Prisons are not safe, healthy, or fair for anyone. They can be especially toxic to trans people. And yet, many trans people in prison find ways to get by, build friendships, and fight for change. On Wednesday, May 17, at 6pm ET, come learn from three amazing people who survived incarceration, and support three amazing organizations they lead: Rayne Violet (ARC Gender Justice), Ky Peterson (Freedom Overground), and Dee Farmer (Fight 4 Justice Project). While the event is free to attend, it is a fundraiser! Please give generously to all three organizations.

Nadirah Ali, one of our core members, just learned that her 31-year-old niece passed away from COVID. Please send her a simple sympathy card or condolences. You can write her at Tracey Shaw, OD4315, SCI Muncy, PO Box 33028, St Petersburg, FL 33733 or via ConnectNetwork. Info on mail restrictions at link.

Thank you to everyone who called to make sure Ary got access to her property, including her legal papers--she has confirmed that she now has them!

Recently, we held our first vote on priorities for what we will do together in the Alyssa Rodriguez Center for Gender Justice. Our members decided that our first projects will be:

Creating a newsletter with gender justice news and developments

Creating a guide to legislative advocacy on how to support and oppose gender justice related bills from inside prison

We’re very excited about these choices. Newsletters have long been a key way for information and support to flow across prison walls. And in this political moment, with escalating criminalization of trans existence, abortion, miscarriage, protest (when led by Black or Indigenous people), and voting (when done by poor people, disabled people, or people of color) happening in state legislatures around the country, we love the idea of building all our skills for the struggle.

But—we definitely can’t do it all ourselves! We’re hoping to find a few volunteers to help us make these projects a reality. If you’re interested, please let us know!

In solidarity, Pooja and Gabriel

Hi, our names are Pooja and Gabriel and we are the co-founders of the Alyssa Rodriguez Center for Gender Justice (ARC). After 8.5 years, one of our amazing inside members, Rayne Violet, was released from prison last week!

Rayne Violet is a transfeminine, mixed-race, Native American (Tuscarora, Six Nations of the Grand River) writer and speaker. Rayne fiercely advocated on behalf of herself and other trans people in prison for access to healthcare and safer conditions. She has been involved in several prison justice organizations, including the Prisoner Correspondence Project, Black and Pink, the TGI Justice Project and of course, ARC. She is excited to continue her advocacy work and so much more from the outside, but also needs our support.

We are raising money to assist with Rayne's transition to freedom. Her current needs are a monthly bus pass, interview clothing, help with probation fees and rent money.

For our communities to survive and thrive, we must support our family members when they come home.

Can you give today to support Rayne? Every dollar matters!