My Neighbor's Note

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth — written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hi all,

A trans friend and neighbor sent around this note to some of us this week, with a preamble — and encouragement to share what follows. I asked his permission to re-post it for my newsletter audience, anonymously, and he agreed.

I will add some of my own links afterwards but mostly I wanted to send his message for you all to consider and perhaps reflect regarding your own news feeds, communities, and realities.

He wrote as follows:

“This past week has been brutal for trans people. Every day brought another headline treating our existence like a disease, a crime, or a threat.

• Two members of Congress, Nancy Mace and Ronny Jackson, called for the institutionalization of transgender people, hurling slurs and claiming we are “a cancer” and “domestic terrorists” who should be locked away.
  

• The Heritage Foundation, through Project 2025, urged the FBI to formally label transgender advocacy as “violent extremism,” opening the door to surveillance, infiltration, and harassment of those who simply defend our right to exist.
  

• The Trump administration filed an emergency motion to the Supreme Court to reinstate its passport policy banning trans people from updating gender markers. If allowed, many of us could be forced to travel with documents that out us — exposing us to violence, harassment, or even imprisonment.
  

• And this isn’t new. Back in April, Trump used his official National Child Abuse Prevention Month proclamation to equate gender-affirming care with “evil,” “mutilation,” and “child abuse” — weaving together anti-trans rhetoric with white nationalist border politics. In just a few paragraphs, he linked transness to child abuse and tied the “threat of gender ideology” to the “threat” of immigration. It’s a stark example of how attacks on gender are bound up with racism and authoritarian nationalism.

None of this is random. It’s coordinated. It’s meant to strip us of rights by stripping us of humanity.

For me, this past week & weekend have meant trying to show up to work while reading calls for my institutionalization. It has meant sitting through meetings while thinking about whether the government will classify me, my family, and my community as “terrorists.” It has meant wondering whether the passport I would depend on to escape the country will suddenly become invalid. It has meant making more serious plans for the eventuality that I would need to try to escape the country.

This week has been brutal. What makes it bearable is solidarity: when people speak up, check in, and remind us we are not alone. If you’re wondering what you can do, know that your solidarity matters.

NONE of this makes the mainstream news media. The country gets louder about Jimmy Kimmel than it ever does about us. We are 1% of the population - you'd hardly even notice if we were gone. On the other hand ... we will never be gone, because we are you. We are in your homes, in your families; we are your sisters, your brothers, and your children.

If you have not been paying attention to LGBTQ+ issues, please start if you can; it would mean a lot. Here are some resources.

• The most important source is this Substack, where you can subscribe to stay informed: https://www.erininthemorning.com/. Erin Reed, an independent investigative reporter, breaks most stories well before other outlets.

Other reads/watches:

• Movie: You can watch Disclosure here on Netflix

• Article: Heritage Foundation Uses Bogus Stat to Push a Trans Terrorism Classification

• Article: Fossil fuel billionaires are bankrolling the anti-trans movement

• Article: Unpacking the Far Right’s Gender Politics

• Article: Gender and Authoritarianism

Actually, one more thing - Kindly, if you've been a little "loosey-goosey" about getting people's pronouns right, try to figure out how to get better at it. Most of you, I suspect, have one, possibly two, trans people in your personal or work life. Put a sticky note on your computer, or a similar reminder, and just work on it. Maybe even tell the person that you are working on it. You don't need to be perfect, but you do need to let them know you really, actually care. 

Especially now.💘”

To build upon what he’s written here, I wanted to add a few links of my own …

Regarding not having to be perfect — yes! As I’m often repeating: I welcome imperfect cis allies, especially now. So long as folks are listening and open-hearted and willing to learn and such.

Here’s a post of mine I often re-share, for those who’ve not read it yet:

And/or I highly suggest those who haven’t yet listen to this great episode:

For any trans folks going through it, here’s this post:

re: Erin in the Morning, I do also subscribe and follow her amongst other independent trans journalists on Bluesky. Here’s a previous advice column of mine with additional outlets or people I recommend (big and small):

I do recommend listening to my CMD episode, if you’ve not yet …

Re-sharing my latest, a brief essay for Equal Access Public Media:

For fellow journalists especially, here’s an EAPM resource re: your own digital security:

Alright! Lemme quickly share a few newsier links and then call it. (Theme lightly being: People and words I appreciate and/or have found inspirational lately.) …

I admit this week’s been a tough one for me stress and physical pain-wise …. but I’ve been trying to practice what I preach. I’ve been logging out and doing what self-care I can. I’ve been seeing some loved ones in real life and communicating with others from afar.

What’s Helping Today: My friends and community, the ways we watch out and care for each other.

Sending you all love,
Sandy

p.s. For fellow media and/or mental health professionals: Reminder that you can now hire me to consult. I offer sliding scale rates and a free 15 minute video chat to those who might want to work with me. Learn more. You’re encouraged to forward this to anyone who may be interested …

p.p.s. Reminder that I’m also available to speak.

Thanks for reading What’s Helping Today, a newsletter by me — author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen. If you were forwarded this message, WHT is free; you can subscribe here. If you like my work: Please consider supporting me via my Buy Me a Coffee. My suggested amount of $5 a month (or more!) will get you access to perks (perks TBA!) … Your help in supporting my work is greatly appreciated!