Hi John,

My name is Karmella. I'm a young Black trans woman living with HIV, and I organize through Advocates for Youth's ECHO program. Today kicks off Transgender Awareness Week, where transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advocating around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the trans community.

For me personally, I've been on one hell of a journey. I went from learning what transgender even meant, to accepting that I was a trans woman, to suddenly needing to grasp knowledge of HIV when I was diagnosed as a teenager. It was all a bit of a rollercoaster.

But now, I've counseled those newly diagnosed with HIV. I've spoken to young trans people coming out or thinking about coming out. I've even spoken to members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Advocates for Youth continues to connect me to major policymakers so a young Black trans woman is in the room where decisions are being made.

Now as a part of the ECHO program, I spread awareness to others across the country about what it means to be trans, the importance of HIV education, and how to hold multiple identities at once.

I'm so excited to tell you about two resources from Advocates for Youth today:

1. This resource guide for Trans Affirming Schools. The purpose of this guide is to equip K-12 educators with resources to build safer, more affirming school environments for Trans, Non-binary, and Gender Expansive youth. I wish my teachers and school administrators had access to this intersectional approach to supporting trans youth.
2. This year’s Trans Awareness Week Toolkit which includes resources, images, sample social media, and publications to support you in amplifying the voices and experiences of TNGE young people.

Trans awareness is so important because there is so much I never knew until I became more involved with the community. Racism, sexism, misgendering, and more can have serious impacts on the health of young trans people. Spreading awareness will give our medical and teaching professionals the knowledge they need to work with our community - whether that's basic pronoun use or a broader understanding of gender expression, sexual identity, and intersectionality.

Since starting my journey to the woman I am today, I have experienced the kind of sexism, racism and transphobia I've mentioned, and I believe it all comes back to the lack of knowledge people have about the community.

Trans youth deserve safe, affirming, and supportive environments. Use this week to educate yourself, speak up, and dedicate yourself long-term to ensure our rights, visions, and dreams are realized!

In solidarity,

Karmella Pettigrew (she/her)
Youth Activist, ECHO (Engaging Communities around HIV Organizing)
Advocates for Youth