Help Black Guyanese Trans Activist, Candacy McEwan rebuild after a fire destroyed her home.
EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDRAISER
Candacy McEwan, Founder of Guyana Trans United
Photo by Ron B. Wilson
On Sunday, October 25, as Candacy McEwan was doing laundry, she heard an explosion. Within minutes, her two-story home was engulfed in fire. McEwan suffered a significant loss as a result of the fire, including her home and small business. The activist, her 4-year-old son, trans daughter, and siblings are now homeless.
About Candacy McEwan:
In 2009, Candacy McEwan, a Black Trans Guyanese woman, was arrested, convicted, and punished for "cross-dressing" in Guyana. At the time of arrest, McEwan was dressed in a pink shirt and a pair of tights. The arrest of McEwan and others sparked the constitutional challenge to the law against "cross-dressing" in Guyana.
McEwan was the leading litigant, who challenged the colonial transphobic law, McEwan Vs. AG of Guyana. After litigation began in 2009, it prolonged until 2018 at the Caribbean Court of Justice, where the 1893 law was deemed unconstitutional. This was a massive victory for the transgender community and has laid the groundwork for other challenges to discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws in the country.
The trans community is among the most vulnerable people in Guyana. Many transgender people are rejected or harassed and are overrepresented in the sex work community, which carries an additional stigma.
In 2013, Candacy "Gulliver" McEwan, also called Mrs. G, founded Guyana Trans United , the first registered transgender advocacy organization in Guyana and the Anglo-Caribbean. McEwan serves as the organization's Executive Director and has led and implemented programs that included housing, emotional support, capacity building, advocacy, and health care for the Guyanese Transgender community.
In 2016, McEwan became a mother to her now 4-year-old son after he was abandoned.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS:
Currently, McEwan, her 4-year-old son, and trans daughter are now living in a single-room. Amidst the growing increase of coronavirus cases in Guyana, this family's health and safety are at an even greater risk. HELP US KEEP THEM SAFE!!!
Clothing | Essentials | Groceries | Temporary Shelter
The Caribbean Equality Project has partnered with several LGBTQ and Trans-led organizations, including Guyana Trans United, GLITS, SASOD-Guyana, and the Glenn Family Foundation, to help McEwan rebuild her home. Twinkle Paul, a Trans Educator and Policy Advisor at the Caribbean Equality Project, leads this fundraiser. Paul is an immigrant native of Guyana, a student, and a human and trans rights activist in New York City.
Help us to continue supporting the Black trans community like McEwan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
