Black trans woman with long black hair raises her hands up on stage
By Verónica Bayetti Flores • @veroconplatanos • 9 years ago

Feministing Jamz: Transfeminine resistance

Trans women of color have been all over the media lately due to the ongoing epidemic of anti-trans violence and murders, but it’s time to change that narrative. 

Of course, 2015 has been rough. Though we are not even through February, seven trans women have been murdered in the United States this year. All but one were women of color, and most were Black. It’s important to say their names, it’s important to be outraged, and it’s important to demand an end to this long-running and ongoing epidemic.

But we can’t just care about trans women of color when they are dead. And I will not be complicit in creating a narrative about trans life that is only about pain and discrimination and death. Trans women and transfeminine people of color resist every single day, and music is one of the sites of this resistance: turning pain into beauty, expressing joy, pride, and resilience.

This is a list of Black trans women and Black folks on the transfeminine spectrum who may have been assigned male at birth but are fucking with the gender binary as fierce femmes. It is dedicated to all the trans women we’ve lost, and to those who are still living, loving, and fighting along with us.

Kokumo – “There Will Come A Day”

Hailing from the south side of Chicago, Kokumo’s got a powerful voice and a knack for storytelling. Make sure to check out her interview on Black Girl Dangerous — she’s on point!

Titica – “Ablua”

Angolan kuduro artist Titica is fire. Don’t underestimate trans women in the global south!

Jonte’ – “Tiger”

Jonte’ is a dancer, choreographer, and musician. They can also fuck with the gender binary and look incredible while doing so. Here’s Jonte’ with Jamz fave Dai Burger.

Mykki Blanco – “Wavvy”

Mykki Blanco knows how to fuck with gender. This joint of hers from 2012 is still one of my faves.

New York, NY

Verónica Bayetti Flores has spent the last years of her life living and breathing reproductive justice. She has led national policy and movement building work on the intersections of immigrants' rights, health care access, young parenthood, and LGBTQ liberation, and has worked to increase access to contraception and abortion, fought for paid sick leave, and demanded access to safe public space for queer youth of color. In 2008 Verónica obtained her Master’s degree in the Sexuality and Health program at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She loves cooking, making art, listening to music, and thinking about the ways art forms traditionally seen as feminine are valued and devalued. In addition to writing for Feministing, she is currently spending most of her time doing policy work to reduce the harms of LGBTQ youth of color's interactions with the police and making sure abortion care is accessible to all regardless of their income.

Verónica is a queer immigrant writer, activist, and rabble-rouser.

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