January 29 is the national day of trans visibility. The date was chosen because on January 29, 2004, for the first time in our country's history, 27 transvestites and transsexuals went to the National Congress in Brasilia to launch the Ministry of Health's "Transvestite and Respect" campaign.
Brazil continues to be the country that kills the most transsexuals and transvestites in the world. According to a report by the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (ANTRA), between January and December 2017 there were 179 murders of transvestites, trans women and trans men. The life expectancy of a trans person in Brazil is only 35 years. Disrespect for the gender identity of trans people often also leads to their expulsion from homes and schools, as well as their exclusion from the formal job market, contributing to this population remaining in a situation of social vulnerability and without their rights guaranteed.
In this month of visibility, struggle and awareness, the ELAS Fund is receiving projects for the LBT: Autonomy, Leadership and Rights Call for Proposals, which aims to support LGBT citizenship and strengthen resistance against the regression of rights. The call will fund 10 projects by lesbian, bisexual and trans (LBT) activists. Each project will receive R$30,000 (thirty thousand reais). Download the call for proposals here, which will receive applications until January 31, 2018.
