BY ANDREA HONG MARRA AND RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN — In human rights movements, there are moments when the world seems to turn upside down, and advocates find themselves staring at a reality far harsher and more threatening than they seem equipped to combat.
For us, leaders of two organizations focused on protecting and advancing the rights of transgender people, one of those moments occurred on Feb. 21, 2022, when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a non-binding legal opinion that allowing transgender children to receive medically necessary care was tantamount to child abuse under state law. Governor Greg Abbott piled on, urging citizens to report their suspicions of minors receiving this essential healthcare.
Attacks on the rights of trans people — and especially trans children — were, of course, not new. Since 2016, we have seen a steadily increasing wave of anti-trans bills in state legislatures around the country, fueling a barrage of anti-trans rhetoric and misinformation, as well as rising violence against trans people.
But this was next level: An undemocratic and draconian assault on trans families. Our families.
It was also, we realized, a moment of deep reckoning for the trans rights movement. Our opponents were outgunning us, outspending us, and essentially doing everything in their power to dehumanize trans people — along with all LGBTQ+ people — in the eyes of the American public.
It was a moment that demanded a bold response.
Within days, the two of us met in person to articulate that response. Our organizations have a long history of working together and informing and strengthening each other’s work. The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is the leading voice for trans rights in Washington, D.C. The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) is the preeminent legal advocacy group for trans people facing discrimination.
Both our organizations had grown tremendously over the years. Both, in fact, were the strongest they’d ever been and were doing great work.
Yet we did not have an immediate answer to the level of escalation in Texas.
We realized we could do much, much more together than we could separately. With unanimous consent from both of our boards, we decided to merge our two organizations into a single powerful force on behalf of trans people in America. The merger, which becomes official this summer, will create Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), a trans-led national organization with double the resources, double the brilliance and experience, and double the fierce commitment to justice for all trans people.
With this merger, we will have the power to take bigger, bolder steps to secure trans equality, which is what this is all about. It is not about saving money or eliminating redundancies. Everyone is keeping their job, and we will continue providing — and strengthening — the life-saving work that NCTE and TLDEF have led these past two decades. We will build upon each other’s strengths to advance human rights for all trans people.
We are the first generation to wrestle with trans rights as part of the public discourse. This was simply not happening 20 years ago, even while gay rights were moving ahead. But here we are, and we have a window of perhaps five to 10 years, while public opinion is still flexible, to win the hearts and minds of the American people.
And that’s where A4TE comes in. Together, we will be twice as loud. This merger is about galvanizing our advocacy power on behalf of trans people, marshaling our diverse strengths, and ensuring trans people have a real opportunity to participate and succeed in American life. Right now we have a unique opportunity to turn the tide of anti-trans propaganda and legislation.
It’s also about solidifying leadership by trans people for trans people. The need for trans leadership has never been greater. The two of us will work together with each other and a senior leadership team to oversee this new organization. Notably, we are both trans leaders of color, which matters because trans people of color experience greater discrimination and violence. We stand ready to pick up the mantles of our founding mothers, Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major, Monica Roberts and so many more and build on the efforts of the many LGBTQ+ and trans advocacy organizations working across the country. We will show up for the trans community by leading a modern-day movement to protect and advance the rights of all trans people.
Paxton’s legal opinion turned out to be a political ploy to help him win re-election amid allegations of bribery and corruption. But that’s not to say we won’t see a repeat of what happened in Texas, there or somewhere else, with potentially greater repercussions.
The difference is that now we are prepared. We are Advocates for Trans Equality. We are ready to lead the fight against trans oppression. We believe in a future where trans people are no less than equal and we won’t stop fighting until that future is here.
Andrea “Andy” Hong Marra (she/her) is the executive director of Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen (he/him) is the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.
