CommuniTEA

The things that made us laugh until we cried, say WTF, and more.

This week we discuss where and how we've each been finding hope in these less than hopeful times. Spoiler: a lot of it is rooted in being very real about where we are & leaning on each other. 

Oh and look out for a laughing fit we didn't cut because who doesn't need a laugh right now. 

A conversation on all things 2020: Zoom calls, COVID hoaxes and anti-maskers (spoiler: we are not here for either of them), and how 'the work' is connected to all of it.

Equality New York (EQNY) is an advocacy organization that unites and amplifies the social and political voices of the LGBTQI communities throughout New York State. They work to advance equality and justice for LGBTQI New Yorkers and their families. EQNY uses an intersectional lens to ensure equitable outcomes for our community. Learn more about legislation they are working on including Loitering AKA "Walking While Trans" and the Transgender Jail & Prison Protection Bill. Explore their Advocacy Institute.

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Sign Up here to learn more about advocating for the right of LGBTQI folx and continue to educate (y)ourself on how legislation affects the LGBTQI community through posts such as: NYS 2021 Budget: What Does This Mean for the LGBTQI Community?

Instagram!: @tanyaasapansa, @equalitynewyork, @the_babine

Twitter!: @equalitynewyork

Learn more about the lawsuit filed on the behalf of Tanya and Cecilia Gentili by the Human Rights Campaign against the Trump Administration challenging a recent rule change which strips away anti-discrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act.

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Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker

Tanya is a U.S Army Veteran and the co-founder of New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG). She currently facilitates the Transgender Women’s Group at SAGE, in their Midtown Manhattan location. Tanya fought for the expansion of LGBTQ rights in New York both working on campaigns focused on passing SONDA & GENDA. She lobbied the Assembly and Senate in Albany for 17 years, helping get gender identity added to existing human rights legislation through GENDA. Tanya helped create the Transgender Transitional Housing Program (TTHP) at Housing Works and helped to develop program protocols which included affirming documentation, life skills, and holding cultural sensitivity competency trainings for both staff and clients.

Tanya is proud member of NYC Metropolis Council with A Wider Bridge a Jewish American LGBT organization. She has been awarded the Legacy of Life Award by New York City Councilman Richie Torres; Woman of Distinction from the New York State Senate Senator Brian Benjamin, the Marsha P. Johnson award, and many more awards.

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Amanda Babine

Amanda has been working in the social sector for the last 10 years, focusing on leading impactful campaigns and programs using an equity lens. She has been committed to improving policies and programs that will impact communities and believe that accomplishing this goal is dependent on developing strong research findings, transferring knowledge, and shaping sound policies.

Amanda joined Equality New York after being the Director of Policy & Programs at the New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG). At NYTAG, she led advocacy and organizing programs, a state-wide coalition, and a gender diversity know your rights curriculum development. During her time there, the coalition assisted in passing 4 landmark pieces of legislation that helped us move towards our goal of creating a more equitable state for all LGBTQI New Yorkers.

'The Work' looks different for each of us, not least because we come to it with different racial identities. In this episode we talk about how we personally arrived at this moment, what the work looks like for us, how we are assessing our lives consistently to become more anti-racist, and about finding joy in authentic relationships.

Whew. It's been a week.

In this episode we spend time checking in with each other, offer thoughts and approaches for conversations about racial justice with friends and family, and discuss finding your sustainable lane in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Interested in something we've talked about:

PS - We're still recording remotely and wifi wouldn't let us be great in some parts but thanks in advance for your grace! 

Work and Identity: How do we disentangle our identity and worth from our jobs? Should we? 

Expectations, needs, and showing up - in the age of COVID and beyond.

What did we used to talk about before coronavirus?