✨🎅🤶 Give a little (trans) joy to the world
On Giving Tuesday, a personal ask to help trans and nonbinary youth.
Maybe you, like me, have lost track of the number of anti-trans bills filed this year. This is just one front of SO MANY that has my heart broken and my body bracing for a politically brutal 2024.
When everything feels overwhelming, I find it helpful sometimes to zoom in and take a small action. Today, I can’t change the laws already passed this year banning access to gender-affirming healthcare and making it illegal to change one’s birth certificate—both things I benefit from—but I did just send clothes and art supplies to three trans youth who need a little joy this holiday season.
Meet Transanta 🎅🤶
Imagine if, instead of writing a letter to the North Pole, you wrote a letter of holiday wishes to the most accepting, loving real-life fairies. Transanta is the Giving Tree from my childhood church meets social media campaign meets wedding registry. And all directly benefiting trans youth.
Here’s how it works:
Every year trans and non-binary youth in need ages 24 and under are invited to apply. (Applications are open until Dec 8. Spread the word.)
The Transanta team posts these holiday letters to their Instagram @transanta along with a link to each person’s holiday gift list.
We (you, me, your best friend…) put on our virtual Transanta hats and purchase items off of the lists (and/or make a tax-deductible donation to support the Transanta team)
Level Up: Make a donation on behalf of a beloved and download this cool graphic to give alongside your own menorah/tree/non-denominational tablescape.
A little bit more about Transanta in their own words:
Transanta exists to show trans youth that they are loved and supported, and that they have a family of people around the world who care for them, believe in them, and want them to succeed.
Founded in 2020 by Indya Moore, Kyle Lasky, and Chase Strangio, Transanta was born of a desire to center trans care, joy and giving at a time of escalating violence and attacks on the trans community.
There are hundreds of letters posted—here’s just one that will tug on your heart.
The Transanta team created a directory where you can browse visually or sort by the least gifted (to help spread the love around).
Thank you for joining me to spread some trans & queer joy this holiday season,
xx Kyle
P.S. While we’re here—check out Transanta’s queer-and-trans-owned small business gift guide!
P.P.S. You know who hasn’t lost track of all of the anti-trans legislative efforts? Chase Strangio and the ACLU. Please support them, too. (And the number, unfortunately, is a staggering 506 anti-LGBTQ bills this year…)