Contact:
Mateo Mossey, LGBTQ Program Coordinator
California Rural Legal Assistance
(831) 757-5221, mmossey@crla.org
Mia Murrietta, Director of Communications, California Rural Legal Assistance
(510) 267-0762, ext.,1011, mmurrietta@crla.org
Translatinas and Allies Unveil Central California Coast Transgender Data as LGBT Pride Month Starts
Report Is First in Recent Memory, Reveals Big Vulnerabilities for Transgender People in Tri-county Area
Salinas, CA. As communities nationwide began LGBT Pride Month celebrations over the weekend, a new report published by the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) LGBTQ+ program points to high poverty rates among transgender and gender nonconforming individuals living in three Central Coast counties and their acute need for basic resources like education, healthcare, and public safety. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed earned $25,000 or less per year compared to 52% of respondents in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey and 37% of all U.S. adults.
“Pride started off as an act of resistance sparked by drag queens, transgender women of color, and young people hungry for change,” noted LGBTQ+ Program Coordinator Mateo Mossey. “Pride isn’t just about celebrating, it’s about sharing our lived experiences and advocating for our communities to live free of discrimination and violence—to not just survive, but to thrive. That’s what this report is all about.”
The Central Coast Transgender Needs Assessment report was driven by Conexiones, an advocacy group of mostly transgender Mexican women that has been based out of CRLA since 2009.
In 2018, Conexiones determined that a needs assessment focused on transgender individuals in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties could promote broader knowledge of their experiences in the workplace, education, family acceptance/rejection, and more.
Findings were not surprising. In addition to the poverty rates noted above, only 57% had an immediate family member who had told them that they respected and/or supported them. Twenty-six percent reported that they had not been shown any accepting behaviors by an immediate family member.
Despite many obstacles, respondents expressed a desire to pursue education and make changes in their lives. When asked, “Why would you like to continue your education and what would your goals be?” their responses included “To be a better person;” “To leave where I am at in the streets;” “[To] learn more to be able to read and write;” and “To learn more to help others like myself."
To read the full assessment report and learn more about the LGBTQ+ program, visit:
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA)
Founded in 1966, CRLA’s mission is to fight for justice and individual rights alongside the most exploited communities of our society. Through a network of regional offices in 20 California cities and communities, CRLA provides legal services to over 40,000 people through specialized programs focusing on the needs of farm workers, housing, environmental justice, education, individuals with disabilities, immigrant populations, LGBT rights, and women, children and families.
For more information on CRLA, please visit www.crla.org.
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