Award-winning author, keynote speaker, public health consultant,
cultural competency trainer, spoken word performer, and editor/publisher
Welcome to LGBTQ ACCESS:
Advancing Cultural Competency &
Equity in Services & Systems
and Hapa Papa Press
Black Lives Matter
As a long-term public health consultant providing LGBTQ cultural competency training and technical assistance, I center the voices of people of color, who are the most impacted by anti-LGBTQ discrimination and violence. As we work to create LGBTQ-affirming services in your setting, and more affirming workplaces, the lens of racial justice, as well as a broader intersectional lens including people with disabilities and other marginalized groups, inform the path to access, equity, and inclusion.
​As we resist the centuries old, state-sanctioned hatred, bias, and violence directed at Black people, let's honor our Black transcestors who fought for our liberation, and support and celebrate our Black trans and queer siblings. I am deeply grateful for Black liberation movements, which have paved the way for LGBTQ justice.
For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, and sex. In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that Title VII’s prohibition of sex discrimination also bars employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. This decision could have far-reaching implications on federal civil rights laws barring sex discrimination in education, healthcare, housing, and credit—a huge win thanks to the labor and sacrifices of Black people in the Civil Rights movement.
I am proud to stand with API trans and non-binary leaders who collectively authored this powerful statement. Read the full text here.
“When we cite statistics about violence against trans people, we are disproportionately talking about the violence against Black trans people. To end violence against trans people inherently means ending anti-Black violence. When we fight for Black lives, we are fighting for a world where all people can thrive. When we fight for Black lives, we are fighting for the liberation of our ancestors, our communities here with us now, and for future generations. We know that all liberation is connected. And we ground ourselves in our duty to Black liberation, without conditions.”
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There is much to be done. Let’s get to work!
