If you hadn’t already heard, the city’s first trans* pride event is hitting Chicago tomorrow, Sunday July 29th! Join this celebration of our transgender, genderqueer, intersex and gender non-conforming communities at TGIF (Trans / Gender Non-Conforming / Intersex Freedom) this Sunday from 12-4pm in Union Park just off the Chicago’s Ashland Greenline stop. The event is much more than a pride parade or rally. It is a political and celebratory festival featuring a speak-out, a keynote address, poetry, skits, a rally and a picnic. It is a collaboration between many of our favorite local organizations including KOKUMOMEDIA, Dyke March, Affinity Community Services, Southwest Youth Collaborative, Center on Halsted, Broadway Youth Center, About Face Theater and more.
In addition to the festivities, our friends at TJLP (Transformative Justice Law Project) are hosting a Name Change Mobilization table where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about the legal name change process in Illinois, as well as a Clothing & Accesories Drive for transpeople who are getting out of prison and jail! Many of the transfeminine folks TJLP advocates for are living inside of prisons and jails across the state in “men’s” facilities. When they are released, TJLP works to provide support services to reduce the harm of the transition from life inside to life outside – a transition that often means limited resources to express and live one’s gender. Thus, TJLP has provided trans and gender non-conforming folks getting out of detention with donated clothing, makeup, hygiene products, bus passes, and gift cards to pharmacies and grocery stores. If you want to help, here are the items that are being requested:
- Women’s and/or femme clothing and shoes in any size.
- New and unused underwear and bras in any size (if you are buying something new, you may just want to get a gift certificate to the store you’d buy if from so they can pick out a size that works for them).
- Makeup and hair/nail/hygiene products such as travel size lotions, toothpastes, combs, etc.
- Cute purses, wallets, and backpacks.
- CTA Cards (1-day and 7-day)
- Folks have specifically asked for gift cards to places like CVS, Walgreen’s, Jewel, McDonald’s, and Target.
- We’ve also had folks ask for used iPods and other sound equipment.
TJLP has requested quality over quantity in donations. One or two super cute and useful donations will go a long way! If you have questions about what to bring, please email info@tjlp.org.
