Awareness
The inaugural Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity, which takes place on January 22nd each year, was in 2016. The day was created by transgender prisoner Marius Mason in Texas (USA) to draw attention to the prejudice faced by trans inmates.
Transgender individuals who are incarcerated endure stigma, physical and sexual assault, denial of medical care, and legal repercussions. Simply because they are transgender, many transgender persons spend months or even years in solitary confinement. Typically, transgender inmates are housed in male jails, which greatly increases their risk of sexual assault.
On January 22, there will be a day of action to recognize the experiences of transgender and other sex- and gender-minority prisoners. It is about working together. It is about breaking through the isolation of incarceration and establishing new relationships. It deals with opposition against state violence. It concerns solidarity between those who directly encounter the system’s violence and those for whom the state has not yet arrived.
