Donald Trump seems to be spending the first months of his presidency doing nothing but withdrawing human rights protections. Transgender bathroom access protections are the latest protection to be rescinded under Trump's administration — and although there are always transgender rights organizations to donate to, it's more important now than ever to support them. If you're feeling helpless, offering your money, time, skills, or all of the above to these organizations can help make a real difference.
Barack Obama implemented transgender bathroom rights last May to make it safer for transgender kids to use the bathroom at school that corresponds with their gender identity. This protection is vital; some kids begin living as the gender they identify with before even entering school, while others transition in elementary, middle, or high school. Forcing kids to use bathrooms that correlate with the sex they were assigned at birth puts an already vulnerable population in danger of experiencing violence, harassment, depression, stress, and trauma.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry published a study that concludes that the best way to help trans kids is to support them. According to the study, trans children from supportive backgrounds who are engaged with supportive peers are no more likely to have depression than their cisgender peers.
Kids spend seven hours a day at school five days a week, so removing a protection that supports and keeps them safe at the place they spend most of their time is a devastating blow for trans students. Transgender teen Gavin Grimm's fight for his rights to use the bathroom is going all the way to the Supreme Court. He told the Huffington Post, "All I want to do is be a normal child and use the restroom in peace."
The trans community needs our support now more than ever. Here are 15 organization you can donate to right now to support trans rights.
Image: Getty Images
1National Center for Transgender Equality
The National Center for Transgender Equality, the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization for transgender people, works at the local, state, and federal levels to change laws, policies, and society.
2Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending gender identity discrimination, and seeks to achieve equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, and public policy effort.
3Trans Life Line
Trans Lifeline, a non-profit dedicated to the wellbeing of transgender people, is a hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people. Trans Lifeline volunteers listen and support people from the trans community.
4Transgender Law Center
The Transgender Law Center is committed to changing laws, policies, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.
5The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ teens and young adults.
6GLSEN
GLSEN (pronounced "glisten") was founded in 1990 by a group of teachers in Massachusetts who came together to improve an education system that too frequently allows its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students to be bullied or discriminated against. It's now a national organization committed to ensuring safe schools for all LGBTQ students.
7Trans Student Educational Resources
Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming educational environments for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. Additionally, TSER educates the public and teaches trans activists how to be effective organizers.
8The Sylvia Rivera Law Project
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project works to guarantee freedom for all people to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.
9Gay-Straight Alliance Network
GSA Network fights for educational justice by working with grassroots, youth-led groups and Gay-Straight Alliances to empower them to educate their schools and communities, advocate for policies that protect LGBTQ youth from harassment and violence, and organize in coalition with other youth groups across identity lines to address broader issues of oppression.
10Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
PFLAG unities people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer with families, friends, and allies. Since 1972, PFLAG has been committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education, and advocacy.
11TransWomen of Color Collective
The TransWomen of Color Collective supports the narratives, lived experiences, and leadership of trans and gender non-conforming people of color, and their families and friends, as they work toward collective liberation for all oppressed people.
12Gender Spectrum
Gender Spectrum creates gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens by providing help to families, organizations, and institutions to increase understandings of gender.
13National LGBTQ Task Force
The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice, and equality for all LGBTQ people by training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where everyone is free to be themselves.
14Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer civil rights organization. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
15TransTech Social Enterprises
TransTech Social Enterprises, an incubator for LGBTQ talent with a focus on economically empowering transgender people, is a co-working, co-learning community dedicated to empowering trans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer people, and allies with practical, career-ready skills.
