The civil rights of transgender people are on the ballot nationally and here in Indiana this November. That’s why it’s so important that trans people exercise their right to vote, despite the fact that intimidation in their communities and confusion about voter ID rules can decrease turnout among this vulnerable group.  

Let’s be clear – trans people have the right to vote, regardless of their gender identity or their current gender presentation. #YesYouCanVote -- even if you haven’t updated your ID to match your gender. And if you have recently updated your photo ID, it’s important that you check your voter registration at indianavoters.com right now to make sure that your registration matches the current name on your photo ID. Do this before the deadline on October 5!   

Adrienne Cassidy (she/her) shares her story of casting her very first vote ever: "I am a 49- year- old transgender woman and I never registered to vote until 2018. I always thought that my one little vote never mattered and being a trans person, I was so scared and nervous to go by myself. But I’ve seen how so many of our rights are under attack by elected officials and I just couldn't sit by any longer and not do my civic duty. I heard that the ACLU of Indiana was organizing a group of trans people and their allies to go to the polls to vote together, and I knew that this was the time to do it. I felt so safe walking in to vote with this incredible group of people and was so proud of myself for finally exercising my right. Every vote counts!” 

 

Veronica Pejril (she/her) currently serves as an elected city councilor in Greencastle. She describes the experience of casting her vote as her authentic self: “The first time I cast a ballot as my most authentic self, it felt frightening to step into my polling place, a local Baptist church. Many trans folks feel uncomfortable stepping into unfamiliar spaces, especially when we may need to present a government ID that may not match our presentation. When I stepped out of that booth, I felt empowered and liberated. Our representation matters, in the voting booth, on the ballot, and in elected offices. It’s more important than ever for us all to remember that yes, we can vote.” 

photo credit, DePauw University

 

Cosmo Xavier (she/they) is a spoken word artist and transgender activist from Indianapolis. She has a message for everyone about the importance of exercising our rights: “The upcoming election is one that has extra gravity for minorities of all groups. The state of the American democracy is fragile, this I feel is true. While we all wish to make change in our own ways, America still allows us an option to vote. If you have the ability to, register to vote. More than half the states allow registration to occur completely online. Once registered, make a plan. Fill your ballot and promptly send it back. If you have to vote in person, please, wear a mask, bring some sanitizer, and be patient. It's always a drag to stand in line to vote, but there are lives at stake. Be smart, be safe, and please, vote for your neighbor, your friends, your family, and for the future of us all.” 

photo credit, Ethan Evans 

In November’s election, it’s important that every Hoosier knows how to exercise their right to vote! Check out our “Yes! You Can Vote!” website for more information about your rights, and for important dates and resources to make sure your vote counts. And on October 23, join us on social media where we’ll be sharing stories of transgender voters as we #TRANSformThePolls. 

Last Thursday, IMPD proposed its 2021 budget to the Indianapolis City-County Council Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee. During the committee meeting, IMPD leadership broke down their $261,245,103 budget line by line. The main takeaway being that IMPD seeks more officers and more equipment.  

After the killing of Dreasjon Reed, McHale Rose, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, the community took to the streets to make their demands loud and clear: Defund IMPD. Yet, the demands to divest from police and reinvest in our community went completely unheard by Chief Taylor and IMPD leadership. Instead, the exact opposite was proposed. IMPD responded by proposing an overall $7+ million increase in its 2021 budget.  

In June, we saw the largest mass protests in recent history calling for the end to police violence and divestment from police. In Indianapolis, historic number of protestors took to the Statehouse lawn to demand action and change, only to be ignored by our city’s leadership during this year’s budget discussions. The 2021 proposed IMPD budget is offensive, unconscionable, and outright irresponsible. Increasing IMPD’s budget to put more officers in our streets is guaranteeing more police brutality and killings. Our community is not safe with more officers on our streets. 

The justification for more funding also came with a complete disregard for the facts surrounding the issues our community is facing. When asked about racial disparities in drug enforcement, Chief Taylor responded by stating that, “as far as marijuana is concerned, it's a drug of choice for certain people." We know extreme racial disparities in marijuana arrests persist. It is a fact that Black and white people use marijuana at similar rates, but in Indiana Black people are 3.5x more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people. These racial disparities must not be ignored.  

We also know our community is in dire need of community based mental health services. It’s time to remove police from our existing Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams and embrace teams composed of highly trained professionals, including nurses, doctors, psychiatrists, and social workers, to respond to incidents with people who are in mental health crises.  

During IMPD’s budget discussions, they also highlighted reforms to their policies and practices as a response to the outcry from the community to enact systemic change. However, it has been proven that reforming use-of-force and other policies has not been enough to bring wholistic, systemic change. Devastating murders at the hands of police are still occurring at alarming rates. We must rebuild, from the ground up, a structure to achieve public safety for all. 

This response is also strangely familiar. After the killing of Aaron Bailey in 2017 by IMPD officers, IMPD’s response turned to reforming policies and practices. There is a fundamental truth we must confront: Black people continue to be murdered and brutalized by police with near impunity.  

More of the same won’t fix this problem. 

More of the same won’t save Black lives. 

More of the same won’t help communities of color thrive. 

More of the same is not justice. 

We must divest from IMPD and reinvest in our Indianapolis community. It is not up for debate - Black lives are on the line. The city must show with its actions that Black Lives Matter.  

Contact your councilor and ask them to hold IMPD accountable by not approving their 2021 proposed budget. 

Demand action