City Mum on “Black Trans Lives Matter” Mural
Advocates and lawmakers push for plan to create mural near Stonewall Inn
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
TS Candii, a Black transgender
woman and
founder of a non-profi t
called Black Trans Nation,
is calling on the city to give
the green light for plans to create
a “Black Trans Lives Matter”
street mural in front of the historic
Stonewall Inn.
In January, State Assemblymembers
Dan Quart of Manhattan
and Catalina Cruz of
Queens joined out gay State Senator
Brad Hoylman of Manhattan
in issuing a letter of support to the
Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Manhattan borough commissioner,
Ed Pincar. In the letter,
lawmakers described the mural
as a tool to recognize the transgender,
gender non-conforming,
and non-binary community.
“Though their contributions
have often been erased, transgender
women of color played a pivotal
role in the Stonewall rebellion and
the advancement of LGBTQ rights,”
the politicians penned in the letter.
“Despite the strides made, TGNC
individuals remain at the margins
facing down stigmatization, discrimination,
and violence.”
Several months after sending
the letter, TS Candii said DOT offi
cials have yet to respond, though
it is not the fi rst time the group has
petitioned for the mural. Last year,
the DOT also denied the project for
reasons that are not clear.
“They don’t support our humanity,”
TS Candii said. “They hear
us, they see us, but they are doing
nothing for us. They are just sitting
on their hands.”
The DOT did not respond to Gay
City News’ request for comment
for this story. TS Candii believes
the project’s delay refl ects a much
broader dismissal of transgender
New Yorkers.
“Mentally, it’s draining,” she
said. “Black Lives Matter had not
only one mural; they had two,
three all around the city, and we’re
fi ghting for this one?”
She added, “Black trans lives
matter, and to them, our lives don’t
TS Candii of Black Trans Nation is calling on the city to approve a plan to create a mural near the
Stonewall Inn.
matter.”
Last summer, Gothamist recorded
a total of eight “Black Lives
Matter” murals in New York City.
Black Trans Nation’s art project is
inspired by the iconic “Black Lives
Matter” street art in Manhattan’s
Foley Square.
The mural, which would depict
Trans Flags and Rainbows
Flags, is meant to honor advocates’
most recent wins. TS Candii was
one of the lead organizers behind
the state’s repeal of a loitering
law known as a ban on “Walking
While Trans,” a policy that police
offi cers used to disproportionately
target transgender women of color.
That legislation also seals all prior
convictions and records under the
statute.
The petition for the mural coincides
with growing anti-trans
legislation across the US in states
such as Mississippi, Arkansas,
and Tennessee, where governors
have recently signed bills banning
transgender and some non-binary
athletes from school sports. Efforts
to restrict healthcare for trans
youth are also well underway in
states such as Arkansas, which
banned gender-affi rming medical
DONNA ACETO
care for trans youth after overriding
Governor Asa Hutchinson’s
veto.
“As violence has escalated,
transgender rights have been under
vicious attack by the Trump
administration, in federal courts,
and state legislatures across the
country,” the politicians wrote in
a letter. “We have an opportunity
to build on the progress New York
City and the state have made protecting
the rights of TGNC people
by celebrating their rich history at
Stonewall and lifting up their advocacy
work.”
Quart said the mural would
help push back against transphobia
throughout the nation.
“As transgender youth is under
attack in State Legislatures across
the country and the trans community
at large continues to experience
disproportionate levels of
violence and discrimination, New
York City has an opportunity to reaffi
rm its commitment to advancing
the health, safety, and rights
of transgender people,” Quart said
in a written statement to Gay City
News. “Our state took an important
step toward addressing police
harassment and violence against
ADVOCACY
transgender women of color when
it repealed the Walking While
Trans ban earlier this year. While
the creation of a Black Trans Lives
Matter mural would not signify the
end of progress, it would communicate
our promise to do more and to
do better. I strongly urge the NYC
Department of Transportation to
support Black Trans Nation’s proposal
to bring greater visibility and
awareness to the issues facing the
transgender community.”
Like Quart, Hoylman said the
mural would send an affi rming
message to trans people of color at
a time when several states are doing
just the opposite.
“I’m supportive of a mural in
front of the Stonewall Inn to reaffi
rm our commitment to Black
transgender New Yorkers that
they belong here,” Hoylman said
in a written statement to Gay City
News. “I’m grateful to Black Trans
Nation for their proposal and work
on this project to highlight the incredible
impact Black transgender
women have had on all our lives.”
Kurt Kelly and Stacy Lentz, the
owners of Stonewall Inn, also back
the project.
“We aren’t aware of the exact
plans of the mural, but we completely
support anything that
brings awareness to the struggles
of the Black trans community,” the
owners said in a written statement
to Gay City News. “They are the
most marginalized and forgotten
members of the LGBTQ community
and deserve to be supported
and celebrated.”
So far, Black Trans Nation has
invested $5,000 of funding for the
project from their art therapy initiative
for sex workers, “Blow Job
is a Job.” According to Black Trans
Nation, hundreds of community
members have signed on in support
of the mural.
The organization would like
to unveil the mural during Pride
Month, but for now, it appears the
city isn’t budging.
“It’s a painting on the street that
will peel like the rest of us do, peel
away and disappear,” TS Candii
said. “I don’t get it.”
GayCityNews.com | April 22 - May 5, 2021 17
/GayCityNews.com
