It's Freedom Month: What Does Freedom Mean to You?

What Does Freedom Mean to You?

It’s Freedom Month here at The Gender Health Center. And we’re starting this month off with a question: What does freedom mean to you?

For us, freedom is ancestral. It’s breathing in the spirit of those who came before us and exhaled justice. It’s the pulse of Marsha throwing a brick, of Miss Major surviving Attica, of our trans elders telling us to “keep going” when the world tried to break us. It’s the softness we offer each other in a world that’s only known how to be cruel. It’s the unapologetic joy of trans femmes laughing in the sun, of chosen family making a way out of no way. It’s the sacred refusal to shrink. The sacred right to rest. The sacred knowing that our freedom was never given, it’s something we become every time we love, organize, cry, dance, and hold each other through the fire.

Here at GHC, we’re holding space not just all month long, but every single day, because freedom is a daily struggle. We constantly have to remind ourselves that trans freedom is not theoretical. It lives in our care for each other. In our art. In our refusal to be erased. And in our absolute insistence on joy, even now… through all that we see in the world today.

Transition Through the Eyes of Love: A Trans Artist Showcase

Last Friday, we gathered in the GHC Living Room to witness something spectacular…

Transition Through the Eyes of Love was more than a showcase. It was a portal to trans joy. Six young trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse artists from our community stood in their trans sacredness and let their energy breathe through sculpture, painting, dance, zines, drag, and performance. Each piece was divine, a living testimony. A declaration that we are still here. A reminder that we have always been here and we will keep pushing culture and society forward.

Art has always been part of how we survive. When language fails, art carries the weight. When the world turns away, art demands to be seen. And in this moment, these six artists turned the Gender Health Center into a sanctuary of vision, vulnerability, and power.

This was so powerful, and we are so proud that we were able to create the space. Our staff put so much into prepping our space to receive the artist's offerings. The artist was able to be witnessed fully by the community and brought their healing energy to the public. Rather, it was a drag performance or a sculpture, and healing energy was at the center of their creativity. This space invited the community into the intimate process of gender exploration, grief, celebration, and becoming.

We want to shout out our inaugural Trans Artist Program (TAP) participants, each of whom brought a different form of brilliance to the space:

Vincent (he/him) – Mirror :

Eden Felix (he/him) – Sculptures:

Shraesht Chitkara (he/they/she) – Dance and choreography:

R.S. (he/they) – Painting: 

Ronzi (they/them) – Zine 

Amelia Need Moore (she/her) – Drag performance

Your work pushed boundaries, opened hearts, and made room for others to see themselves more clearly. Thank you for trusting us with your art and for creating something unforgettable.

As we celebrate Freedom Month, we are reminded that our freedom is not just in protest, but in our art, in human creativity. In every brushstroke, every movement, every note and lyric and image that declares, “We are here. We are whole.” Freedom lives in our ability to share our stories on our own terms. And through this showcase, you gave us a glimpse of the future we’re building, one where trans people are safe, held, and free to create new worlds.

Safety Is a Human Right: Keep Each Other Safe During Scary Times 

We’re in a moment where the weight is real. There’s so much happening at once, and it's heavy. We are holding our LA fam right now, and all our peeps across the country are feeling the pressure and fear. At times like this, we need each other more than ever. Safety is a human right, and yes, it is healthcare.

From the federal deployment of troops to immigration raids in our neighborhoods, we’re seeing the same violent systems show up with more force and less humanity. These tactics are meant to strip people of their dignity. And, just like always, it’s the folks already pushed to the margins: our undocumented, trans, Black, Brown, disabled, and unhoused fam who are bearing the brunt of this cruelty.

Many are scared, and rightfully so. We want you to know that we see you, and we’re here. We’ve pulled together some resources that can help, but more than that, we want to remind you of the power of community. Connection is resistance. Care is resistance. Check our monthly calendar for upcoming gatherings and support groups. Or call to book a therapy appointment. What we’re living through touches our nervous systems, our sense of safety, our ability to feel at home in our bodies and in this world. And even if the world refuses to make space for us, we will keep making space for each other.

We encourage you to stay connected to people and organizations who are rooted in collective care and real safety: 

@norcal_resist 

@immigrantsarela 

@translatinacoalition 

@blmp_collective

These groups are offering real-time updates, emergency support, and ways to stay informed without being overwhelmed. At GHC, we’re continuing to hold space for all of you navigating this moment. Take your time. Protect your energy. Rest when you need. You are not alone, and you never have been.

Goodbye and Remember

Be gentle with yourself. The weight of the world is real, and so many of us are holding more than we speak out loud. Your rest is sacred. Your joy is resistance. Your presence, right here, right now, is enough.

Freedom Month is more than a celebration. It’s remembrance. It’s honoring those we’ve lost and pouring love into those still here. It’s finding the light in ourselves and the small moments, sharing a meal, dancing with your people, and showing up for therapy. These are sacred acts. And you are sacred...

So drink some water. Take a breath. Check on your folks. Let someone hold you if you need it.

We love you. We see you. And we’re right here beside you.

Until next time, stay free...