The TransLatin@ Coalition Takes A Stand Against Criminalization and DA’s Rhetoric
The TransLatin@ Coalition, along with the Angels of Change, make a powerful statement at a local town hall meeting to the LA County DA as they chant “No New Jails!”
On July 28, at an LGBT Community Town Hall Forum in West Hollywood, Bamby Salcedo of The TransLatin@ Coalition delivered a powerful speech directly to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. She called out injustices faced by marginalized communities and argued against the need for more jails, emphasizing the harm done to the Transgender, Gender-Expansive, and Intersex (TGI) community. After her speech, members of The TransLatin@ Coalition and the Angels of Change stood united, chanting "No New Jails!" They handed out flyers detailing how the TGI community has been unfairly targeted by the system meant to protect them. This event highlighted their commitment to justice and the fight for equality as we call on our elected officials to prioritize care and not cages.
For years, our communities have shown up. We have attended meetings, shared testimony, participated in listening sessions, and demanded accountability from politicians and officials, such as the District Attorney, who are tasked with ensuring the safety of our communities. Yet too often, our experiences are acknowledged without being followed by meaningful action.
We will not stay silent when those in power and the systems they uphold cause direct harm to our communities. For Transgender, Gender-Expansive, Intersex (TGI), immigrant, and undocumented communities, policing and incarceration impact our sense of safety while walking down the street, calling for help, or simply existing in public.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman campaigned on rejecting both “mass incarceration” and “extreme decarceration,” presenting himself as a centrist committed to balanced justice. Since taking office, however, The TransLatin@ Coalition and our partners have raised concerns about the return of sentencing enhancements, aggressive charging practices, and policies that expand incarceration rather than invest in community-based solutions.
We invite you to take a look at the ACLU’s District Attorney scoring card.
Our research with UCLA’s the Williams Institute on transgender and nonbinary people in Los Angeles County paints a troubling picture of how our community experiences law enforcement. More than half (52%) of respondents who interacted with law enforcement reported that officers made them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Thirty-five percent (35%) said officers failed to use their correct pronouns. Twenty percent (20%) experienced verbal harassment, while 7% reported physical assault or unwanted sexual contact by law enforcement.
Our disruption at the town hall was also an opportunity to speak out against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and District Attorney Hochman's support for building a new "mental health" jail. Building a new jail is not the solution. Los Angeles County's existing jails continue to face serious lawsuits and scrutiny over inhumane conditions, inadequate mental health care, and preventable deaths in custody. We will not give in to the DA’s fearmongering.
Our communities deserve better than expanding systems that have already failed us.
Bamby Salcedo addresses the crowd and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman directly to demand protections for TGI communities.
While speaking directly to District Attorney Hochman, Bamby Salcedo, President/CEO of The TransLatin@ Coalition, made our demands clear:
“We are asking you to find solutions to ensure that our communities continue to be supported rather than incarcerated. We want policies. We want action. We want you to ensure that there is racial and gender equity in your work.”
We believe real public safety comes from investing in housing, healthcare, mental health services, and community-based care, not more jails or harsher prosecution.
Our communities have been candid. We will continue to show up, speak out, and demand action. We are not asking to be heard. We are demanding inclusion in the decisions that determine whether our communities are safe, supported, and free.
The TransLatin@ Coalition stand outside of local town hall meeting after demanding protections for TGI communities and holding signs that declare “No New Jails”.
