KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Monday, a judge temporarily blocked the Missouri Attorney General’s rule that would limit transgender care. That temporary restraining order lasts until May 15.
According to tracktranslegislation.com, a total of 50 anti-trans bills have been introduced in the 2023 legislative session in Kansas and Missouri.
Now, a transgender man is making it his goal to make sure others get the gender-affirming care they need.
Co-founders Lee Zuvanich and Sarah Jane Ron quickly launched Transitional Justice last week after hearing from an influx of people who are worried about losing their healthcare or the healthcare of their loved ones.
“I was getting on Reddit and seeing people post all across, you know, different states saying I have to move all of a sudden," Zuvanich said. "I didn’t think this would happen, it’s all happening so fast, I don’t know what to do."
Transitional Justice has received a couple of offers for fiduciary sponsorships, so it hopes to become an official 501c3 under their umbrella soon.
It will partner with other national organizations and landlords to provide temporary housing to families as they relocate in states that allow their healthcare needs.
“Our organization is assessing risk according to a variety of issues, including race and identified gender and gender presentation, because if that puts you at greater risk of harm, then we want to prioritize those people for housing,” Zuvanich said. “It just feels political and disconnected from the reality that we’re experiencing.”
Zuvanich hopes it will give back to people in the LGBTQ community a sense of autonomy and peace.
“It’s anger, its frustration, it’s sadness. Im not scared of the changes that are being made, if anything its lighting fire that myself and others in the community are feeling,” said Charlie Davidson, a transgender man.
Davidson has been a part of the LGBTQ community since he was 13, but it has only been a few years since he started taking hormones to transition his body.
“Making a doctor’s appointment, really after thinking about it for years, like decades at that point, was really when was able to name it and say, 'Oh, I am trans. These are the steps that I’m personally going to take to affirm myself,'” Davidson said.
Davidson says there is a lot of misinformation around the transgender community. He encourages people to do their own research.
“Just love each other and ask questions,” Davidson said.
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