SisTers Philly Transgender Resource Center

For more than a decade, SisTers PGH has been providing resources and direct service to the trans, BIPOC, community of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Now, we aim to spread our roots across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We know that there aren't many resources for trans people in Philly, so we’ve been working hard to build relationships and gain the trust of the community there, too.

Starting in Philadelphia, we aim to provide the same resources and direct services, starting with Rent/Utility Support and Transportation Assistants for trans BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) residents of Philadelphia County.

Starting with a $20,000.00 start-up for SisTers PHL from SisTers PGH general operating funds. (If you're a part of an organization with the means to much these start-up costs please contact us)

We intend to continue working with the local trans community to provide services and build impactful partnerships that inspire the furthering of building statewide power with an intention on Black Trans Lives.

The organization is black and trans-led, so we hope people in Philly can see that we are on their side. SisTers PGH Leadership Team

It is a sad reality that at least 26 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in Philadelphia whose existence has been tragically cut short through violent means in 2023. 88% of these victims were people of color, with 54% identified as Black transgender women.

There were 423 transgender individuals living with HIV in 2021, with the 8 in 10 exposed to HIV through sexual contact. While almost all transgender women in Philadelphia are aware of PrEP, only one in three HIV-negative transgender women were using PrEP in 2019.

As of March 2024, the average monthly rent in Philadelphia, PA, is $1,648.

With your support, we can provide the much-needed rent and utility support for an average of 10 - 15 BIPOC Trans People facing eviction while building on this momentum to give even more.

We plan to roll out the first allotment of $20k in resources and minimal operations beginning June 1st, 2024. Trans Folks in Philadelphia County will have access to an open call for Rent/Utility Support and transportation Support via our website.

The distribution of Funds will be handled by Philly's own Bishop Celena Spain Frank, who will co-lead our efforts in Philadelphia County.

Mission

SisTers PHL is a non-profit run by Black and Trans folks that helps out the Transgender community in Southwestern and Eastern Pennsylvania. Governed by an all-black, predominantly black trans womxn leadership team.

SisTers PHL has got your back! We provide all-around support for Trans youth, adults, and seniors who are experiencing homelessness, domestic and sexual assault, gender-based violence, and those living with HIV. We offer a range of services such as rent/utility support, transportation support, and trans-competent resources.

Our ground-breaking organization is led by Founder/Director Ciora Thomas and directed by a leadership team composed of Black, Trans, womxn, mxn accomplices geared toward providing equitable resources, housing, employment, and developmental support for Black Trans leadership in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

SisTers PHL is operated by SisTers PGH, which stands as Pennsylvania’s only Black Trans-woman directed 501c3 organization working at its capacity; SisTers PGH has been in operation since 2013 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With this, we are looking to establish a base in Philadelphia as a support system for existing TLGQIA resource groups in Philly.

SisTers not only works to provide direct services for the Transgender community but is also a long-standing beacon of education and support for allied cisgender-led nonprofits and groups looking to create a more inclusive Pennsylvania through our TRANSformative work.

Our Trans-affirming programming includes transitional housing, leadership development, employment, lobbying, direction action, and initiatives that improve the quality of life for Transgender people, especially black trans people. We hope to touch Philly, starting with a rent support and Lyft ride program led by Black Trans Philadelphians.

Vision

We envision a future in which Trans people are providing essential care for Trans people so they will no longer need the nonprofit industrial complex that feeds off of their marginalization. We are building a root system that blossoms into a tree foundationally embedded in harm reduction and care, alongside a city/county where Black and Brown Trans youth, adults, seniors, and especially Black Trans women and girls, are given the space and opportunities to think and thrive on their terms, radically. We intend to be the bridge that holds the intersections together by working closely with our comrades to find the best solutions to care for Black Trans Philadelphia.

Values

Join us as we embark on this expansion to another city in Pennsylvania.