Two Trans Black American organizers of Caribbean descent—people who have spent years holding our community together—are now fighting to survive.

One is disabled, living with a serious neurological condition (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) that requires daily medication, MRIs, and costly doctor visits. While navigating this illness and grieving multiple family deaths, they were targeted in one of the most terrifying ways possible: a Frump supporter called the police on them with the lie that “two big Black men with guns” were inside the house. This racist and transphobic lie was meant to get the police to arrive ready to kill.

It didn’t stop there. The same person destroyed parts of the house—breaking sinks and doors—left bills unpaid, and left them living in fear. They were directly threatened with being set on fire, another explicitly racist and transphobic attack given their identity as Black, Caribbean, and trans. The result is constant anxiety, unsafe housing, and the crushing weight of debt for repairs they never should have had to pay for.

The other, a Caribbean trans woman and fellow organizer, is being forced to relocate because her landlord neglected massive mold growth that spread through the entire basement, bathroom, and kitchen—making half her house unlivable. To make matters worse, their car was towed , cutting off safe transportation. She now has no choice but to move before the end of 2025 while navigating income loss and instability.

Both are living under enormous stress: unsafe homes, financial strain, untreated medical needs, and the trauma of being directly targeted for who they are. The police, the landlord, and the neighbors around them all played a role in creating a situation that has left them exhausted, scared, and struggling to hold on.

Why It Matters :

These are not just individuals in crisis. They are community leaders who, since 2020, have redistributed over $1 million back into the community:

Free food distribution and pantry days

A free community closet where people could find clothes without cost

Emergency housing with free or reduced rent for months at a time

Financing dozens of gender-affirming surgeries, HRT, and care products

They’ve kept people alive when systems failed. They’ve provided what no city program or government service ever did. They’ve been the safety net.

And now, after years of heartbreak, hell, and hypocrisy, they need us to be their safety net.

What We’re Raising For:

Repairs & lock changes after racist, transphobic destruction and threats

Relocation to safe housing before the year ends

Medical care: MRIs, doctor visits, essential meds for a serious neurological condition

Reliable transportation after losing their car

Bills, food, and sustaining community programs that keep Black trans people in Philly alive