter wants to have real conversations with people. There's not enough "Kitchen Table Talk" in transgender communities, especially across racial boundaries. Certain services are seen as being "for white people", while others are looked down on as "low class".That's no way to build a strong network of services. At Trans Lives Matter, we're determined to help build that network. But we must know more about our folks. Where do the needs of Latina, Black, API and White trans people meet? How are they different? Does age factor into it? What can be changed to fit the needs of our trans homeless community? We could do a paper or internet survey, but both have limitations and low motivation factors. Food, on the other hand, crosses all cultures. People who wouldn't otherwise trust each other can let their guard down over a good meal. Hence, our trans family dinner idea.

How would you use the $1,000 to turn your idea into a reality?

Trans Lives Matter will partner with more established groups in Seattle, both trans and cisgender. We’ll use the money to buy food and throw Family Dinners. Eating together gives trans folks of all identities a chance to mix in a safe, positive setting. It also lets us listen. Reality check: are we doing right or just doing?

$1,000 will be enough for five Family Dinners. That’s dinner with our Black, Latina/o, API, Homeless, and Youth trans cousins. By the end of the grant, all the groups will know more about what Seattle trans people need. Trans Lives Matter will also have begun connecting to people it may have been harder to reach in other settings.

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