During 2017, our team has crisscrossed the South from Henderson, NC, to Piedmont, SC, to Pass Christian, MS to provide 26 free Pop Up Clinics on topics ranging from trans safety to name change documents to immigration law.
When we ran a free name change and family rights clinic at the public library in Pass Christian we didn’t know if 5 or 15 people would show up. Turns out that more than 40 people packed the room that night, many of whom drove more than an hour to get there.
We ramped up our free clinics this year in response to the fear our community was experiencing as political attacks and threats of violence increased. We also ran more than 20 trainings across the South about transgender awareness and sensitivity with medical providers, educators and students.
(Que Bell and Daroneshia Duncan led a name change clinic in Selma, AL in January.)
(Fletcher Page and Ivy Gibson-Hill led a training at West Virginia Wesleyan last weekend with this great group of students.)
These clinics and trainings are about getting LGBTQ-friendly direct services to our folks in their hometowns. During these clinics, we often share a meal and create a space where people can build connections and be treated with respect and dignity.
Ultimately, this work is about building a South where folks have access to LGBTQ-friendly medical and legal services in their hometowns, a South where LGBTQ people are thriving.
