Moving people is a game of several moves. We might help someone move from their abusive parent’s house to a temporary location like a hotel, then move on to a less expensive temp rented room or airbnb. Then they might wait a month for a visa, fly to another country, again wait in a room while we get them a route to a safe country. It’s a brutal waiting game.
To cut costs and because sometimes our clients can’t pay for a room without being apprehended, we want to establish trans havens.
We also have, from time to time, other special projects.
- How Accommodation Sharing Might WorkDonald Trump won the 2024 Presidential election, and since anti-trans rhetoric has been a central plank of both his campaign and the policies behind it, the prospects are not looking good for America’s trans people. Our advice to trans Americans is to leave the USA in any way possible before he has a chance to clamp down, so this document will consider how the trans community in safer parts of the world can ensure that there are adequate support structures in place when that happens. Our target audience today then are trans groups, allies, and activists outside the USA, who will be instrumental in providing that help.
Providing Safe Accommodation
What do we mean when we talk about help and support? Many arrivals from America will have nowhere to go, so safe accommodation will be of the most use to them. We don’t expect that support to spontaneously arise from the wider community as it did with the Ukrainian refugees, instead it’s up to us in the trans community to step up to the plate. Others will be needed to help them with legal or immigration issues, meanwhile the most important thing for them on arrival will be to know that they will not end up on the streets. This accommodation is, we think, best provided by individuals sharing their spare bedrooms or similar, and not by attempts to set up safe houses. A safe house is a complex thing to set up and get right, and on our travels we have seen more than one with significant problems.This is too big for a single group
Here at Trans Rescue, we know that our small network will not be anywhere near enough to handle the likely numbers of trans Americans needing help. To provide that support it will be necessary for a much wider coming together of groups and individuals to work in unison. This is a much bigger task than any single group can handle. It will be difficult for one international body to coordinate their support from a central point, so we think that each country should have its own groups meeting the needs of its arrivals. This could be a single point in the case of a small country, or a grouping of regional or provincial ones in the case of large countries such as Canada. We would expect that national or regional groups would work with each other in some way at a higher level, indeed we view this cooperation as essential. Our experience shows that when such entities fail to talk to each other it is inevitable that some passengers will disappear in the voids left between them. When lives are at stake there is no room for egos.How can this be done?
So, who is going to do this? It’s likely that there will be many activists willing to take up the baton, but we’d like to exercise a word of caution about going it alone. This is much too large a task for a single person, particularly one who is learning on the job. Down that road lies burnout and failure, so given the short time available to organise, it’s imperative that people work together. Whoever does it, the very nature of the job will require an extensive network to be built in a very short time, and the best placed to do this might be some of the existing support structures. Over the last few years we’ve seen very effective activism in the field of trans healthcare, and we’re guessing that groups of that nature might be best placed to provide the necessary networks. Working with local trans support groups that could find the people on the ground with spare capacity, and perhaps more importantly vouch for their not being problematic, they could then match those hosts with their arrivals. It’s likely that running such an operation will require some significant time from those involved. Far from simply putting up a website to match arrivals with hosts, this will need people to work the phones, maintain the network, check out issues on the ground, and support people wherever they end up. The volunteers running the operation will need to be aware they are making as significant a commitment as taking a second unpaid job for a few months, and it’s important that they do not overwork themselves and burn out. We think that the trans communities in countries outside the USA can provide this level of support to trans Americans fleeing a Trump presidency. We hope that this document has given something of a pathway by which that can be done, and we are looking forward to working in whatever way we can with whatever groups appear in this space. When this is eventually over, we all want to be able to look back at a successful operation to help those trans Americans who escaped Trump. Are you ready to join us? - Post Election Assistance to the USA
It’s happened, and Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States, with all that means for trans Americans.
We wish we could offer all of you one of our individual consultations to help you form a plan to get out. But we’re not going to be able to do that. Since the election was called, less than 3 days ago as we write this, we have received 130 requests for consults, and we expect the number to continue to grow. That’s far more than we can handle in a timely manner. So we are offering different services during this time.
Email. If you have emailed us asking for a 1 on 1 consultation, we are going to try to read every email you have sent. If we think a question won’t be covered by our other services, we’ll respond with an individual email besides our mail merge email. We continue to be reachable for questions at
usa-campaign@transrescue.org
but please attend one of our YouTube sessions first.
Streams We are going to be having a series of YouTube streams. Anyone can participate in these, and there will be a way to ask questions and have them answered. Some of these will be general information, and some will be on specific topics. We recommend first attending one of the general sessions, and then the one on a specific topic. There is a calendar embedded in this page below with times. We will record the live streams.
This is the link for the YouTube live stream.
Office Hours. We will be having office hours. You can show up on an open Google Meet and talk with one of our staff. We ask everyone to first participate in one of our YouTube streams, as space in office hours is limited and better used for questions not handled by the presentations. Here’s the link for the office hours. See the calendar below for times:
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/fez-emmc-ryy
Or dial: 617-675-4444 PIN: 485 383 284 2751#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/fez-emmc-ryy?pin=4853832842751
Mutual Aid. We are organizing mutual aid resources, both in and outside the USA. We are collecting names of those who have a sofa and will host a trans person, those who can give you a spot in the outbuilding on their farm, those who can drive you to a border, and so on. If you can offer such resources, email volunteer@transrescue.org
Fifth, we are publishing more information all the time. Check out our website, particularly this article (bit dated, but still valid), our YouTube channel, and follow us on Mastodon @trans_rescue@mastodon.social. We still also have a presence on the bird site as @Trans_Rescue .
What to know up front
The situation is not hopeless. Of the roughly 80 Americans we’ve spoken with in consults before the election, we were able to help all of them come up with a realistic plan to get out. You need a passport. If you don’t have one, it’s the first step. If you haven’t applied, we suggest attending a help webinar first. We will have some info about how to best apply in the current situation. If you can’t afford one, attend our session on leaving while poor. We cannot give you money to help you leave. We continue to help people in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other incredibly deadly places. We believe anyone can leave, regardless of financial circumstance, on their own. We will have a special session addressing getting out if you have little or no money. Many of you have written to us about asylum options. Asylum is not a realistic option for leaving. Conditions for trans people in the USA at this time do not support an asylum claim. We will have a special event on asylum, but the TL;DR is it’s mostly unrealistic. Sending us material about what you think will happen in the USA is not helpful. We’re not interested in predicting the future. We help people leave. We are in the Netherlands. We would love to do more sessions at evening time, but this means being up at 3am for us. We feel being coherent is important during these broadcasts. We will have a special session on dealing with disability and disability payments.Special Sessions –
See calendar for times. Volunteer tourism – Nov 15 – a way to drastically cut the cost of living outside the USA. Canada – Nov 17 – Canadian visa options DAFT treaty visa and remote worker visas – Nov 18 – The Netherlands has an attractive visa program for Americans who can deposit 5500$ in an account and leave it and have a college degree or extensive job experience and will start a business (usually a consultancy) in the Netherlands. Getting out with few financial resources – Nov 19 – We think everybody can get out. Even if you’re not sure how you’ll pay the rent next month. DATE CHANGED – Now on Google Meet. Volunteer Tourism – Nov 20 – This option combines work and a holiday. This is a popular option for cis young people, but is increasingly a way to increase mobility for folks around the world. DATE CHANGED Citizenship by investment or heritage – Nov 22 – If you have ancestors from somewhere else, within 3-4 generations but especially within 1 or 2, you may be eligible for citizenship there. If you have equity in a home or own a business you may be able to move the investment and be given citizenship where you move. Disability – Nov 25 – untangling the complexities of moving when you are in the disability benefits system, or being disabled makes things more complex.Session Calendar
This calendar is on Pacific time (Los Angeles) - 2024 US ElectionA dark cloud has fallen over America, and it may be many years before it is lifted. The moment we all dreaded has arrived, the Presidential election has been called for Donald Trump. Trump’s supporters will undoubtedly act as though he is already president, and we expect in the immediate future they will act in the expectation that he will pardon any of their actions against people perceived as his enemies. We have already seen what MAGA followers were capable of on January 6th 2021, so we expect that their actions will be lawless. They have been primed for years to see trans people as the scapegoat for America’s problems, and as they search for victims it’s possible they might pick on their nearest one. We Americans in the west’s vast spaces stop to help travelers broken down far from town. We have faith that many of our fellow Americans will, in the end, help us in our time of need. You will find among your fellow citizens those who will respect and protect you, but think about your day-to-day security, and act accordingly. The one bright side is that, though Trump may have won the election it’s worth remembering that the Biden presidency lasts until the 20th of January. Between now and the inauguration there may be an increasing level of danger, but after that the conditions are certain to worsen precipitously. We believe that a Trump presidency will end any notion of safe states or of sanctuary cities, and thus our advice remains that if at all possible, as a trans person you should consider leaving the USA. Ideally you should do this before January 20. We have written at length about planning an exit, and we know that doing so in such a short time will necessitate some difficult choices. How you consider these is up to you, but start by getting yourself a passport if you don’t already have one. Then formulate your plan, whether it be getting on a plane or crossing a border, and once the document arrives, enact it. We know not everyone will escape the new American dictatorship, but we hope you can be one of those who does. Good luck.
- Eden House – Month one, and Why
We’re now 3 weeks into Eden House. It’s been a busy time, so we’re having an update.
What we’ve accomplished:
- Cleaned up
- Gotten the plumbing mostly repaired
- Been broken into 3 times, (local thieves, not transphobia as far as we know) and house security has held each time.
- Improved house security – secured the ladder, installed concertina wire atop the wall in places, replaced many of the locks, and installed motion detector lights
- Developed strong relationships with our neighbors. Honestly , the theives have been a blessing – they’ve given us a non-controversial roject to cooperate on.
- purchased basic household furnishings – cooking equipments, fridge, microwave, a plastic table, mattresses, curtains
- Made more household furnishings – we’ve made 3 sofas and 5 beds. (Tomato crates are amazing!).
- Bought basic carpentry tools, got past some gender stereotypes about what’s appropriate women’s work, and had basic tool use classes. Everyone caught on, and now is much more self sufficient.
- built a chicken coop
- Planted a garden
What Is Eden House, How is a ‘Trans Haven’ different from a ‘hidey hole’ or temp shelter?
A ‘hidey hole’ is a temporary place for a trans person to hide while we get them out. We have these in various places around the world. They’re uncomfortable bare rooms, not a place to live very long.
Some organizations make Queer homeless shelters. A place where a queer person can come and stay safely, but not very comfortably for the long term.
Instead, we’ve chosen to make a more ‘plush’ place. Trans folks can come and stay as long as they like. We help them find productive work within the context of the Haven. Some may choose to stay their entire lives, some may choose to leave soon.
Financially, we expect the place to become self supporting, a communal living space. Folks come and go at a stereotypical ‘hippy commune’, soem staying a long time. We can do much the same.
Why?
Obviously it’s a bigger undertaking than a minimal place with crammed in bunk beds. So why do it?
First, Kenya’s a big country, we regularly get folks asking us for help. Mostly in danger in a small town, they just need a place to go and a bit of travel money. Renting an apartment for each is expensive. In the end, Eden House becomes a free place to send folks.
Second, if folks are housed independent of each other, they’re without mutual support – at Eden House a job training program or remote work system or trauma support is easy to set up. Spread out, it’s not.
Third, Kenya is indeed dangerous – we picked a place with a wall, and it’ll take a lot of guts to attack a house full of people with good security (we’ve already made the house look a bit like a fortress – local thieves have been ‘pentesting’ it for us).
Fourth, institutions (police demanding bribes, local religious leaders stirring hate) have a harder target. We are already a resource for our neighbors (our neighbor benefits from our security arrangements, our other neighbor is a vendor (She supplies our chickens)).
Fifth, this is the start of a long term project– we can expand and form a constantly growing queer community. To do that people need to feel free to stay in or around the project.
To those of you who don’t remember the 80’s, Queer havens like San Francisco’s Castro and New York’s Christopher Street were important organizing centers.
If we have a strong community in one country or one city in East Africa, we can expand out and create change in the entire region. It’s not just Kenya that will change, but all East Africa.
Sixth, Kenya is a place we can get folks from the Middle East or Africa to easily, and those are some of the worst places to be trans now. Eden House makes our other operations much, much easier.
Seventh, Kenya’s a country with an improving record of human rights, largely outside the fascism taking over many countries. It might end up as a base to retreat to.
We’re excited! It’s new times. This article is a follow on to our main post about Eden House.
- Eden House Begins!
“Hii nyumba ni kama nyumba ya mungu luna ipa heshima.”
(This house is like a temple, and we respect it)
– ShillaAfter months of planning, fund raising, and work, our trans haven in Nakuru, Kenya is a reality. This post is being written in the office of Eden House.
We moved the first passengers in on August 1.
Our awesome volunteer, Simon Ng’ang’a, found us a really special place. It’s a lovely 3 bedroom 3 bath home with enough property for a chicken coop and garden. Its location on the outskirts of town is secure, quiet, and means we can move to the agricultural project vision gradually – renting a nearby field and expanding into it.
All of us in Nakuru have been working hard to turn the house from a rather dilapidated place that hadn’t been lived in for some time to a lovely home. We’ve cleaned a lot, we’ve had plumbers in and figured out the NASA like complexities of the plumbing, done a lot of small repairs, and are moving on.
We’re currently a bit in the ‘camping in our new apartment’ stage, with mattresses on the floor and a single cheap molded plastic table and chairs. But we’ve set up the kitchen (everyone but me seems to be a wonderful cook), and have daily basics like clothes washing, internet service, fridge, and so on established.
But we’re starting our move towards self sufficiency by building our own furniture.
The back porch currently has a lot of offcut lumber piled up, most of it with the bark removesd. We’re building 5 beds, a sofa, and a trestle type dining table. In preparation, I taught a basic tool use class (it’s not all one way – I finally got a proper lesson in how to wash clothes in a bucket from Sophia, I’d struggled with this before).
As much as teaching concrete skills, we’re working hard to get the women who grew up in the city used to the idea of doing for yourself.
Most of the folks in the house had little experience with self sufficiency, but they’re learning fast. In fact, after several ideas of how to build beds, we settled on an idea Arya came up with, based on used tomato boxes. And the idea of learning skills from YouTube is new to them all.We’re purchasing some basic tools, some chickens, a sewing machine, and some art supplies. Arya’s interested in starting clothing production, and Sophia’s a talented artist. Shilla brings many practical ‘farm’ talents – she’s going to start raising chickens and lead the project to put in a garden.
And yes, we have a large garden planted! Shilla took the lead on this project.
We’re doing more than we expected for this early phase of the project. We’re ready to start some skills training, but need equipment. The tools are purchased, but we could use more, and we need to purchase a sewing machine, sewing notions, some fabric, and some art supplies.
Eden House is on a residential lot on the edge of town, down a narrow dirt road. About 50% of the surrounding lots are used for agriculture. Our original plan was a house or apartment, then move into some self-sustaining agricultural project later as we grew. Instead, I think we can just grow the house where we are for some time, perhaps renting a nearby lot for agriculture.
The compound is the former home of a local MP. Politics can be violent in Kenya. For us, having a politician’s house means the property is very secure – it has a tall stone block wall topped with broken glass and a secure iron gate. All windows have secure steel bars. If (a realistic possibility here) there’s a violent protest, we’re secure.
Matching Funds For Eden House
One of our wonderful supporters (who wants to remain anonymous) has offered up a challenge. For every euro we raise, up to 2000 EU, she’ll match it 1 for 1. So let’s go, you can donate
- Trans Woman Assaulted in Kenya
May 25, Mombasa
Rita, a trans woman in coastal Kenya, was assaulted on May 15 at her restaurant chef job, after the restaurant owner learned she was trans. He and another employee attacked her, probably giving her a concussion and skull fracture.
The police came and arrested Rita, charged her with “impersonation” and “shaming” the restaurant. She was denied medical care, despite the severity of her injuries, and was placed in a cell with men. During the night she fended off a sexual assault.
Trans Rescue provided funds and some local trans women (some of the group starting Eden House) bailed her out. Trans Rescue also provided funds for medical and psychological care.
Anne Ogborn, a Trans Rescue staff member, said, “We’re particularly anxious to get Rita away from this area, since we fear she’ll be blackmailed now.”
As one of the women helping Rita said, “is it wrong to ask for a Job surely why are some people so heartless?”
We’re withholding the name of the restaurant and it’s owner to prevent retaliation against Rita. Rita is an alias.
Follow up. Rita collapsed during a follow up medical appointment and is currently in hospital. Trans Rescue is trying to raise 2000 EU to pay for medical care and to get Rita and the group of trans women she lives with out of the area on an emergency basis.
- Eden House – A Trans Haven in Kenya
In a country as large as Kenya, one place can be relatively safe while another is deadly for trans people. We can often save folks simply by getting them to another part of the country, and, often, away from parents.
A local ally rang us up recently with the sad news that there were 8 trans women in terrible conditions in a coastal town. A good-hearted local man was helping them, but he was out of funds and needed help.
They need out, and we’re getting them out. But we need a place to house them, and until we raise funds for it, they’re stuck in dangerous conditions.
Kenya has needed a trans haven for a long time. Now it’s an absolute necessity.
We want to rent a large apartment in Nakuru – a compromise between the most urbanized, accepting area and a reasonable cost of living. We’ll furnish it and set up a self government scheme.
We are working with local partners to provide training programs, mostly trade school type programs. Pastry chef, hairdressing, and similar occupations. These are often the entry to a reasonable standard of living in Kenya.
While Kenya’s record on trans rights is neither abysmal nor great, many Kenyans I’ve spoken with have expressed hope. Kenya’s a relatively new country, it’s economy is booming, and Kenyans see improved human rights in many areas as part of building their new society.
We have larger long term plans. A trans haven in a country that’s accessible to trans people with not so great passports would go a long way towards our goal of getting people to safety. We’ll be bringing in folks from dangerous places.
So, beyond this initial ‘some place safe for some trans women’ Eden House, we want a phase II. Buy land and start a hippy back to the land trans haven. These folks are Africans, they definitely do ‘back to the land’.
This is the implementation of a long term goal. We’ve been talking about establishing a trans haven in Kenya for 8 months. It’s time to do it.
Please help us. This work will cost 4000 € now, and another 4200 € over the next six months.
We believe we can find a corporate sponsor for ongoing costs, but we have to start this from the community.
Here’s our estimated costs
Eden House Costs
1700 EU furnishings 1000 EU Travel - staff member to Kenya for extraction & setting up 500 EU Extraction costs 400 EU Deposit/first month's rent 400 EU We sent a local volunteer on a reconnaissance mission 4200 EU First 6 months rent, food, utilities, etc.