82: Living the “T” in LGBTQ – A Conversation with Nikole Parker and Jaime Jara

Dear White Women

With conversations about race being at the front of our minds, and being aware of the incredibly difficult and dangerous reality of being a Black transgender individual, we wanted to bring you a conversation with two people who live this reality.

Jaime Jara is an old friend who is very public about the work she and her transgender daughter do for advocacy and normalizing identity, so we get to include her as a White parent’s perspective.

Nikole Parker is a Black transgender woman, who is the TransAction Florida Project Coordinator, assisting with Equality Florida's statewide Transgender Inclusion Initiative, and a stakeholder and community relations manager for the onePULSE Foundation, so not only speaks from personal experience but also from all she sees in her work community.

We have a bunch of resources listed below. And, do you want books you can read with your kids with transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive characters? We have a list of titles for elementary and middle-school aged children, so drop us an email and we’ll send it to you!

Questions or comments? Email [e-mail]

What to listen for:

• Words NOT to use when referring to transgender individuals
• What it’s like going through the transition process.
• Distressing statistics, including that 40% of homeless kids are LGBTQ - and 58% of trans kids in unsupportive households die by suicide vs 4% in supportive homes.
• The growth that comes with being the parent of a transgender child.
• Specific challenges facing Black transgender individuals, both in society and within the Black community.

About Nikole:

Nikole Parker is a transgender woman of Black, Puerto Rican & Italian descent. She was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and at the age of 19, left her job and home to begin her transition. After 3 years of black-market hormones, and unsafe lifestyle practices she came back to Orlando to restart her life. Nikole’s passion is advocating for the rights and dignity of the transgender and gender-nonconforming community.Nikole is currently with the onePULSE Foundation as the Director of Stakeholder & Community Relations. Nikole also works for Equality Florida's TransAction Program as a Project Coordinator. She also is the Co-Founder, Director of Operations for Gender Advancement Project(GAP).She has sat on various non-profit boards within the community, including the LGBT+ Center Board of Directors, the Orlando United Assistance Center Advisory Board, TransAction Advisory Council, Spektrum Health Board of Directors and Peer Support Space Board of Directors. In addition to her work with the onePULSE Foundation, Nikole co-leads the work of the Orlando Trans Collective, a collaborative group of transgender and gender non-conforming leaders of color who focus on community building and advocacy efforts for the Central Florida transgender community. In 2018, Nikole was honored with the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Miss Glamorous Pageant. Nikole was also was recognized as one of Watermark's Most Remarkable People of 2018 for her work with the onePULSE Foundation and her ongoing advocacy and empowerment of the transgender community. In 2019, Nikole was recognized by Congressman Darren Soto for LGBT+ Pride Month and her biography was read into the Congressional Record.She hopes to encourage open dialogue on transgender issues and educate individuals from the community on healthy and safe ways to undergo a transition, finding self-care practices and providing resources so black-market hormones and unsafe lifestyles can be avoided.

About Jaime:

Jaime Jara is a woman who wears many hats. A native New Yorker, she navigates daily life in Florida with her husband, 3 kids, and a plethora of furbabies. She lends her voice and perspective as a parent of a transgender child to shed light on the challenges faced by the trans community. Jaime is an active member of the national LGBTQ organizations, Mama Dragons and PFLAG, who aim to empower and support parents of LGBTQ children. After a long stint in corporate America, Jaime is putting her graduate degree to good use by starting her second career as an educator. She has been a guest speaker in schools, participated on panels and in research studies, and has appeared on television to advocate for transgender acceptance and inclusion. She has penned numerous essays about her journey with her trans child. Jaime aspires to be signing copies of her bestselling novel one day when she finally slows down enough to write it.

You can follow her journey with her family on Instagram @ Jaidonna19.

Resources:

PFLAG National

Mama Dragons

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)

Trans Lifeline - 1-877-565-8860

Human Rights Campaign

Stand With Trans

Black Trans Advocacy Coalition

Trevor Project Lifeline - 1-866-488-7386

GLAAD

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