Raquel Willis Believes in Black Trans Power

UNDISTRACTED with Brittany Packnett Cunningham

President Biden signed new protections for LGBTQ people on Day One of his presidency—but new anti-trans legislation is cropping up everywhere, and violence against gender-nonconforming folks, especially Black trans women, remains high. How can we fix this? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with activist and writer Raquel Willis to talk about everything from the new administration to the trans ancestors you never heard about. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

Here are the legendary trans ancestors Raquel mentions in the episode:

• Mary Jones: A Black trans sex worker living in New York in the 1830s.
• Frances Thompson: A formerly enslaved Black trans woman who fought in the Memphis Riots and later testified before Congress.
• Marsha P. Johnson: A Black trans woman who was among the first to resist police raiding Stonewall, sparking the LGBTQ Rights Movement.
• Sylvia Rivera: A trans Latina activist and veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising
• Crystal LaBeija: The legendary founder of The House of LaBeija.

And some of her trans “siblings” leading the fight today:

• Ceyenne Doroshow: Founder and Executive Director of GLITS Inc
• Ianne Fields Stewart: Founder of The Okra Project
• C. Riley Snorton: Professor of English Language and Literature, archiving Black trans history
• Tourmaline: Activist, photographer, filmmaker

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