September 14, 2021 • 45 mins
Years ago on one fateful day in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, volunteer Liza spoke from her heart and drew a crowd to raise money for the TransLatin@ Coalition. Nowadays, Liza is a case manager for the very same Coalition, working to serve the trans community of Los Angeles. Liza works with her trans community each day, ensuring folx have housing and other basic needs, including having their voices heard. Roundtable guests: Bamby Salcedo, the CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, and activist and model Carmen Carrera.
Learn more about: The TransLatin@ Coalition: https://www.translatinacoalition.org/
Episode Transcript: https://app.trint.com/public/c92f085f-6e00-4760-bd31-84da0b88dda0
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey everyone, and Wilma about drama and I'm m r. Raquel.
Welcome back to Essential Voices. Thank you, m oh, we're
welcoming everyone else. You weren't talking to me? What thanks,
You're right here. Right on today's show will be speaking
with three badass Latina trans women, all who have been
(00:22):
lucendo for trans rights for years. I'm humbled that these
women chose to share their stories with us today and
I can't wait for you to hear. I can't wait either,
And as a queer person, I'm so honored to hear
these stories and learn from such powerful Latina trans women.
So first we're going to hear from our essential worker,
(00:43):
Lisa as we spoke to her from her offices at
the Trans Latina Coalition, where she's a case manager and
helps to provide critical services to the trans gender, nonconforming
and intersext communities of Los Angeles. She'll tell us about
her own journey that brought her to the Trans Latina Coalition,
and what it's like to work with her community, and
(01:03):
how she's been challenged during the pandemic. After we speak
to Lisa, we'll have a round table with the founder
and CEO of the Trans Latina Coalition along with activists
and model Gara, who is a CEO herself of c
C three Entertainment. Sounds great, and Mark, I can't wait.
Lisa's story starts now. A quick note to listeners, we
(01:27):
recorded remotely with Lisa from her office at the Trans
Latina Coalition. You occasionally hear some background noise when she speaks. Visa.
I'm so happy to talk to you today. So tell
me who you are and what's important to you. You know,
I know it's a kind of a big, bad question,
but I'd love for you to talk a little bit
about yourself. Well, I was born on the US. When
(01:48):
I was young, I ended up going to study in
a school where my dad's studying in Mexico, which is
a small town cote Jalisco, which is amazingly. The first
money that she ever made in the world was actually
me there, which is Marian. I studied there for my
elementary then I came over here. I got into junior high.
(02:11):
I started my transition doing junior high pretty early. I
never had that much issues until I started like showing
more of my transitioning in high school. Once I started
like doing the hormone therapy, and you know, before we
in trance, I was Gothic, So I remember people used
to think that I was a double worshiper and I
(02:31):
used to paying my face wide. I remember, I'll be
in the middle of the gym where like my face melting,
and they'll be like, oh, she's a deum worshipper. So
when I fully transitioned, nobody will mess around with me
because they'll be like, oh, she would put a spell
on here or something. So I wanted to kind of
recap a little bit about that moment, that transition one,
because I feel like there was something where uplifting and
(02:52):
accepting and beautiful about what you're saying. And you told
me a little bit about the transition, the reception and
how everybody was like, well, I mean I had real
good times, but then I also have really challenging times.
I remember that at that time it was not that
much known, as I believe it was one of the
first trans women openly to like transition. During my high
(03:12):
school times, I remember having Bolliba tennis and they wouldn't
allow me to change in the girl's locker. And at
that time I was taking my hormone therapy and I
already had breast developed, you know, so I started to
be in a little bit of a rebel. I told myself, Okay, fine,
you don't wanna let me change either in a restroom
(03:33):
or the girl's talker. Then I would change here in
front of other guys. So then when I did it,
it spice a big controversial, you know, I got into
the dean's They were like, oh, you know, what do
you think you are why. I'm like, well, I'm just
being myself. I'm asking for supporting guidance. But obviously, you know,
like I wasn't giving them into like this teacher comments Jones,
(03:54):
which he identified as the game. Now he started taking
me to different evands at me and other people that
identified gay or less than you know, and we started
empowering ourselves. I remember an Ego Rock College and to
this day, they have an event there every year where
like they informed community about like transitioning, about your rights,
and they also do like a nice festival. At the
(04:15):
end of the day. They have this podium where you're
able to speak and people do speeches and they just
empowered community. You know. For me that was really important
because that was the first time I went to an
event then, and I told myself, you know, like I
can stand up for myself. I don't have to like
let people like tell me what to do, what should
I do or not? Do you know? There was even
time that teachers would tell me like maybe you shouldn't
(04:36):
transition right now, you should just wait and study and
then like once you're like in college and stuff like that,
maybe then you can transition, you know. And I was like,
you know, I refused to do that because this is
who I am. You know. I want us to talk
a little bit about the first day you walked into
the Transplant Coalition and maybe just a little bit before
(04:57):
and then as you kind of discover that community and
that it is for you. I was doing this program.
I was close to being homeless because I was battling
with substance of use at one point in my life,
and my grandpa had passed away and I was staying
with him. I was in an engagement that went totally wrong.
So I just started I wanted to change my life around,
you know, And I started doing this program called Foot
(05:19):
on Foot, which is an amazing program in Hollywood where
like supposedly they give your own studio apartment they help you,
say five thousand dollars. To this day, I still go
volunteer there because it has literally been a part of
my journey that has changed my life dressingly as translating.
Our coalition has to. As I was doing that program
and I was almost finishing it to getting my apartment,
(05:41):
they support you on you obtaining a job. So at
that time I was volunteering or Translatina. They had an
event at the Forever Hollywood Cemetery and it was about
paying tribute to the trans women that were murdered that year,
you know, and we were making an altar. I always
been really passionate, right, so they we're like, just make sure,
you know, you don't go overboard talking to the people.
And when the people came, you know, I just this
(06:03):
passion just grew and I just told them about the
women that were murdered that year, you know, and like
how much has that impact the other community members and
how the work that we do. So then people started
getting really passionate. I started bringing a biggest crowd. My
boss is sitting down in a chair with the other
supervisors and they saw me and they were like this breathless,
And then people were even giving me money to donate
(06:26):
to the organization. They My boss was like, I want
you to work for me, and I'm like, but I
don't even have skills. I'm working in the office or
ever doing anything to do it direct service sin since
she's like, I started the same way, you know, like,
and look at me where I'm at now, you know,
So if I can do it, you can do it.
And I believe in you, and I know that everything
else you can learn it as you go, you know.
(06:47):
And yeah, I started part time as a ArtReach specialists,
then I got four time specialists. Then I became an
intake recruiter, and now I'm a case manager. And I
thought being a case manager because I guess said that
it's a big responsibility because the lives of people really
depend on you connecting on services, on you getting them housing.
(07:08):
This specifically is one of the biggest challenges we have
to this day, especially when it comes down to the
trans and nominary community. So describe what it is like
to be a case manager doing the pandemic. How did
you adjust, how did you evolve through that process? For me,
I think I embraced me actually to be a more
of an active listener like I was already an active listener.
(07:30):
I thought I was, but belive or not, like a
lot of my clients just needed somebody to talk to
him because the high value of mental health going on
because people being in their house not coming out. I
had a significant amount of clients that were like more interested. Yeah,
service came along with it, but just having a case
(07:51):
manager that is able to relate to you because they're
trends too, and you're able to tell them your deepest
challenges and like what you're going through emotionally, it was
really really touching. Can you talk about how the community
was disproportionately affected by the pandemic and maybe you share
some specifics on that as well. Well. It's important to
(08:11):
say even before COVID nccing, my community always been affective
with the challenges of work, housing and just having a decent,
dignified life to have the cential needs that they need.
A lot of us aren't, like I said earlier, we
don't have family members or people that we can rely
on on or it gives Like other people when they
lost their job at their home, they just went with
their mom or their dad, or their brother or their
(08:32):
sister to live. But then a lot of members of
my community also come from other countries where like they
don't have no family members here, so they didn't have
that option to go to their families for support or
for in Some of them, families don't even want to
know nothing about them because they identify as trends, you know.
So it was just more challenging than whatever already was
(08:55):
before COVID nancing. And it still continues to this day.
And even though I COVID has been getting better, you know,
like those challenges still continue to be there on the
table for us, you know, to survive into like after
opportunities that everybody else has to know that it is,
having even a job, it's challenging, you know, Yeah, is
(09:16):
there a memory? Is there something? Is there a stories
or a moment that kind of just has kept you
going during this time? Um, I mean it kind of
emotional because just when you actually give out the assistance
that we've been giving and one of our programs called
COVID Ecting Rental systet and even though it's not that much,
(09:39):
just having the client look at you and literally like
thank you and say how greatful they are, because when
everybody else closed the doors on them, or they didn't
get the support of the help from any other place.
They're done with us, you know, Like it's touching because
you know they start crying. Then then it's hard for
(10:00):
you not to cry because you know you have to
be strong and as be like, you know, don't worry.
This is why we're here for and we're going to
continue working on this and this is our job and
we love doing what we do. You know, what would
you tell your younger self to not be so hard
on yourself, just continue your journey. And I honestly like
(10:23):
feel like nothing ever stopped me, Like I let nobody
stop for me being my attentive self and just continue pushing.
I wish I would have like told myself, you know,
like I love you, You're cared for, you know, like
your value, you know, don't give up. Because there was
part of my life where like I felt there was
no future for me because I identify as trance, you know,
(10:46):
and for a minute, I thought it was just doing
sex work or doing things to survive, you know, because
that's how I felt. I felt like I had to
be surviving every day just to say, like, be faithful,
be hope for that in the future. There is now
services at my community Conneccess, you know, and it's just
it's just the beginning. To Lisa, I'm so proud of
(11:09):
your story. I'm so proud of everything you said to
me today. I'm humble by your time as well. And
just continue the great work. I mean, you really are
doing unbelievable and we celebrate you because how essential you've
been before, enduring and now as we extually this pandemic.
You should be very proud of yourself, you know. And
thank you for looking beautiful today too, I try now.
(11:34):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm really honored
to be here with all of you in here today
that give me the opportunity to fill out this space
to like speak my true and my story to everybody
else that might be hearing somewhere out there in the world,
you know. I love so much of that interview, especially
imagining Lisa addressed gothic, as she says, with the painted
(11:57):
white face, and how bad ass it is that she
found power as a young trans woman to stand up
for herself because her classmates thought she could cast spells
on them given her gothic look if they were insensitive
towards her, and I also love that story that Lisa
told at the Forever Cemetery, where just by being herself
and sharing her passion, she both made money for the
(12:19):
Coalition and landed her job absolutely and in turn she
has been able to use her position to continue to
help trans women in the same situation she was in.
It's such an inspiring cycle. When we get back, we'll
talk with a quick note to listeners. We recorded remotely
(12:46):
with Bambi from her office at the Trans Latina Coalition.
You'll occasionally hear some background noise when she speaks. Today
we're here speaking with activists and model Carmen Carrera and
the founder and CEO of the Trans Latina Coalition, Bamby.
Hey Carmen, Hey Bamby. I'm so so excited and really
(13:07):
honored that you're here with us today. I'm just really
excited for this conversation. Wilmer want to start us off?
God him, Bammy. I'm so grateful to have you both
with me today. How did you feel about listening to
Lisa's story and what stood out for you? Maybe we'll
start with you, Karmen. I think stories like Lisas are
so important first just to hear and to listen to
(13:28):
because you can you can hear the sincerity in her voice,
and I think, like you said, like you said that
it was very humbling to speak with her, like just
to listen to her, and like just to remind myself
as a trans person of the journey that I've taken
as well. It means a lot, because you know, we
have so many similarities that might not be the same
exact story, but it's that drive, that resiliency to like
(13:51):
wants to redefine what the possibility of life could be
for being trans, or for being an immigranted, for being
just different and being sort of viewed by society as
like not acceptable or taboo, you know, and just for me,
as a young person, I was always looking for somewhere
to express my love to other people. And as an adult,
(14:15):
I find that I hesitate a lot, and I think
it comes from wanting to fit in with the right
crowd and then feeling so moothered and then trying to
break through that you sort of question like is this real?
Like am I actually stepping into my power? And like
am I really accepted? You know, like you sort of
(14:35):
have those little voices in the background. I think that
a lot of us transpokes, whether we decided to transition
or not, just going through the steps of like becoming
your full self and wanting to re interact with the
world but then also give back. I think it takes
a lot of strength and courage. And that's one of
the things that I always draw from my sisters, my
(14:58):
brothers and sisters, is that we're so strong and even
though sometimes we have those moments of weakness, and we
have those moments of like second guessing or being fearful,
we all rise the occasion. I think that's like the
most beautiful part. You know, that really kind of touched
me to just hear her voice and hear about what
she's been through. So I just jump in, Yeah, this
(15:21):
is your this is your place. You're on the place, mammy,
thank you. Um. Just listening to Lisa, you know, I
learned actually a couple of things that I didn't know
about Lisa. Lissa story is sort of like super close
to me because she reminds me a lot of myself.
Whenever I started working in social justice space, right like,
(15:44):
I didn't know nothing really, and I also started as
a outreach worker right like. And for me, it was
when I started my transition, I stood up in corners
with many trans women, right, like you know, a sex
work in going back to the same corners to the
same people who I once stood up with, like in
(16:07):
a different light, to provide education and to write, even
to provide conducts, right, it was just life changing for me.
But that was also like the exact experience for Lisa, right,
because that's how she started working with us here and
just like seeing her evolution, right, like she in the
way she talks, and she in the way she interacts
(16:28):
with the people who we work for, and just seeing
her growth and development. You know, there's so many Lisa's
out there, There's so many Rambies out there, There's so
many people who need that supporting validation right to let
them know, you know, that they are amazing and that
they are incredible, right because oftentimes to what we hear
(16:48):
as trans people, particularly transforman of color for the most part,
is that we should not exist, right, that we are condemnation,
that we that we're not good basically right. And so
when we can prove them wrong, we can develop and
we can become the amazing people who were destined to
(17:09):
be right. And so just to me, hearing Lisa's story
and way of expressing herself, you know, it's just amazing.
It's just I feel like a problem about why, you know,
because it's just the farms that the work that I
have done for over twenty five years in the community,
it shows Bamby you say that you see a lot
(17:32):
of yourself in in Lisa and that you've had sort
of a similar trajectory as the one that she shared
with us. You know how Lisa came to work at
the Trans Latina Coalition by starting as a volunteer and
now she's a case manager. And you were saying, even
with your own social justice journey, to use your words,
that you started at the beginning doing outreach and community support.
(17:54):
So could you share the story of how you founded
the Trans Latina Coalition and maybe also all the steps
that it took you to get you where you are today.
The Translating Collection came into existence because of a need
in two thousand and nine. There were two prominent national
translator organizations that obviously we're doing amazing work, but unfortunately
(18:18):
at that time that we're not including the needs and
issues of trans Latina immigrant women. So I gathered some
friends and started like, Okay, well we don't have a voice,
we you know, what are we going to do about it?
So that's how we started. In two thousand and nine,
I actually had the opportunity to be part of a
statewide HIV conference that the state Office of Eights was
(18:40):
putting together. And because I was part of the planning committee,
I asked to have a meeting space. And because I
was a part of the planning committee, I reached out
to people in different places across the state. We're trans latinas,
and so I got them all together and talked about
like what we're going to do, and that's how we
(19:01):
started organizing. I was also very lucky and fortunate that
in two thousand and nine I was also approached by
the organizers of the United States Conference on Nights for
me to be one of the opening planary keynote speakers,
and so part of my package also what I requested
was to get a meeting space. And that conference took
(19:24):
place in San Francisco and October to nine, and I
great a flyer and I invited people from different places
across the United States to come to this meeting, and
so that's how we started. That's how we went national
right away, and I remember that back then we were
just organizing via conference calls. It was all volunteer run
(19:46):
organization and you know, and it was made up leaders
from around the country. And so that's how we started
organizing with this idea of changing the structures that marginalized
our community, right translating immigrants women and then like, we
did amazing work thinking in that way, but as we
were trying to also organize people across the country, we
(20:09):
were also seeing the members of our community. We're not
having access to the basic things that they need, like housing, food,
and all of those things right that are essential for
people to live and survive. And so I was working
in a Turner's Hospital Los Angeles as the coordinator of
their transferder program, and in twenty fifth we came together
(20:30):
and decided that in order for us to also address
that issue in our community, that we also needed to
move into doing service provission. And so as a leap
of faith, I left my really great and amazing job
that I loved and dedicated myself into building the transmitting
our coalition and we serve as a model to other places.
(20:52):
And so we got our first official grant in January sixteen,
and that was specifically to support trans women who were
getting released from immigration detention because then the attention center
was here in Santana, California. And also then the Woment
Administration created this transgender pot Um and that's where where
(21:12):
they were housing transforming in that was in Santana, and
so we were doing theresitations and supporting people, connecting them
with lawyers and all kinds of stuff. We got the
grant to support them when they get out because when
they get out, also when they have case suspending or
you know, have you they they don't have no support
and as Lisa mentioned also right like many of us
(21:34):
don't have family here, and so you know, that's how
we started a service provision part of it. And since
then and just five years, we have built a multi purpose,
multi service space here in Los Angeles. There's now fifteen
of us working here at the organization, and we continue
to do the work in those two fields, right like
(21:55):
the direct service provision and also the policy change, which
you know I can also share about the policies that
we have also helped pass. And you know, we'll be
right back after this break. Welcome back to Essential Voices
turning it over to you, Carmen. You advocate for trans
rights in various public spheres, especially in the media. So
(22:18):
I'm wondering if you can share what inspires you to
speak out when you do and what role you think
that members of the media have in the larger conversation
about trans advocacy. So what inspires me the most is
like to create the reality that I already have in
my mind, Like I'm a human being, you know what
I mean, Like, I get it, people have their biases
(22:39):
when it comes to trans people, but I'm not gonna
let that stop me. Like I am extremely grateful for
the family that I have. How tighten it we are.
And once I stepped foot into the entertainment realm, I
already came with a package of like I'm going to
prove you wrong. Because all my whole childhood I was
told that gay p people are this and trans people
(23:01):
are that. And as a young person, you're still sort
of forming, like what's the truth. And so when I
stepped into my I guess young adulthood, I was like,
trans people are not what they're saying they are. Gay
people are not, you know, this punching bag, Like we're
not that, and so I've always lived sort of like
(23:23):
one foot in like the CIS world and like the
other foot in like the LGBT community, sort of like
trying to find balance. And so that's always my inspiration
is to like bridge the gap of what's false and
what's fear based, and what's like the truth and what's
closer to love. So that's really what inspires me, and
(23:43):
I think in the media if there's a huge responsibility
of using the right terminology, not bringing your subconscious bias
into the articles or into the picture that you're painting,
and also to give us our humanity and see us
less as like a Jerry Springer vibes, you know, Ripley's
believe it or Not vibes, and like actually like see
(24:06):
the person that we are and the reason why we're
going so hard, And especially for people like me in
the public, I like what we're actually putting out there
in the world. It's not an easy thing. It's very
difficult to be judged. I think any entertainer will tell
you that, because we're probably really hard on ourselves as
it is. But when it comes to something that is
(24:26):
as sacred as like how you identify and going through
change is physical and stuff like that, Like it's another
level of vulnerability. And when we're getting people access to that,
it's like have a little bit more respect for the
human What advice or what thoughts or what visions or
what path do you see? Then where we can actually
(24:47):
help support that. I think it all comes down to intention,
and it comes down to humanizing the experience of why
you're telling the story, because I deal with a lot
of like stereotypical trans roles and it makes it harder
for me. I mean, we already have I mean I
try not to come from a place of lack, but
we do have a lack of trans representation on scripted
(25:09):
shows and movies and stuff. And I try to think
about my real life and I try to think about
how I can use parts of my life to benefit
my community, inspire my community, and also create change for
those who have accepted an ignorant false reality of who
we are. So I think what all starts off with
(25:30):
your intention? Like if someone's writing a role for an
immigrant person, what exactly are you doing here? Are you
going to be uplifting? Are you gonna be telling a
story you know the truth? Are you going to be
showcasing our culture. Are you gonna be? You know, let's
be more thoughtful about the reasons why we're telling these
(25:50):
stories when it comes to marginalized communities, Like are we
helping to make change or are we just fueling more
ignorance and creating a unity where it's okay to be
hateful or to treat people wrong. I think on the
flip side, us as artists and us as actors or performers,
(26:12):
we should be putting in that work. You know, sometimes
it takes for us to write it ourselves. I never
thought that I would consider myself to be like a
writer or anything like that, but you know, I'm starting
to like think like, well, I might have to just
write this myself and like send it to my agent
and hope it will something will come from it. Yeah.
And also the creative partnerships, right, it's not just like,
(26:33):
oh man, we have to do it ourselves, right. I
think the biggest factor here is that we do have
to collaborate with the system that's in place, because unfortunately,
there's a traditional format and how you get things done right.
But as it all changes, as it all evolves for us,
I think it's interesting what you're saying and creating some
real creative collaborations. And I talked a lot about creative
(26:54):
collaborations because our communities have never really been invited to
the profession that dictate how this content goes. I mean,
we've never been told we could be directors and writers,
you know, we've never been invited to learn how to
write a script. But these are things that pioneers like
Bambi and you Carmen can really really inspire young people
(27:15):
to say, hey, you know, maybe I can do it myself.
Or even if I learn how to write, maybe I
can be in a writer's room to actually make that
better on screen, right, to have those characters actually really
feel like it breeds and moves the way that that
I do, you know, And I think that is that's
a really interesting starting point. I think that that starts
this noble There's also two like if I can just
be honest and transparent, like I feel like there's a
(27:37):
sense of urgency and it maybe it could be linked
to my own personal calling, but I don't know. We're
dealing with the pandemic. We're dealing with it. You know,
it's kind of a little bit of a challenge. You
know to collaborate creatively, but I'm really in touch with
my community members and a lot of the girls that
I know, they don't want to do sex work anymore.
(27:58):
You know, they deal with what's the narrative in play
and what opportunities they do have versus what possibility exists
out there for just some of us. And so I
feel they're paying a lot of the times because I
feel like they have less options because they can't seem
to find I guess, a quote unquote normal like functioning
(28:19):
role in society, and so it's either being pulled back
to have to give into this narrative of being a
fetish in order to find peace because they're not able
to find it in real life. And I guess there
is a level of tokenism that happens in the media.
(28:39):
Sometimes it's like, oh, there's only one spot in a
fashion show, there's only one spot on the cover of
a magazine, and then it's like a lot of these
I guess maybe outlets are like larger companies or brands.
You know, they're saying they're changing the world, but in reality,
it's not really creating that much change. It's creating more
stress because there's such a lack of representation. So I
(29:00):
don't know. For me, I just feel like there's a
sense of urgency to let the world know that there
are spaces that trans people can function in that are safe,
and to show what that looks like, because I haven't
really seen it yet. Thank you for bringing that up, Garment,
because it is true, right, the position that we hold
within our society, right, Like just in general I mentioned earlier, right,
(29:22):
like some of my friends who I stood up in
a corner with, I'm fifty two years old now, right,
and so they're in their fifties sixties, and they didn't
know anything but sex work. You know, a lot of
them won't be able to get any type of benefits
because they never worked. They were contributed to do their
such a security. Many don't have family to care for
(29:45):
them and stuff, and so it's really sad. And then
also there's studies that say they transpeople are the most poor.
The average transperson makes about ten thousand dollars a year.
And then we get hit with the global pandemic. Most
trans people were not even able to get the stimulus
support that most people got, neither the six hundred, twelve
(30:08):
hundred or why because the majority of trans people are
not working and continue to have challenges to be employed.
Even here in California, the Governor I lookated seventy six
million dollars to support and documented people. Trans people who
are ut documented were not able to even benefit from
those five hundred dollars that were the studio right. And
(30:29):
so we were already within our society before this group
and them ahead really far behind than any other population.
And we know for a fact that because of this
globe pandemic, the trans movement is going to be set
even further behind than how we were when we talk
about creating our own stuff, that's what we have to do.
(30:53):
Also in the middle of a global pandemic. Last year,
we actually learned that for the first time and the
history theodically for no piece of legislation was crafted, introduced, organized,
push mobilized all the way to the government's desk, and
that was Assembly Built eighteen, which is a Transgender Onness
and Equity Pact. And so with that piece of legislation,
(31:16):
there was fifteen million dollars allocated to support trans programming
across the States, but because of the pandemic, the money
was removed and so this year our organization, along with
statewide coalition that we formed of translated groups and organizations,
we advocated and pushed for the money to be reinstated.
(31:37):
Although you know, the governor didn't not look at the
fifteen million dollars that were originally allocated for this piece
of legislation. There is thirteen million dollars that are specifically
to support the livelihood of trans people. You know, it's
important for us to really think about and this is
what we're doing as an organization, right and we're going
(31:58):
to develop a plan of what is the next fifty
years gonna look like for trance people, not just in
the stead of California about a questination. We have to
show the new generations there are possibilities for us and
that we can make things happen. Wow, Bamby, Oh my gosh,
(32:19):
that's incredible when you hear the number thirteen million dollars
allocated for supporting trans folks. I'd love to know what
you think the money should be used for, Bamby in
in these next fifty years. Like you say, but I
think I'm getting a little ahead of myself. So, Carmen,
you were talking m about this sense of urgency that
you've been feeling with wanting to get your story out,
(32:41):
even if you never thought of yourself before um as
a writer. And so you know, the media really does
trickle down and affects more or less all parts of
American culture. Folks who are in the public eye really
do have the ability to influence positive change. So every
time someone in the public eye comes out at queer
or trans or non binary, this means queer representation becomes
(33:05):
more widely understood and included, and this in turn helps
younger kids around the country maybe feel like they can
be living their truth as well. Since someone so public
is not spoken about who they are, then kids have
someone in the media they can identify with. And so,
with all that being said, for you, what do you
want to write and what kinds of stories do you
(33:26):
want to share? I guess it would be more about
my story and how my perception honestly, because it's all
in my head. It's like I am a hundred percent
aware of my entire life and everything that I've learned
in two different aesthetics of two different gender and so
I've been able to gather so much fascinating points of
(33:47):
view that I would love to work um into a
film or a TV show character, because like, for instance,
there's been so much change that happened since Love Simon
came out. And I don't know if you've seen the film,
it's it gives you like the fields, you know, and
like I think there's a lacking of like a soul
when it comes to trans people in our story because
(34:10):
we have to sell it so often. We've been the
sex worker, the fetishized person, and like someone us have
to force ourselves into those roles and it takes a
bit from you, you know. And so I think if
we can give people the vision and the view of
what it looks like to love a trans person, not
(34:30):
to just love a trans person who is is presenting,
because I know I have passing privilege, absolutely, but that
doesn't change the fact of anyone who dates me is
going to question what people are going to say about,
you know, him dating a trans person. And also you know,
what are some of my insecurities as a trans person,
and how my romantic partner could be there for me,
(34:53):
how my family could be there for me, how my
family has been there for me. I would love to
tell that story and to show so many but who
can't even fathom the idea of having unconditional love towards
a trans person. Aside from maybe pity or looking down
at us or judging us, there's an array of other
emotions that you can feel. Um you can empathize for
(35:15):
a story, but you can also connect just through the
experience of being a human being. And so I would
love to see that truly being portrayed on television because
what I feel like I've gathered so far. I try
to always take myself and my own idea of who
I am as a performer, like out of the equation,
like I try to think me as a trans person.
(35:37):
What trans story have I seen so far on television
that restores my faith that uplifts me? Who tells me
that I'm important? I haven't seen any And then that's
not to like poop on anyone's creative work, not at all.
I'm just being very real and very transparent that the
(35:59):
real life that I live, because I don't live under
the veil of I'm Carmen Carrera, Like I wish I
could have that kind of ego, but it's not real
for me. I have to still go out and deal
with what every other woman deals like every other desired
woman deals with, every Latina woman deals with, on top
of being trans, on top of my own issues that
(36:21):
I'm working through, going through what I went through my transition.
So for me, it's like, I know I'm not the
only one now, I know I'm not the only one
Latina trans woman out there, you know what I mean,
There's so many of us. So I think it's all
about you know, giving us our soul back on film,
on camera, you know, as a queer person myself, I
feel really excited and hopeful that at some point, stories,
(36:45):
whether it's movies or TV shows or podcasts or really
any form of media, can be fully representative of the
complexity and nuances and beauty of l g B, t
q I A plus lives. And so also, what you're
saying about your story not existing in the media yet
is so true because you're the only Carmen. What you've
(37:06):
been through, that's your story, and so sharing your story
will be so powerful because no one else can tell
your story. And so for you, Bamby, I'd love to
know too. In your world, when you envision the steps
towards the changes that you'd like to see, what does
that look like for for you, Bamby, and what does
that look like for the Trans Latino Coalition? For me,
(37:30):
I am realistic that I probably am not going to
live to see the world that I want to live in,
but I know they're not contributing to that world, and
so I want to build a world where trans people
are not afraid to be who they are. The trans
(37:52):
people are not afraid to walk down the street and
think that they're going to potentially be attacked or possibly killed.
We need to be able to build healthy trans people.
And when I'm talking about like healthy trans people and
healthy trans community, right, it's not just about you know,
(38:13):
having access to healthcare, right, It's it's really having the
resources that one need in order to not just survive,
but actually to thrive in this world that we don't
have to think where am I going to lay my
head on tonight? What am I going to eat today?
(38:35):
Or even getting the jobs that we want right because
we are talented people, right, like we are also creators
all of those things. That's the reality I want to
strive for. And I know that that it's only going
to happen when there's an intentional investment and the lives
(38:55):
of trans people, not just talking about monetary investor san Yes,
money has power and we know that, and so money
is important, and it's important that we support translatorship, that
we support translate organizations that are actually doing the work
to also support other transpeople. Right and just to give
(39:16):
you an example of the investment that needs to happen
and trans people and the broader trans movement um. You know,
Funders for lgbt Q Issues released a report of the
funding that is distributed among the LGBTQ community. And this report,
they highlight that four cents out of every one dollars
(39:40):
that are granted go to translate organizations and groups. Even
within the lgbt Q movement, there is a huge disparity
and resource distribution in support and so we need to
look at all of those things. You know, there's so
many different ways that people can be involved. Invest your time, volunteer,
(40:02):
going to get to know us who we are as
people who organize of unreserve with your friends, you know,
and come to events that we do. You know, we
produce an amazing fashion show every year. If you want
to get to know the community, come to those shows. Rightly,
can live all of those biases that you have outside right,
like get to know who people are, as Carment saying, well,
(40:24):
I'd like to aim to move the needles so far
forward that baby, you're still around to see a significant
change of atmosphere life. We have a window to really
cultivate consciousness and to really cultivate the values in which
this next generation would carry your message. When you think
(40:46):
about the consciousness of our communities and being able to
you know, I'm listening to Babby, I'm listening to Carmen.
How do I get in the game, How do I help?
There's faces and how you can get involved? And I
think one of the biggest ones is to could team
you to share their stories, continue to share the communities
that road to this moment. There's nothing more sober in
(41:09):
than really truly, so fully understanding what has taken your
community to get here. And I also to add to
that what Mamby was saying as well, is that we
are already disenfranchised community and so our resources are very limited.
And as much as we are here for each other,
I think what would be super beneficial is to have
(41:31):
our allies, you know, step in and also be a
mentor for us so that we can trickle down that
information and that influence to our community, because you know,
if you put a bunch of disenfranchised people in the room,
it's like we're not going to really be able to
help each other out because we won't have the access,
the resources, and sometimes even just that inspiration because we're
(41:53):
dealing with so much with so little. So I think
it would just be huge, so beneficial to us, UM,
you know, aside from yes, you know, showing up for
us and understanding our stories and trying to change some
of those biases that exist in hetero normative settings, but
also to like be there for us and mentor us
(42:15):
so that you can help elevate us to honestly just
being in a normal, grounded, secure sense of life. Any thoughts,
any word of advice or message to UM those brothers
and sisters are in the world that want to know
more or want to find a place for all the
beautiful people who are listening to this session. First, thank
(42:39):
you so much for your time and for listening to
our conversation, UM, But I also want to ask you
two things. One is for you to understand the power
that you have as an individual and also as a community,
(43:00):
be and exercise your power anywhere and everywhere you go.
You don't need to apologize for being who you are.
You can just simply be. And for those who are
transgender and conforming non binary individuals, just know that you
(43:20):
are supposed to be here. Know that this earth your
place and situated in this earth because you do have
a purpose. And if you don't understand your purpose, it's okay.
Do you only have to understand that your purpose is
just to live and exist just as you are, and
don't be apologetic about who you are. Just be free
(43:43):
as you were when you first came to this existence.
I'm so grateful to Bamby and Carmen, not only for
their time, but also for getting so vulnerable with us.
You know, it's not easy to continue to relive your
store and tell it. There is so much strength in
their voice and in the road they've traveled. You know,
(44:05):
I'm truly committed to doing anything I can to help
Bambi live in the world that she's envisioned in her lifetime.
She really truly deserves that and so much more. She
fully does. And I can't wait to see the Garment
Garrea movie or TV show when it airs because it
will no one else can tell her story for her,
(44:27):
and anyone who's part of the trans community or has
trans community in their lives knows that there's so much
more to trans stories than what's usually portrayed on screen.
I'm stoked and honored that we got to challenge that
narrative today with Lisa, Bambi and Garman me too, and
I can't wait to continue these conversations next week with
essential worker Tam Sutherland, who works in veteran services, followed
(44:50):
by a round table with my friend Jane Horden, a
goal star wife who held multiple roles in the Pentagon,
from special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff to senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense.
Essential Voices with Wilmer val Drama is produced by me
M r Raquel, Alison Shano, and Kevin Retkowski, with production
support from Associate producer Lillian Holman. Executive producers Wilmer val Drama,
(45:13):
Adam Reynolds, Leo Clem, and Aaron Hilliard. This episode was
edited by Sean Tracy and features original music by Will Risotti.
Special thanks to this week's Essential Voice Lisa Sebios and
to our thought leaders, Bambi Sato from the Translatina Coalition
and Godamanda. This is a Clamor and w V Entertainment
production in partnership with I Heart Radio's Michael Dura podcast Network.
(45:37):
For more podcasts from I Heart, visit the i Heart
Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
Hey everyone, and Wilma about drama and I'm m r. Raquel.
Welcome back to Essential Voices. Thank you, m oh, we're
welcoming everyone else. You weren't talking to me? What thanks,
You're right here. Right on today's show will be speaking
with three badass Latina trans women, all who have been
(00:22):
lucendo for trans rights for years. I'm humbled that these
women chose to share their stories with us today and
I can't wait for you to hear. I can't wait either,
And as a queer person, I'm so honored to hear
these stories and learn from such powerful Latina trans women.
So first we're going to hear from our essential worker,
(00:43):
Lisa as we spoke to her from her offices at
the Trans Latina Coalition, where she's a case manager and
helps to provide critical services to the trans gender, nonconforming
and intersext communities of Los Angeles. She'll tell us about
her own journey that brought her to the Trans Latina Coalition,
and what it's like to work with her community, and
(01:03):
how she's been challenged during the pandemic. After we speak
to Lisa, we'll have a round table with the founder
and CEO of the Trans Latina Coalition along with activists
and model Gara, who is a CEO herself of c
C three Entertainment. Sounds great, and Mark, I can't wait.
Lisa's story starts now. A quick note to listeners, we
(01:27):
recorded remotely with Lisa from her office at the Trans
Latina Coalition. You occasionally hear some background noise when she speaks. Visa.
I'm so happy to talk to you today. So tell
me who you are and what's important to you. You know,
I know it's a kind of a big, bad question,
but I'd love for you to talk a little bit
about yourself. Well, I was born on the US. When
(01:48):
I was young, I ended up going to study in
a school where my dad's studying in Mexico, which is
a small town cote Jalisco, which is amazingly. The first
money that she ever made in the world was actually
me there, which is Marian. I studied there for my
elementary then I came over here. I got into junior high.
(02:11):
I started my transition doing junior high pretty early. I
never had that much issues until I started like showing
more of my transitioning in high school. Once I started
like doing the hormone therapy, and you know, before we
in trance, I was Gothic, So I remember people used
to think that I was a double worshiper and I
(02:31):
used to paying my face wide. I remember, I'll be
in the middle of the gym where like my face melting,
and they'll be like, oh, she's a deum worshipper. So
when I fully transitioned, nobody will mess around with me
because they'll be like, oh, she would put a spell
on here or something. So I wanted to kind of
recap a little bit about that moment, that transition one,
because I feel like there was something where uplifting and
(02:52):
accepting and beautiful about what you're saying. And you told
me a little bit about the transition, the reception and
how everybody was like, well, I mean I had real
good times, but then I also have really challenging times.
I remember that at that time it was not that
much known, as I believe it was one of the
first trans women openly to like transition. During my high
(03:12):
school times, I remember having Bolliba tennis and they wouldn't
allow me to change in the girl's locker. And at
that time I was taking my hormone therapy and I
already had breast developed, you know, so I started to
be in a little bit of a rebel. I told myself, Okay, fine,
you don't wanna let me change either in a restroom
(03:33):
or the girl's talker. Then I would change here in
front of other guys. So then when I did it,
it spice a big controversial, you know, I got into
the dean's They were like, oh, you know, what do
you think you are why. I'm like, well, I'm just
being myself. I'm asking for supporting guidance. But obviously, you know,
like I wasn't giving them into like this teacher comments Jones,
(03:54):
which he identified as the game. Now he started taking
me to different evands at me and other people that
identified gay or less than you know, and we started
empowering ourselves. I remember an Ego Rock College and to
this day, they have an event there every year where
like they informed community about like transitioning, about your rights,
and they also do like a nice festival. At the
(04:15):
end of the day. They have this podium where you're
able to speak and people do speeches and they just
empowered community. You know. For me that was really important
because that was the first time I went to an
event then, and I told myself, you know, like I
can stand up for myself. I don't have to like
let people like tell me what to do, what should
I do or not? Do you know? There was even
time that teachers would tell me like maybe you shouldn't
(04:36):
transition right now, you should just wait and study and
then like once you're like in college and stuff like that,
maybe then you can transition, you know. And I was like,
you know, I refused to do that because this is
who I am. You know. I want us to talk
a little bit about the first day you walked into
the Transplant Coalition and maybe just a little bit before
(04:57):
and then as you kind of discover that community and
that it is for you. I was doing this program.
I was close to being homeless because I was battling
with substance of use at one point in my life,
and my grandpa had passed away and I was staying
with him. I was in an engagement that went totally wrong.
So I just started I wanted to change my life around,
you know, And I started doing this program called Foot
(05:19):
on Foot, which is an amazing program in Hollywood where
like supposedly they give your own studio apartment they help you,
say five thousand dollars. To this day, I still go
volunteer there because it has literally been a part of
my journey that has changed my life dressingly as translating.
Our coalition has to. As I was doing that program
and I was almost finishing it to getting my apartment,
(05:41):
they support you on you obtaining a job. So at
that time I was volunteering or Translatina. They had an
event at the Forever Hollywood Cemetery and it was about
paying tribute to the trans women that were murdered that year,
you know, and we were making an altar. I always
been really passionate, right, so they we're like, just make sure,
you know, you don't go overboard talking to the people.
And when the people came, you know, I just this
(06:03):
passion just grew and I just told them about the
women that were murdered that year, you know, and like
how much has that impact the other community members and
how the work that we do. So then people started
getting really passionate. I started bringing a biggest crowd. My
boss is sitting down in a chair with the other
supervisors and they saw me and they were like this breathless,
And then people were even giving me money to donate
(06:26):
to the organization. They My boss was like, I want
you to work for me, and I'm like, but I
don't even have skills. I'm working in the office or
ever doing anything to do it direct service sin since
she's like, I started the same way, you know, like,
and look at me where I'm at now, you know,
So if I can do it, you can do it.
And I believe in you, and I know that everything
else you can learn it as you go, you know.
(06:47):
And yeah, I started part time as a ArtReach specialists,
then I got four time specialists. Then I became an
intake recruiter, and now I'm a case manager. And I
thought being a case manager because I guess said that
it's a big responsibility because the lives of people really
depend on you connecting on services, on you getting them housing.
(07:08):
This specifically is one of the biggest challenges we have
to this day, especially when it comes down to the
trans and nominary community. So describe what it is like
to be a case manager doing the pandemic. How did
you adjust, how did you evolve through that process? For me,
I think I embraced me actually to be a more
of an active listener like I was already an active listener.
(07:30):
I thought I was, but belive or not, like a
lot of my clients just needed somebody to talk to
him because the high value of mental health going on
because people being in their house not coming out. I
had a significant amount of clients that were like more interested. Yeah,
service came along with it, but just having a case
(07:51):
manager that is able to relate to you because they're
trends too, and you're able to tell them your deepest
challenges and like what you're going through emotionally, it was
really really touching. Can you talk about how the community
was disproportionately affected by the pandemic and maybe you share
some specifics on that as well. Well. It's important to
(08:11):
say even before COVID nccing, my community always been affective
with the challenges of work, housing and just having a decent,
dignified life to have the cential needs that they need.
A lot of us aren't, like I said earlier, we
don't have family members or people that we can rely
on on or it gives Like other people when they
lost their job at their home, they just went with
their mom or their dad, or their brother or their
(08:32):
sister to live. But then a lot of members of
my community also come from other countries where like they
don't have no family members here, so they didn't have
that option to go to their families for support or
for in Some of them, families don't even want to
know nothing about them because they identify as trends, you know.
So it was just more challenging than whatever already was
(08:55):
before COVID nancing. And it still continues to this day.
And even though I COVID has been getting better, you know,
like those challenges still continue to be there on the
table for us, you know, to survive into like after
opportunities that everybody else has to know that it is,
having even a job, it's challenging, you know, Yeah, is
(09:16):
there a memory? Is there something? Is there a stories
or a moment that kind of just has kept you
going during this time? Um, I mean it kind of
emotional because just when you actually give out the assistance
that we've been giving and one of our programs called
COVID Ecting Rental systet and even though it's not that much,
(09:39):
just having the client look at you and literally like
thank you and say how greatful they are, because when
everybody else closed the doors on them, or they didn't
get the support of the help from any other place.
They're done with us, you know, Like it's touching because
you know they start crying. Then then it's hard for
(10:00):
you not to cry because you know you have to
be strong and as be like, you know, don't worry.
This is why we're here for and we're going to
continue working on this and this is our job and
we love doing what we do. You know, what would
you tell your younger self to not be so hard
on yourself, just continue your journey. And I honestly like
(10:23):
feel like nothing ever stopped me, Like I let nobody
stop for me being my attentive self and just continue pushing.
I wish I would have like told myself, you know,
like I love you, You're cared for, you know, like
your value, you know, don't give up. Because there was
part of my life where like I felt there was
no future for me because I identify as trance, you know,
(10:46):
and for a minute, I thought it was just doing
sex work or doing things to survive, you know, because
that's how I felt. I felt like I had to
be surviving every day just to say, like, be faithful,
be hope for that in the future. There is now
services at my community Conneccess, you know, and it's just
it's just the beginning. To Lisa, I'm so proud of
(11:09):
your story. I'm so proud of everything you said to
me today. I'm humble by your time as well. And
just continue the great work. I mean, you really are
doing unbelievable and we celebrate you because how essential you've
been before, enduring and now as we extually this pandemic.
You should be very proud of yourself, you know. And
thank you for looking beautiful today too, I try now.
(11:34):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm really honored
to be here with all of you in here today
that give me the opportunity to fill out this space
to like speak my true and my story to everybody
else that might be hearing somewhere out there in the world,
you know. I love so much of that interview, especially
imagining Lisa addressed gothic, as she says, with the painted
(11:57):
white face, and how bad ass it is that she
found power as a young trans woman to stand up
for herself because her classmates thought she could cast spells
on them given her gothic look if they were insensitive
towards her, and I also love that story that Lisa
told at the Forever Cemetery, where just by being herself
and sharing her passion, she both made money for the
(12:19):
Coalition and landed her job absolutely and in turn she
has been able to use her position to continue to
help trans women in the same situation she was in.
It's such an inspiring cycle. When we get back, we'll
talk with a quick note to listeners. We recorded remotely
(12:46):
with Bambi from her office at the Trans Latina Coalition.
You'll occasionally hear some background noise when she speaks. Today
we're here speaking with activists and model Carmen Carrera and
the founder and CEO of the Trans Latina Coalition, Bamby.
Hey Carmen, Hey Bamby. I'm so so excited and really
(13:07):
honored that you're here with us today. I'm just really
excited for this conversation. Wilmer want to start us off?
God him, Bammy. I'm so grateful to have you both
with me today. How did you feel about listening to
Lisa's story and what stood out for you? Maybe we'll
start with you, Karmen. I think stories like Lisas are
so important first just to hear and to listen to
(13:28):
because you can you can hear the sincerity in her voice,
and I think, like you said, like you said that
it was very humbling to speak with her, like just
to listen to her, and like just to remind myself
as a trans person of the journey that I've taken
as well. It means a lot, because you know, we
have so many similarities that might not be the same
exact story, but it's that drive, that resiliency to like
(13:51):
wants to redefine what the possibility of life could be
for being trans, or for being an immigranted, for being
just different and being sort of viewed by society as
like not acceptable or taboo, you know, and just for me,
as a young person, I was always looking for somewhere
to express my love to other people. And as an adult,
(14:15):
I find that I hesitate a lot, and I think
it comes from wanting to fit in with the right
crowd and then feeling so moothered and then trying to
break through that you sort of question like is this real?
Like am I actually stepping into my power? And like
am I really accepted? You know, like you sort of
(14:35):
have those little voices in the background. I think that
a lot of us transpokes, whether we decided to transition
or not, just going through the steps of like becoming
your full self and wanting to re interact with the
world but then also give back. I think it takes
a lot of strength and courage. And that's one of
the things that I always draw from my sisters, my
(14:58):
brothers and sisters, is that we're so strong and even
though sometimes we have those moments of weakness, and we
have those moments of like second guessing or being fearful,
we all rise the occasion. I think that's like the
most beautiful part. You know, that really kind of touched
me to just hear her voice and hear about what
she's been through. So I just jump in, Yeah, this
(15:21):
is your this is your place. You're on the place, mammy,
thank you. Um. Just listening to Lisa, you know, I
learned actually a couple of things that I didn't know
about Lisa. Lissa story is sort of like super close
to me because she reminds me a lot of myself.
Whenever I started working in social justice space, right like,
(15:44):
I didn't know nothing really, and I also started as
a outreach worker right like. And for me, it was
when I started my transition, I stood up in corners
with many trans women, right, like you know, a sex
work in going back to the same corners to the
same people who I once stood up with, like in
(16:07):
a different light, to provide education and to write, even
to provide conducts, right, it was just life changing for me.
But that was also like the exact experience for Lisa, right,
because that's how she started working with us here and
just like seeing her evolution, right, like she in the
way she talks, and she in the way she interacts
(16:28):
with the people who we work for, and just seeing
her growth and development. You know, there's so many Lisa's
out there, There's so many Rambies out there, There's so
many people who need that supporting validation right to let
them know, you know, that they are amazing and that
they are incredible, right because oftentimes to what we hear
(16:48):
as trans people, particularly transforman of color for the most part,
is that we should not exist, right, that we are condemnation,
that we that we're not good basically right. And so
when we can prove them wrong, we can develop and
we can become the amazing people who were destined to
(17:09):
be right. And so just to me, hearing Lisa's story
and way of expressing herself, you know, it's just amazing.
It's just I feel like a problem about why, you know,
because it's just the farms that the work that I
have done for over twenty five years in the community,
it shows Bamby you say that you see a lot
(17:32):
of yourself in in Lisa and that you've had sort
of a similar trajectory as the one that she shared
with us. You know how Lisa came to work at
the Trans Latina Coalition by starting as a volunteer and
now she's a case manager. And you were saying, even
with your own social justice journey, to use your words,
that you started at the beginning doing outreach and community support.
(17:54):
So could you share the story of how you founded
the Trans Latina Coalition and maybe also all the steps
that it took you to get you where you are today.
The Translating Collection came into existence because of a need
in two thousand and nine. There were two prominent national
translator organizations that obviously we're doing amazing work, but unfortunately
(18:18):
at that time that we're not including the needs and
issues of trans Latina immigrant women. So I gathered some
friends and started like, Okay, well we don't have a voice,
we you know, what are we going to do about it?
So that's how we started. In two thousand and nine,
I actually had the opportunity to be part of a
statewide HIV conference that the state Office of Eights was
(18:40):
putting together. And because I was part of the planning committee,
I asked to have a meeting space. And because I
was a part of the planning committee, I reached out
to people in different places across the state. We're trans latinas,
and so I got them all together and talked about
like what we're going to do, and that's how we
(19:01):
started organizing. I was also very lucky and fortunate that
in two thousand and nine I was also approached by
the organizers of the United States Conference on Nights for
me to be one of the opening planary keynote speakers,
and so part of my package also what I requested
was to get a meeting space. And that conference took
(19:24):
place in San Francisco and October to nine, and I
great a flyer and I invited people from different places
across the United States to come to this meeting, and
so that's how we started. That's how we went national
right away, and I remember that back then we were
just organizing via conference calls. It was all volunteer run
(19:46):
organization and you know, and it was made up leaders
from around the country. And so that's how we started
organizing with this idea of changing the structures that marginalized
our community, right translating immigrants women and then like, we
did amazing work thinking in that way, but as we
were trying to also organize people across the country, we
(20:09):
were also seeing the members of our community. We're not
having access to the basic things that they need, like housing, food,
and all of those things right that are essential for
people to live and survive. And so I was working
in a Turner's Hospital Los Angeles as the coordinator of
their transferder program, and in twenty fifth we came together
(20:30):
and decided that in order for us to also address
that issue in our community, that we also needed to
move into doing service provission. And so as a leap
of faith, I left my really great and amazing job
that I loved and dedicated myself into building the transmitting
our coalition and we serve as a model to other places.
(20:52):
And so we got our first official grant in January sixteen,
and that was specifically to support trans women who were
getting released from immigration detention because then the attention center
was here in Santana, California. And also then the Woment
Administration created this transgender pot Um and that's where where
(21:12):
they were housing transforming in that was in Santana, and
so we were doing theresitations and supporting people, connecting them
with lawyers and all kinds of stuff. We got the
grant to support them when they get out because when
they get out, also when they have case suspending or
you know, have you they they don't have no support
and as Lisa mentioned also right like many of us
(21:34):
don't have family here, and so you know, that's how
we started a service provision part of it. And since
then and just five years, we have built a multi purpose,
multi service space here in Los Angeles. There's now fifteen
of us working here at the organization, and we continue
to do the work in those two fields, right like
(21:55):
the direct service provision and also the policy change, which
you know I can also share about the policies that
we have also helped pass. And you know, we'll be
right back after this break. Welcome back to Essential Voices
turning it over to you, Carmen. You advocate for trans
rights in various public spheres, especially in the media. So
(22:18):
I'm wondering if you can share what inspires you to
speak out when you do and what role you think
that members of the media have in the larger conversation
about trans advocacy. So what inspires me the most is
like to create the reality that I already have in
my mind, Like I'm a human being, you know what
I mean, Like, I get it, people have their biases
(22:39):
when it comes to trans people, but I'm not gonna
let that stop me. Like I am extremely grateful for
the family that I have. How tighten it we are.
And once I stepped foot into the entertainment realm, I
already came with a package of like I'm going to
prove you wrong. Because all my whole childhood I was
told that gay p people are this and trans people
(23:01):
are that. And as a young person, you're still sort
of forming, like what's the truth. And so when I
stepped into my I guess young adulthood, I was like,
trans people are not what they're saying they are. Gay
people are not, you know, this punching bag, Like we're
not that, and so I've always lived sort of like
(23:23):
one foot in like the CIS world and like the
other foot in like the LGBT community, sort of like
trying to find balance. And so that's always my inspiration
is to like bridge the gap of what's false and
what's fear based, and what's like the truth and what's
closer to love. So that's really what inspires me, and
(23:43):
I think in the media if there's a huge responsibility
of using the right terminology, not bringing your subconscious bias
into the articles or into the picture that you're painting,
and also to give us our humanity and see us
less as like a Jerry Springer vibes, you know, Ripley's
believe it or Not vibes, and like actually like see
(24:06):
the person that we are and the reason why we're
going so hard, And especially for people like me in
the public, I like what we're actually putting out there
in the world. It's not an easy thing. It's very
difficult to be judged. I think any entertainer will tell
you that, because we're probably really hard on ourselves as
it is. But when it comes to something that is
(24:26):
as sacred as like how you identify and going through
change is physical and stuff like that, Like it's another
level of vulnerability. And when we're getting people access to that,
it's like have a little bit more respect for the
human What advice or what thoughts or what visions or
what path do you see? Then where we can actually
(24:47):
help support that. I think it all comes down to intention,
and it comes down to humanizing the experience of why
you're telling the story, because I deal with a lot
of like stereotypical trans roles and it makes it harder
for me. I mean, we already have I mean I
try not to come from a place of lack, but
we do have a lack of trans representation on scripted
(25:09):
shows and movies and stuff. And I try to think
about my real life and I try to think about
how I can use parts of my life to benefit
my community, inspire my community, and also create change for
those who have accepted an ignorant false reality of who
we are. So I think what all starts off with
(25:30):
your intention? Like if someone's writing a role for an
immigrant person, what exactly are you doing here? Are you
going to be uplifting? Are you gonna be telling a
story you know the truth? Are you going to be
showcasing our culture. Are you gonna be? You know, let's
be more thoughtful about the reasons why we're telling these
(25:50):
stories when it comes to marginalized communities, Like are we
helping to make change or are we just fueling more
ignorance and creating a unity where it's okay to be
hateful or to treat people wrong. I think on the
flip side, us as artists and us as actors or performers,
(26:12):
we should be putting in that work. You know, sometimes
it takes for us to write it ourselves. I never
thought that I would consider myself to be like a
writer or anything like that, but you know, I'm starting
to like think like, well, I might have to just
write this myself and like send it to my agent
and hope it will something will come from it. Yeah.
And also the creative partnerships, right, it's not just like,
(26:33):
oh man, we have to do it ourselves, right. I
think the biggest factor here is that we do have
to collaborate with the system that's in place, because unfortunately,
there's a traditional format and how you get things done right.
But as it all changes, as it all evolves for us,
I think it's interesting what you're saying and creating some
real creative collaborations. And I talked a lot about creative
(26:54):
collaborations because our communities have never really been invited to
the profession that dictate how this content goes. I mean,
we've never been told we could be directors and writers,
you know, we've never been invited to learn how to
write a script. But these are things that pioneers like
Bambi and you Carmen can really really inspire young people
(27:15):
to say, hey, you know, maybe I can do it myself.
Or even if I learn how to write, maybe I
can be in a writer's room to actually make that
better on screen, right, to have those characters actually really
feel like it breeds and moves the way that that
I do, you know, And I think that is that's
a really interesting starting point. I think that that starts
this noble There's also two like if I can just
be honest and transparent, like I feel like there's a
(27:37):
sense of urgency and it maybe it could be linked
to my own personal calling, but I don't know. We're
dealing with the pandemic. We're dealing with it. You know,
it's kind of a little bit of a challenge. You
know to collaborate creatively, but I'm really in touch with
my community members and a lot of the girls that
I know, they don't want to do sex work anymore.
(27:58):
You know, they deal with what's the narrative in play
and what opportunities they do have versus what possibility exists
out there for just some of us. And so I
feel they're paying a lot of the times because I
feel like they have less options because they can't seem
to find I guess, a quote unquote normal like functioning
(28:19):
role in society, and so it's either being pulled back
to have to give into this narrative of being a
fetish in order to find peace because they're not able
to find it in real life. And I guess there
is a level of tokenism that happens in the media.
(28:39):
Sometimes it's like, oh, there's only one spot in a
fashion show, there's only one spot on the cover of
a magazine, and then it's like a lot of these
I guess maybe outlets are like larger companies or brands.
You know, they're saying they're changing the world, but in reality,
it's not really creating that much change. It's creating more
stress because there's such a lack of representation. So I
(29:00):
don't know. For me, I just feel like there's a
sense of urgency to let the world know that there
are spaces that trans people can function in that are safe,
and to show what that looks like, because I haven't
really seen it yet. Thank you for bringing that up, Garment,
because it is true, right, the position that we hold
within our society, right, Like just in general I mentioned earlier, right,
(29:22):
like some of my friends who I stood up in
a corner with, I'm fifty two years old now, right,
and so they're in their fifties sixties, and they didn't
know anything but sex work. You know, a lot of
them won't be able to get any type of benefits
because they never worked. They were contributed to do their
such a security. Many don't have family to care for
(29:45):
them and stuff, and so it's really sad. And then
also there's studies that say they transpeople are the most poor.
The average transperson makes about ten thousand dollars a year.
And then we get hit with the global pandemic. Most
trans people were not even able to get the stimulus
support that most people got, neither the six hundred, twelve
(30:08):
hundred or why because the majority of trans people are
not working and continue to have challenges to be employed.
Even here in California, the Governor I lookated seventy six
million dollars to support and documented people. Trans people who
are ut documented were not able to even benefit from
those five hundred dollars that were the studio right. And
(30:29):
so we were already within our society before this group
and them ahead really far behind than any other population.
And we know for a fact that because of this
globe pandemic, the trans movement is going to be set
even further behind than how we were when we talk
about creating our own stuff, that's what we have to do.
(30:53):
Also in the middle of a global pandemic. Last year,
we actually learned that for the first time and the
history theodically for no piece of legislation was crafted, introduced, organized,
push mobilized all the way to the government's desk, and
that was Assembly Built eighteen, which is a Transgender Onness
and Equity Pact. And so with that piece of legislation,
(31:16):
there was fifteen million dollars allocated to support trans programming
across the States, but because of the pandemic, the money
was removed and so this year our organization, along with
statewide coalition that we formed of translated groups and organizations,
we advocated and pushed for the money to be reinstated.
(31:37):
Although you know, the governor didn't not look at the
fifteen million dollars that were originally allocated for this piece
of legislation. There is thirteen million dollars that are specifically
to support the livelihood of trans people. You know, it's
important for us to really think about and this is
what we're doing as an organization, right and we're going
(31:58):
to develop a plan of what is the next fifty
years gonna look like for trance people, not just in
the stead of California about a questination. We have to
show the new generations there are possibilities for us and
that we can make things happen. Wow, Bamby, Oh my gosh,
(32:19):
that's incredible when you hear the number thirteen million dollars
allocated for supporting trans folks. I'd love to know what
you think the money should be used for, Bamby in
in these next fifty years. Like you say, but I
think I'm getting a little ahead of myself. So, Carmen,
you were talking m about this sense of urgency that
you've been feeling with wanting to get your story out,
(32:41):
even if you never thought of yourself before um as
a writer. And so you know, the media really does
trickle down and affects more or less all parts of
American culture. Folks who are in the public eye really
do have the ability to influence positive change. So every
time someone in the public eye comes out at queer
or trans or non binary, this means queer representation becomes
(33:05):
more widely understood and included, and this in turn helps
younger kids around the country maybe feel like they can
be living their truth as well. Since someone so public
is not spoken about who they are, then kids have
someone in the media they can identify with. And so,
with all that being said, for you, what do you
want to write and what kinds of stories do you
(33:26):
want to share? I guess it would be more about
my story and how my perception honestly, because it's all
in my head. It's like I am a hundred percent
aware of my entire life and everything that I've learned
in two different aesthetics of two different gender and so
I've been able to gather so much fascinating points of
(33:47):
view that I would love to work um into a
film or a TV show character, because like, for instance,
there's been so much change that happened since Love Simon
came out. And I don't know if you've seen the film,
it's it gives you like the fields, you know, and
like I think there's a lacking of like a soul
when it comes to trans people in our story because
(34:10):
we have to sell it so often. We've been the
sex worker, the fetishized person, and like someone us have
to force ourselves into those roles and it takes a
bit from you, you know. And so I think if
we can give people the vision and the view of
what it looks like to love a trans person, not
(34:30):
to just love a trans person who is is presenting,
because I know I have passing privilege, absolutely, but that
doesn't change the fact of anyone who dates me is
going to question what people are going to say about,
you know, him dating a trans person. And also you know,
what are some of my insecurities as a trans person,
and how my romantic partner could be there for me,
(34:53):
how my family could be there for me, how my
family has been there for me. I would love to
tell that story and to show so many but who
can't even fathom the idea of having unconditional love towards
a trans person. Aside from maybe pity or looking down
at us or judging us, there's an array of other
emotions that you can feel. Um you can empathize for
(35:15):
a story, but you can also connect just through the
experience of being a human being. And so I would
love to see that truly being portrayed on television because
what I feel like I've gathered so far. I try
to always take myself and my own idea of who
I am as a performer, like out of the equation,
like I try to think me as a trans person.
(35:37):
What trans story have I seen so far on television
that restores my faith that uplifts me? Who tells me
that I'm important? I haven't seen any And then that's
not to like poop on anyone's creative work, not at all.
I'm just being very real and very transparent that the
(35:59):
real life that I live, because I don't live under
the veil of I'm Carmen Carrera, Like I wish I
could have that kind of ego, but it's not real
for me. I have to still go out and deal
with what every other woman deals like every other desired
woman deals with, every Latina woman deals with, on top
of being trans, on top of my own issues that
(36:21):
I'm working through, going through what I went through my transition.
So for me, it's like, I know I'm not the
only one now, I know I'm not the only one
Latina trans woman out there, you know what I mean,
There's so many of us. So I think it's all
about you know, giving us our soul back on film,
on camera, you know, as a queer person myself, I
feel really excited and hopeful that at some point, stories,
(36:45):
whether it's movies or TV shows or podcasts or really
any form of media, can be fully representative of the
complexity and nuances and beauty of l g B, t
q I A plus lives. And so also, what you're
saying about your story not existing in the media yet
is so true because you're the only Carmen. What you've
(37:06):
been through, that's your story, and so sharing your story
will be so powerful because no one else can tell
your story. And so for you, Bamby, I'd love to
know too. In your world, when you envision the steps
towards the changes that you'd like to see, what does
that look like for for you, Bamby, and what does
that look like for the Trans Latino Coalition? For me,
(37:30):
I am realistic that I probably am not going to
live to see the world that I want to live in,
but I know they're not contributing to that world, and
so I want to build a world where trans people
are not afraid to be who they are. The trans
(37:52):
people are not afraid to walk down the street and
think that they're going to potentially be attacked or possibly killed.
We need to be able to build healthy trans people.
And when I'm talking about like healthy trans people and
healthy trans community, right, it's not just about you know,
(38:13):
having access to healthcare, right, It's it's really having the
resources that one need in order to not just survive,
but actually to thrive in this world that we don't
have to think where am I going to lay my
head on tonight? What am I going to eat today?
(38:35):
Or even getting the jobs that we want right because
we are talented people, right, like we are also creators
all of those things. That's the reality I want to
strive for. And I know that that it's only going
to happen when there's an intentional investment and the lives
(38:55):
of trans people, not just talking about monetary investor san Yes,
money has power and we know that, and so money
is important, and it's important that we support translatorship, that
we support translate organizations that are actually doing the work
to also support other transpeople. Right and just to give
(39:16):
you an example of the investment that needs to happen
and trans people and the broader trans movement um. You know,
Funders for lgbt Q Issues released a report of the
funding that is distributed among the LGBTQ community. And this report,
they highlight that four cents out of every one dollars
(39:40):
that are granted go to translate organizations and groups. Even
within the lgbt Q movement, there is a huge disparity
and resource distribution in support and so we need to
look at all of those things. You know, there's so
many different ways that people can be involved. Invest your time, volunteer,
(40:02):
going to get to know us who we are as
people who organize of unreserve with your friends, you know,
and come to events that we do. You know, we
produce an amazing fashion show every year. If you want
to get to know the community, come to those shows. Rightly,
can live all of those biases that you have outside right,
like get to know who people are, as Carment saying, well,
(40:24):
I'd like to aim to move the needles so far
forward that baby, you're still around to see a significant
change of atmosphere life. We have a window to really
cultivate consciousness and to really cultivate the values in which
this next generation would carry your message. When you think
(40:46):
about the consciousness of our communities and being able to
you know, I'm listening to Babby, I'm listening to Carmen.
How do I get in the game, How do I help?
There's faces and how you can get involved? And I
think one of the biggest ones is to could team
you to share their stories, continue to share the communities
that road to this moment. There's nothing more sober in
(41:09):
than really truly, so fully understanding what has taken your
community to get here. And I also to add to
that what Mamby was saying as well, is that we
are already disenfranchised community and so our resources are very limited.
And as much as we are here for each other,
I think what would be super beneficial is to have
(41:31):
our allies, you know, step in and also be a
mentor for us so that we can trickle down that
information and that influence to our community, because you know,
if you put a bunch of disenfranchised people in the room,
it's like we're not going to really be able to
help each other out because we won't have the access,
the resources, and sometimes even just that inspiration because we're
(41:53):
dealing with so much with so little. So I think
it would just be huge, so beneficial to us, UM,
you know, aside from yes, you know, showing up for
us and understanding our stories and trying to change some
of those biases that exist in hetero normative settings, but
also to like be there for us and mentor us
(42:15):
so that you can help elevate us to honestly just
being in a normal, grounded, secure sense of life. Any thoughts,
any word of advice or message to UM those brothers
and sisters are in the world that want to know
more or want to find a place for all the
beautiful people who are listening to this session. First, thank
(42:39):
you so much for your time and for listening to
our conversation, UM, But I also want to ask you
two things. One is for you to understand the power
that you have as an individual and also as a community,
(43:00):
be and exercise your power anywhere and everywhere you go.
You don't need to apologize for being who you are.
You can just simply be. And for those who are
transgender and conforming non binary individuals, just know that you
(43:20):
are supposed to be here. Know that this earth your
place and situated in this earth because you do have
a purpose. And if you don't understand your purpose, it's okay.
Do you only have to understand that your purpose is
just to live and exist just as you are, and
don't be apologetic about who you are. Just be free
(43:43):
as you were when you first came to this existence.
I'm so grateful to Bamby and Carmen, not only for
their time, but also for getting so vulnerable with us.
You know, it's not easy to continue to relive your
store and tell it. There is so much strength in
their voice and in the road they've traveled. You know,
(44:05):
I'm truly committed to doing anything I can to help
Bambi live in the world that she's envisioned in her lifetime.
She really truly deserves that and so much more. She
fully does. And I can't wait to see the Garment
Garrea movie or TV show when it airs because it
will no one else can tell her story for her,
(44:27):
and anyone who's part of the trans community or has
trans community in their lives knows that there's so much
more to trans stories than what's usually portrayed on screen.
I'm stoked and honored that we got to challenge that
narrative today with Lisa, Bambi and Garman me too, and
I can't wait to continue these conversations next week with
essential worker Tam Sutherland, who works in veteran services, followed
(44:50):
by a round table with my friend Jane Horden, a
goal star wife who held multiple roles in the Pentagon,
from special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff to senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense.
Essential Voices with Wilmer val Drama is produced by me
M r Raquel, Alison Shano, and Kevin Retkowski, with production
support from Associate producer Lillian Holman. Executive producers Wilmer val Drama,
(45:13):
Adam Reynolds, Leo Clem, and Aaron Hilliard. This episode was
edited by Sean Tracy and features original music by Will Risotti.
Special thanks to this week's Essential Voice Lisa Sebios and
to our thought leaders, Bambi Sato from the Translatina Coalition
and Godamanda. This is a Clamor and w V Entertainment
production in partnership with I Heart Radio's Michael Dura podcast Network.
(45:37):
For more podcasts from I Heart, visit the i Heart
Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
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The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.