Have you ever stared death in the face? Ever seen your life flash before your eyes? Can you imagine every second of the day looking over your shoulder, feeling like a rabbit being chased by a jaguar in the forest? That’s what it feels like to be transgender living in Texas. Even worse when you’re incarcerated. Every single day in a Texas prison, transgenders are on a battlefield at the front lines, fighting for their life. Correctional officers are supposed to protect, keep order, and maintain security throughout the operations of the prison. But why does the prison operate as no man’s land, treating transgenders as the enemy, targeting them with violent attacks and vicious assaults?
Every day, there is a fallen soldier within the LGBTQIA+ community that is incarcerated. Correctional officers daily bully, terrorize, humiliate, belittle, dehumanize, and violently abuse transgenders. The degree of oppression has amplified since the Trump administration stripped the trans people of equality and protection rights. Violence against trans people has intensified, leaving a maelstrom of destruction that has yet to be investigated or acknowledged. Prison officials have an obligation under the Eighth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution to protect all prisoners from any kind of abuse and assault. On the contrary, with malfeasance, prison officers intentionally and maliciously violate the Constitution by categorically refusing to protect trans people from harm and/or purposely endangering trans people.
Addressing prison violence against trans people is existential to survival. These crucibles of life that hatred has carried out must end. Through resilience, I persevere. We need reform, protection, ethical conduct and solidarity. Communicating from the barriers of solitary confinement, this is female-to-male transgender Xanden Gulley for Prison Radio.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
