Ep 8 - Briana Hamilton

This week Kelly shares with Sam and all of you about the beautiful but tragically short life of Briana Hamilton, a transgender woman in Chicago, and about the troubling trend of violence and injustice against transgender and gender non-conforming people.

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Sources Cited:

Human Rights Campaign

Block Club Chicago

Pink News

National Black Justice Coalition

The Trevor Project

National Center for Transgender Equality

Chicago Police Tip Line

You can go online to TipSubmit on home.chicagopolice.org and leave an anonymous tip. You can also use their service TXT2TIP by entering the number “274637” and anonymously text in a tip. Sharing this tip line number is just one way we can amplify Briana’s story. This is the general tip line, so please mention that you are referencing the murder of Briana Hamilton.

How to Get Active

For more information on The Human Rights Campaigns’ transgender justice work, visit hrc.org/transgender. If you want to be active in programs immediately, the HRC has also launched a campaign called “Count Me In” which encourages everyone to get out there and spread awareness on behalf of transgender and non-binary people. “The more people who show they care, including allies and trans and non-binary people who speak up for the most marginalized in our community, the more hearts and minds we will change.” You can learn more and take action at hrc.org/CountMeIn.  The Trevor Project also offers a “Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People” linked here if you work with young people, or have a young person at home who has questions. 

How to Seek Support

The National Center for Transgender Equality is also a wonderful comprehensive website which shares everything from resources about the transgender community to knowing the rights you have innately to self-help guides. They are at transequality.org. If you just need help there are peer support services and a hotline available at translifeline.org, if you’re in the United States call 877-565-8860. If English is not your preferred language you can press 2 for Spanish services. It is staffed by volunteers who identify as “trans/nonbinary/queer” and operates 24/7. Note that this option offers support through phone only at this time. The most renowned helpline is The LGBT National Hotline at 888-843-4564. It is staffed by volunteers who “identify somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum”. They offer phone, chat, and email options. The last I’ll mention and perhaps most well rounded is provided by The Trevor Project. It is staffed by volunteers, operates 24/7, 365 days a year and offers phone, chat, and text options. Their number is 866-488-7386. You can also text “START” to 678-678. To open a chat visit thetrevorproject.org/help. 

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