Dear John,

This year, the Administration and the far right worked not just to persecute and endanger transgender young people but to erase them from existence. But Advocates for Youth in partnership with youth activists across the country continued the work to ensure trans young people are safe, affirmed, and celebrated for who they are.

Donate $50, $100, or $250 today to support youth activists fighting for trans health and rights.

DeOnyae-Dior, a part of Advocates' Trans-Affirming Schools Project as well as Engaging Communities around HIV Organizing, shared this about her work and what’s important right now:

“I was proud to join the Trans Affirming Schools Project youth cohort and share strategies with other trans young people in this fight. Young people like myself with intersecting identities, like being Black and Brown, living with HIV, are dealing with systems that aren’t meant for us. We’re often not taken seriously, and our lived experience isn’t valued. But Advocates for Youth has centered my lived experience to inform policy and activism. They have transformed my activism and brought me into spaces where I am appreciated, respected, valued, and heard.

Trans people don't just survive. We have continuously set the standard for resilience. I want the world, I want the country, I want everyone to remember that trans young people have always existed. We're not going anywhere. What we do is because of what we've lived through. And trans liberation is not just a dream. It's something that folks really need to put into daily practice.

Change doesn't just happen in the policy rooms or protest space; it happens in the way that we show up and love one another, the way that we tell our stories. Visibility is activism. Resistance is joy, and joy is resistance.”

A donation of $50, $100, or $250 helps activists like DeOnyae-Dior keep working in their communities, building their networks, and mobilizing for change.

I am moved by DeOnyae-Dior and the thousands of activists across our network. With your support, we can continue building a powerful community of young people ready to move this country forward. Make a donation today.

Sincerely,
Debra Hauser
President, Advocates for Youth