Policy and Budget Advocacy
TGIJP takes a leadership role on numerous policy and program initiatives, such as decarceration communications campaigns and strategy to build support for decarceration legislation; supporting defund SFPD and the Prison Industrial Complex by forwarding our abolitionist demands; No New Jails SF Coalition membership; collaboration with Beyond Binary Legal and CTPA.
Legal Advocacy & Legislative Policy
Prison rape elimination (PREA): assistance filing complaints under the prison rape elimination act and through prison administrative appeals processes; submission of complaints to u.s. department of justice office of the inspector general for retaliation from filing complaints under the prison rape elimination act and us and state constitutions.
Advocacy: Advocacy for transfer to safer prison or housing within a prison pursuant to SB 132. litigation of incidents of transphobia, abuse, torture, discrimination, against institutional employees and institutions.
Defense support: participatory defense support for criminal charges linked to acts of self defense and survival.
Legislation: Co-Sponsorship of legislation to give tools to TGI people inside CA prisons.
California Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Policy Alliance (CTPA)
The California Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Intersex Policy Alliance (CTPA) unifies Trans Led Organizations Across the State to strive for Groundbreaking Transgender and Intersex Healthcare Budget Allocation Amid Covid19 Pandemic
California, USA — The California Transgender, Gender Non-conforming, Intersex Policy Alliance (CTPA), a coalition of TGI (Transgender, Gender Non-conforming, Intersex) led organizations pushes forth a statewide budget that centers the physical, mental, and spiritual health for the most marginalized TGI communities. Consisting of 25+ of TGI led organizations in Northern and Southern California, the Alliance builds the capacity and leadership of TGI people to create and implement policy change, increase public education, and to gain resources that will improve the livelihood of TGI people, particularly TGI-BIPOC.
Formed in 2020, the CTPA coalition advocated for the passage of Assembly Bill 2218 (Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund) authored by Assemblymember Santiago which created the fund within the Department of Public Health for the purpose of funding holistic healthcare services. Although its passage was historic, no funding currently exists within the fund. As such, the CTPA is requesting $15 million from the State General Fund to the Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund.
The goal of this new appropriation is one part in response to the devastating effect that COVID-19 has on the TGI population in CA, namely the TGI-BIPOC community, and one part to counteract the economic adversity that TGI-led organizations face due to the economic downturn caused by the lasting pandemic. This funding allocation is intended to be distributed as grants to organizations that directly serve transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI) people, as well as healthcare providers that have established partnerships with TGI-serving organizations.
Bills CTPA is Sponsoring/Co-Sponsoring
Sponsoring
TGI Data Collection – Assemblymember Luz Rivas
AB 1163 would require specified state agencies and departments to revise their public-use forms, by January 1, 2025, to be more inclusive of individuals who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex.
This bill would require the agencies to revise their forms to allow individuals to provide their accurate gender identification. This bill would also require the impacted agencies and departments to collect data pertaining to the specific needs of the transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex community, including, but not limited to, information relating to medical care, mental health disparities, and population size
Some departments that would be be required to
- Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency.
- Department of Aging.
- California Health and Human Services Agency.
- State Department of Health Care Services.
- Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
- Department of Housing and Community Development.
- State Department of Social Services.
- Civil Rights Department.
- California Commission on Disability Access.
No later than January 1, 2025, each agency shall update its public-use forms that collect demographic data to be inclusive of individuals who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex and allow an individual to identify on the form as male, female, transgender, gender nonconforming, intersex, or nonbinary. Each agency shall collect data pertaining to the specific needs of the transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex community, including, but not limited to, information relating to medical care, mental health disparities, and population size.
Sponsoring
TGI Reentry Fund – Assemblymember Miguel Santiago
AB 1487 would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, create the Transgender, Gender Variant, and Intersex Wellness Reentry Fund for purposes of funding grants to create programs, or funding existing programs, focused on reentry programming specifically to support transgender, gender variant, and intersex people who have experienced carceral systems. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations.
The State Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity shall administer the TGI Wellness Reentry Fund for purposes of funding grants to create programs, or funding existing programs, focused on reentry programming specifically to support TGI people who have experienced carceral systems.
Upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys in the TGI Wellness Reentry Fund may be used to fund grants to existing and new TGI-specific reentry programs run by TGI-serving organizations. Reentry programs include, but are not limited to, emergency, transitional, or permanent housing, employment linkage and support, direct employment opportunities, workforce development and career development training, entrepreneurship opportunities, mental and general health care, identity document updating services, legal assistance, computer training, services navigation, case management, financial assistance and literacy, and other wraparound and comprehensive services.
Co-Sponsoring
TGI Youth Empowerment Act – Lori D. Wilson
AB 957 would clarify that affirming a child’s gender identity is in the best interest of the child in the California Family Code and remove barriers to name and gender marker changes for minors, increasing the likelihood that a gender-affirming parent is given legal custody and authority to make important decisions about the child’s medical care and education.
Specifically this bill: Lists affirmation of a child’s gender identity as factor to consider in determining the best interest of the child thereby providing family courts the opportunity to include a parent’s affirmation of their child’s gender identity in the best interest of the child analysis. Requires the court to consider that affirming a child’s gender identity is in the child’s best interest when one parent does not consent to a minor’s name and gender marker change to conform with the minor’s gender identity.
The Transgender Advocacy Group (TAG)
The Transgender Advocacy Group (TAG) is a coalition of organizations/firms and individuals providing supporting and advocating for queer and transgender people in custody with the long-term vision of abolishing all carceral systems including, but not limited to Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP); California Coalition for Women Prisoner (CCWP); Medina Orthwein LLP; Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC); Transgender Law Center (TLC); Prison Law Office (PLO); and the National Lawyer’s Guild’s Prisoner Advocacy Network (NLG PAN).
