Transitioning Behind Bars

Join us for a presentation by Erykah Carter, a formerly incarcerated transgender woman of color, followed by a Black and Pink letter writing session for LGBTQ+ individuals incarcerated throughout the country. Materials will be provided for participants to write cards to incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals from lists compiled by Black and Pink.

Erykah Carter is a 28-year old transgender woman of color who began her transition while incarcerated in Western Massachusetts. She will share her experience navigating her transition while being locked up in a men’s facility and her struggle to find a program that would accept her upon her release.

From their website, Black and Pink’s purpose: Black and Pink is an open family of LGBTQ prisoners and “free world” allies who support each other. Our work toward the abolition of the prison industrial complex is rooted in the experience of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the specific violence of the prison industrial complex against LGBTQ people, and respond through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing.

This event will be in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which occurs annually on November 20th, is a day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia and to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community. Transgender women of color are at the most risk of transphobia-based homicide in this country.

This event is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Support and a KSC PepsiCo Grant.