Shemals Chicago is a Transgender and Non-Binary Community Center

Shemals Chicago is a community center where people can meet and explore their sexuality with each other. They create city-wide events and organize weekly meetings for safe discussion. Anyone can join. They also run a community blog, which allows them to publish information about the city’s transgender and non-binary communities that isn’t widely available.

Shemals founders want to collect more information so they can better support transgender residents and non-binary people in the city. They have been unable, however, to secure funding because they assume that these residents’ experiences are less difficult than those of those living in red states run by Republicans.

People are working to end discrimination and violence towards transgender residents across the city. The Chicago Therapy Collective pays tribute to Elise Malary who was killed by police for her identity. Police officers have been accused of dismissing their cases or misgendering victims, as in the case of Sherry Nicholas, whose father claimed that an officer asked staff at her hospital whether she died from natural causes, and subsequently failed to conduct a proper investigation.

Other groups, such as Brave Space Alliance, are focused on supporting the local population of transgender and non-binary people by holding monthly workshops on issues such as legal rights, housing and employment. The group recently created a database of local providers that aims to make it easier for residents to access help.