The Carceral State: Examining the Treatment of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People in NY

To mark Transgender Day of Visibility, the LGBTQ Policy Center is pleased to announce a discussion on the policies impacting transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people in the criminal justice system—where they are disproportionately represented. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, they are arrested, incarcerated, and subjected to higher rates of community supervision than others in prison. Recently, this issue has become a flash point in New York following the closure of a unit in Riker’s Island that was designed to protect transgender women, and a subsequent battle in the New York City Council over whether to reinstate services for transgender, non-binary, and intersex detainees. At the federal level, the Trump administration recently issued an executive order directing transgender women to be housed in men’s prisons and ending their gender affirming care.

This event will feature advocates and policymakers in a conversation about transgender and gender non-conforming people and the carceral state, with a spotlight on New York City.

Victoria Von Blaque (they/she) is a pioneering non-binary, trans-feminine individual who has made significant contributions across various fields. As the first BBW trans porn star on the internet, they have challenged Eurocentric beauty standards and broken barriers in the adult entertainment industry. Victoria is also the founder of Femme Fatale, LLC, which explores diverse aspects of adult entertainment. In 2014, they transitioned to work for a nonprofit focused on protecting LGBTQ youth from housing instability and empowering them to live independently. Victoria has become a sought-after speaker, delivering impactful talks on DEI, healthcare, sex work, and LGBTQ competency at prestigious conferences. Their unique life experiences as trans femme and cultural enterprise consultant enhance their advocacy for the TGNB community. Through engaging presentations, Victoria fosters vulnerability and understanding, positioning themselves as a catalyst for change and inspiration for embracing diversity and inclusivity.

Tabytha Gonzalez (she/her) is an award-winning international trans advocate, educator, activist, raconteur, and coordinator and human rights specialist for the NYC Commissions on Human Rights. She is also cohost and executive producer of the podcast FQ Crazy Sexy Cool. She has contributed a portion of her life’s journey to the award- winning documentary The Stroll on Max. Gonzalez has been recognized as one of the NYC 100 Power Players in Politics NYC. She is also a founding member of the Trans Equity Coalition, through which she helped raise 1.8 million dollars to fund trans-led organizations, and a founding member of the National Trans March. She has received a proclamation from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Citation of Merit from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson for her years of work in the non-profit sector. Also a prominent NYC house & ballroom figure, she is a public speaker dedicated to social justice, empowerment, and equity for Black and Brown gender diverse communities, and has consulted on several projects for capacity building and inclusion for various NYC inter-agency, community, and international organizations

Zein Murib (they/them) is Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University Lincoln Center. They specialize in the study of race, sexuality, and transgender politics in the United States. Murib’s scholarship has been published in Politics & Gender; Transgender Studies Quarterly; Signs; Laws; and Politics, Groups, and Identities. Murib’s book Terms of Exclusion: Rightful Citizenship Claims and LGBT Political Identity Construction examines how rights and claims made by marginalized groups only succeed in attaining recognition and safety for those closest to the prototypical white, male citizen. Murib’s second book, Hormones and the Body Politic, examines what discourse around hormones can tell us about race, gender, and class in American politics. You can find their analysis of the current pushes to criminalize transgender people in Teen Vogue, the Washington Post, online at Good Authority, and on social media @zeinmurib.

Moderators:

Erin Mayo-Adam (she/her) is the Director of the LGBTQ Policy Center at Roosevelt House, an associate professor in the Political Science Department, and a member of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Faculty and Curriculum Committee. She is the author of Queer Alliances: How Power Shapes Political Movement Formation and has published in numerous academic outlets, including the Law & Society Review, Law & Social Inquiry, and the Oxford Encyclopedia of LGBT Politics and Policy. Her research is situated in the fields of American politics, law and society, and political theory and bridges scholarship on social movements, interest groups and public policy, intersectionality, gender and sexuality, and migration and labor politics.

Tanea Lunsford Lynx (she/they) stewards the LGBTQ+ Community Space at Hunter College. They are a writer, educator, cultural worker, and fourth-generation Black San Franciscan on both sides. In 2013, they piloted a youth restorative justice project in San Francisco, diverting cases from juvenile court and facilitating restorative community conferences. Two years after leaving the project, a report found that there was a near 0% recidivism rate for young people who had completed the program during their stewardship. Their master's thesis was a set of interviews and reflections identifying promising solutions toward transformative justice. They make sense of the world by gathering with others, tending to queer community with great care, and writing down the strangeness and the miracle of everyday life.