December 2024 Update
ID: “December Monthly Update www.freedomoklahoma.org/news” with our logo and a background image of our Love Letters to Trans Oklahomans zine, fidget toys, a Pride flag, and FOK stickers that read “There are 2SLGBTQ+ people in the future” and “Two Spirit people have always been here.”
We don’t have to do any of this alone.
I’ve tried and failed to start this month’s newsletter a number of times. Because I want to give you the words that help collectively shift us from reacting to action, and also the words that soothe us through our grief, and allow us to find softness through the rage. But I don't have those words. Because I am tired. And angry. And some days overwhelmed. Some days afraid. What I find as my North Star through this time of turmoil is the reminder that I don't have to do any of this alone.
As Mariame Kaba reminds us, everything worthwhile is done with other people. I ground myself in the possibility that the same kind of bricks that broke through police violence at Stonewall could be used as structural support for housing trans youth. That we have all of the tools at our disposal if we're mindful of how and when we wield them. And what if, in these times that we want to take up weapons against the pain of the world, we ask ourselves how instead we’re building through the harm towards the future we want for us?
I often find myself writing through moments that are especially tough. And a few weeks ago I jotted down these words in my notes app, and I have been thinking back to them more and more since:
“All of my friends have their what if, clearly articulated and often shut away in their deepest parts of themselves. What if, we didn't rely on my income. What if there was accessible health care not tied up in employment. What if our goals were not confined by capitalism. Then. Then...so many people I know would create. Build art, build furniture, build joy. In every form, across communities. With time and room for a process that involves periods of great enthusiasm and great rest. I want that timeline so much it breaks my heart. And I think, maybe. Maybe my greatest art won't be photos or writing or quilts, but the chance to craft that reality.Brick by brick we smash the systems of the status quo. Brick by brick we build the future.”A lot of us might be despairing right now. And despair is a valid emotion. It can even drive us to action, but not if we stay there. We don't live in despair. We live in hope. Hope grounded in collective action, grounded in building community, grounded in the world we’re building together. So maybe you're also overwhelmed, exhausted, afraid. But you're not alone. Not alone in these feelings, or in the work to build a better future for all of us.
This last week at our heART of the work event in Tulsa, one of our community members who spoke, Levi, said “trans bodies are born as battlegrounds, but trans bodies are also born as art.” So what if we take up arms in the form of expression, of words, of building community, and hold one another accountable to staying soft in a world that demands we harden ourselves to one another or we break? What if during this time of tearing folks down, we focus on building up the future where we all have the safety, resources, and community to thrive, across Oklahoma, and everywhere we call home?
I'm heartened by the reminder that when it comes to what is ahead, we’ll face it together. Through our art, through our visioning, through our commitment to collective liberation, through our practice of hope, through active solidarity, through learning and challenging ourselves and staying soft through the tumultuous policy landscapes still to come.
I wish I had words that were the balm to all we’re feeling right now. But all I have to offer you is hope. Is a place in this fight alongside me. Is a commitment to doing the work together. Brick by brick. Until we're all free.
In solidarity,
Nicole McAfee (they/she) - Executive Director
Important Links and updates:
December Community Groups
Join us for our monthly community gatherings! We will be wrapping up 2024, sharing our hopes for 2025 and how we can best prepare for the year(s) ahead together. Come as you are able; this is a virtual space, so you will have to log in to zoom to access it for the security of the participants. We look forward to seeing you there!
Our Student Virtual Community Gathering space is for and by youth and young adults. This month we will be talking about inclusive sexual health, HIV Modernization, and the importance of self-advocacy in the healthcare system especially if you have an invisible disability.
Full Schedule:
Educators, Teachers, + School Staff: Tue, Dec 10th 4:30-5:30 pm
Parents, Guardians, + Caregivers: Wed, Dec 11th 4:30-5:30 pm
Students + Youth: Thurs, Dec 12th 4:30-5:30 pm
Save the date for the freedom futures gala!
Join us for a night of queer futurism at our first Freedom Futures Gala! We’ll be convening at the Oklahoma Contemporary on Saturday, February 22nd—so save the date and tell your friends. 2025 marks 10 years of Freedom Oklahoma and we’re excited to imagine, organize, and build the next 10 years with you. Keep an eye out across Freedom Oklahoma channels for more details about sponsorships, tickets, awardees, programming, and more!
HIV Modernization Community Interim Study Video
On December 1st, we recognized World AIDS Day. Ever wonder what it would look like to not have HIV criminalization laws in Oklahoma? It would look like responding to public health with public health discussion instead of a criminal punishment. And, we've already seen what that can look like!
On November 20th, we convened at the OK Capitol for Repeal and Repair: A Community Interim Study on Oklahoma's Ongoing HIV Criminalization alongside some national and local partners. HOPE Tulsa gave us an overview of what the HIV epidemic in Oklahoma looks like. The Center for HIV Law & Policy and The Williams Institute presented on HIV criminalization in Oklahoma. Sara Raines MPH, CPH, CHES with the Oklahoma City-County Health Department put Oklahoma's HIV criminalization law into historical context (including how the state responded to sexual behavior from people living with HIV that were not involving criminal law). And The Equality Federation presented on what accurate public health policy can look like alongside our Executive Director, Nicole.
Staff Out of Office Dec 23rd - Jan 3rd
This work is deeply personal to all of our staff, and we believe that in order to best serve our broader community, we have to honor ourselves in this work with rest when we can. It has been an incredibly heavy year for all of us. We know that a new year means a new legislative session, a new presidential administration, and big fights in front of us. To prepare for that work, our office will be closed for the final two weeks of 2024. If you have the capacity to grant other people (or yourself) room to rest, we hope you'll take the opportunity to do just that.
We’re hiring!
We're so excited to grow our team in 2025! We're searching for someone to work at the intersection of digital communications and organizing in the year ahead. Think you might be the right person for the job? Read the full description and application instructions here.
c3 Update
As we shared in September, we learned this fall that, due to a filing failure by a previous CPA and lack of prompt remedy by our then-contracted accountant, our organization's tax filings, though prepared, were not submitted to the IRS. Unfortunately, this oversight resulted in Freedom Oklahoma being placed on the IRS's automatic revocation list for 501(c)(3) organizations, meaning that Freedom Oklahoma’s 501(c)(3) status is currently revoked. We let you know that we retained legal counsel and a new contact accountant to work with urgency and the best available resources to address this problem. And, in the spirit of first and foremost ensuring we can still do this work, we also worked with an Oklahoma-based fiscal sponsor, The Third Space Foundation, to ensure we could continue to accept grants and donations for our work in the short term.
As of last month, we’ve officially filed all of the required paperwork and request for an expedited retroactive statement with the IRS. Now, we wait, and we continue our work with the belief that we have a strong case to see reinstatement granted in the (hopefully) near future. What does that mean for your giving? If you give through our c3, the gift will not be tax deductible until our c3 status is reinstated. You can also give through our fiscal sponsor, The Third Space Foundation, for an immediate tax-deductible donation. We appreciate your continued support of our work. And we remain committed to transparency and will continue to update you on the reinstatement process.
‘Giving Tuesday’ Back to the community
It’s our Giving Tuesday tradition to uplift organizations doing the work to make an Oklahoma where we all have the safety to thrive. Knowing the importance of mutual aid, we’re also highlighting the folks who ensure safety through mutual aid efforts. These folks have been doing true grassroots organizing—empowering and caring for our communities. We are beyond grateful for their work and hope you'll support their work this Giving Tuesday and beyond:
2024 TDoR Zine Collection
Last month, we honored Trans Day of Remembrance virtually and in person. Whether you joined us for our virtual TDoR vigil space or our heART of the Work community gathering in Tulsa, we thank you for helping us hold space for collective grief on our own terms. During these events, we launched our 2024 TDoR zine collection. One is from our 2024 Love Letters to Trans Oklahomans campaign, and the other is a community-created zine in honor of Nex.
You can find the full digital zines in our Zine Archive.
Youth Sidebar: Commit to Self-Care!
It's no secret the past several weeks have been stressful, and as many of us begin to wrap up our year and think to the next one, it's so important to take care of ourselves. That's why we, the Freedom Oklahoma interns, have put together some resources to help you take care of yourself.
Our website has a number of mental health resources, some specifically for youth and others on our general mental health resources page. Take some time for yourself and look through these pages! We especially want to highlight this Coping with gender dysphoria worksheet--think about making a coping care pack this month!
No matter how you practice self-care, remember that this work can't be done unless we also do the work for ourselves!
FOK Letter Sign-On: Denounce Mask Bans
“At the time of writing, more than a dozen mask bans have been proposed at the local, state, and federal levels, presented as “anti-crime” bills. Still more jurisdictions are reviving and enforcing once-defunct anti-mask ordinances, some dating as far back as the mid-1800s. This bipartisan push comes in direct response to ongoing mass protests against the genocide in Palestine, during which protesters have maintained widespread masking to show solidarity and protect from surveillance, doxxing, COVID-19, and chemical irritants.
As we continue to see sustained death and disablement due to COVID and Long COVID, the public health and disability justice implications of criminalizing mask-wearing are disastrous alone. But to make matters worse, these bans violate our most fundamental civil liberties. . .” Read the full letter here.
TFS Lunch & Learn Series
The Freedom Sessions is hosting a new Lunch & Learn Series in preparation for the 2025 legislative session! Starting in December, we will be hosting weekly webinars covering a wide range of topics- OK and US Law for gender diverse folks, understanding legislative speak, preparing documents for a new presidential term, building community connections, and so much more! You can register for updates for the whole series, or register for the webinar that resonates with your needs. We’ve got us; TFS is providing a space to build collective power and ensure we have the safety to thrive.