In Life and In Death, We Are All Survivors

#BlackTransLivesMatter

Unfortunately, as violence against transgender women of color is so rampant, BreakOUT! was already in the process of releasing a statement called #BlackTransLivesMatter when we heard the news.

Below is an excerpt from that statement:
 
When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2015, many people were hopeful for a year of change.

CLICK BELOW TO READ!

Join us as we march in solidarity with the Congress of Day Laborers for human rights, dignity, and respect for our communities.  Then, support the Congress of Day Laborers and BreakOUT! as we stand in solidarity for increased community input in NOPD policies regarding discriminatory policing and an end to NOPD's collaboration with Immigrations and Custom Enforcement.  The Congress of Day Laborers will be delivering a letter to the Mayor's Office while BreakOUT! will be delivering a copy of our new report, "We Deserve Better."

The report is the result of over a year's worth of research by BreakOUT! members to gather data about LGBTQ youth's experiences with policing in New Orleans, particularly transgender young women of color.

As many of you already know, October 11, THIS SATURDAY, is NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY, a day that – while well intentioned – doesn't always address the lived realities of LGBTQ youth of color who are criminalized and policed. For many of us, especially transgender and gender non-conforming youth, being “in the closet” was never an option. And for others, simply being visible – without structural changes to state-based violence – still isn’t safe.

Let’s flip the script on National Coming Out Day, #NCOD! Let's use #NCOD to talk about Coming Out in the face of policing and criminalization. Let's talk about issues that matter to LGBTQ youth of color. Let's talk about strategies for staying safe with the police and on the streets.

And let’s share our #GetYrRights strategies with youth all

BreakOUT! is celebrating the launch of the Building Our Power Institute, a 15-week long leadership development and organizing training for BreakOUT! members.  The Institute will run two cohorts a year, one in Spring and one in the Fall, and incorporate political education, youth organizing and movement building, healing and wellness, Know Your Rights trainings, individual goal-setting, and more.  The BOP Institute was designed through a partnership between our youth leaders and Organizers “to build upon the awesomeness generated by BreakOUT! Members, and to foster their development into fiercer community leaders.”

The Institute will also build BreakOUT!'s capacity by providing a clear leadership pipeline for youth, additional ways for youth to move up and through the organization,