Send Trans Kids a (Yard) Sign - Pittsburgh
Tax deductible
A few weeks ago, Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities responded to concerns of a LGBTQ family being targeted by a neighbor. The specific focus at that time was targeting their 15-year-old Black trans daughter by hoisting a 9-foot transphobic sign in their backyard facing her bedroom window. Previous encounters included implicit threats to their then 17-year-old Black heterosexual son about calling the police for 'recycling inappropriately' with a reference to the murder of George Floyd and so much more.
One part of the response, crafted with the family and Ke'Juan specifically, was to send a message to the community - PLC partnered with Commonwealth Press to create yard signs reading <em>Protect Trans Kids.</em> We ordered 50 signs and distributed in the neighborhoods near the family so they would see them as they went about their daily business.
Response was great and has continued to grow. There are now requests for close to 300 signs total. Volunteers have been distributing, starting with Northside locations and moving outward. No one is charged, but donations offset the production costs. Each sign is about $12 or 50 signs for $580. These are NOT a fundraiser, but any excess funds left after the signs are done will go to other programming around Ke'Juan's wishes. Right now, donations go to produce more signs. PLC invested the original $580. Donors have invested another $1630. as of today <strong>we need $1300</strong> to meet the signs requested via our project. That's not allowing for a single sign be distributed to other spaces or public thoroughfares, etc.
So we are increasing our expectations and planning to produce a total of 500 signs. That will require $6000 total.
Individual donations are probably not going to keep up with demand for the yard signs. We need to think bigger and broader - who in the community *should* be investing in the message that trans kids need and deserve support? Political candidates? Community groups? Private business? Local governments? Civic groups? Foundations? Affluent neighbors?
So we are establishing a crowdfund at GoFundMe for this particular project and asking you to help with the heavy lifting of requesting donations, both individual and from groups. Share the links with your community groups, your book clubs, your faith community, your political committee, and your neighbor/relative who can write a check for $580 without breaking a sweat, something most of us cannot do. I know a very few folks like that and I've reached out to ask. Can you do the same thing?
You can also donate via Venmo and Paypal or check
Venmo
Paypal PittsburghLGBTQ
You can Request a sign at this link
Read more about Ke’Juan and her family at:
North Side family alleges transphobic harassment f rom neighbor – Pgh City Paper, May 24, 2022
No-contact order given in North Side transphobic h arassment case; final ruling to come – Pgh City Paper, June 23, 2022.
Message from Ke'Juan via video
Organizer
Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities
Beneficiary