Support and Self-Love: A Transgender Woman's Story

In the Washington, DC area, where New Ways Ministry has its office, transgender issues have been prominent in the news this past year–unfortunately, for very tragic reasons.   A recent posting on ColorLines.com begins:

“This year was a bloody one for transgender women of color in Washington, D.C. In late July, Lashai Maclean was shot to death 10 blocks away from the office of Transgender Health Empowerment in Northeast D.C. Just 11 days later—and one block away from the scene of McLean’s slaying—Tonya Harrell was shot at but escaped. And in April, Chloe Alexander Moore was physically assaulted by an off-duty police office.”

Add to these the very high-profile attack  of Chrissy Lee Polis near Baltimore, and the defeat of a transgender equality bill in the Maryland legislature, and 2011 will not go down as a happy year for those who support justice for the “T” members of the LGBT community.

The ColorLines.com  posting caught my eye because it contains a very moving first personaccount of Danielle King, development manager of the National Center for Transgender Equality, who grew up in a Catholic family. It is a story that promotes awareness and inspires courage.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry