This pride month, give back to the New Orleans community by learning and donating to House of Tulip, a local TGNC housing initiative started by Trans individuals. Started in 2020, House of Tulip aims to establish a multi-family property in New Orleans that not only provides housing for the LGBT+ and GNC community, but also employment, healthcare, sanitation and food opportunities. House of Tulip also looks to create a community center where TGNC folk can access social safety net opportunities such as employment and skills training, eat food, take part in activities, or simply relax and enjoy everything the safe space has to offer. In the long-term, House of Tulips aims to keep the price of housing affordable in New Orleans while also protecting against gentrification and exclusionary housing projects in the city. By operating as a land trust and providing social safety net opportunities, the ultimate goal of House of Tulip is to ensure that the people of the homeless community become homeowners someday.
As trans people become more visible in society, it is important to better understand this community, the problems they face, and how diverse it is. Some identify as trans men or women, while others describe themselves as non-binary, gender-queer, gender nonconforming or other identities that reflect their lived experiences. Some trans individuals take hormones or undergo surgery to transition, while others change their pronouns and appearance. Despite this increased visibility in daily life and in media, the trans community faces discrimination, inequality, stigma, and violence. Some of the issues the trans community faces include poverty, violence, lack of legal protection, harassment, lack of healthcare coverage, and inaccurate or incomplete identity documents. These obstacles resonate even in our home state of Louisiana. According to results from the United States Trans Survey, 1 in 3 trans individuals in Louisiana experience homelessness at some point in their lives. This is where House of Tulip aims to leave a positive impact. Estimates place that around 5.1% of New Orleans residents identify as LGBTQ, making it one of the highest per capita in the United States.
House of Tulip operates in a self-sustaining and donation-based model. If you would like to invest in trans lives here in Louisiana, you can donate to them here. House of Tulip is also Black Trans-owned and led. They have merchandise available on Bonfire in which all of the proceeds go towards this amazing organization!
Sources:
https://houseoftulip.org/our-vision
https://www.nola.com/gambit/news/the_latest/article_59d5a2c4-bf26-11eb-a463-6b340d8a4c1a.html
https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-transgender-community