LOS ANGELES — In a recent interview with on UBN Radio — that is, "One on One With Jasper Cole" —trans activist Kylar W. Broadus, Esq. spoke openly about the state of the trans community along with its newest and most high-profiled member, Caitlyn Jenner. However, an online media outlet erroneously misquoted the comments of Broadus, saying that because of recent backlash, Caitlyn Jenner has harmed the trans community. This is untrue.
To set the record straight, here are some of Broadus's comments revealed in his interview with Jasper Cole.
On the relatability of Caitlyn Jenner: Broadus said it's hard for most trans people to relate to Caitlyn Jenner because they make less than $10K a year, and don't have access to the same resources. "They cannot get a job because people will not hire us," he said. "Most of us are in the shadows, ( and work the ) underground economy." He added, "Her story doesn't connect people to them — that are trans."
On the backlash of Caitlyn Jenner: In talking about the visibility of Caitlyn Jenner, Broadus said, "I think it's a mixed bag." "I think that Caitlyn has raised the visibility on one hand, and she's certainly reached a dollar level of people we would have never reached before. On the other hand, there's always a danger when people, anyone comes out."
Broadus sympathetically said that Caitlyn Jenner has stumbled in the press with her remarks, but it's part of the learning curve of being trans. He continued, "There's a lot of self learning that goes with this ( transitioning ) and there is no manual."
He added the trans community is sadly suffering from the backlash of visibility, because the majority of trans people have no rights, and "most of them are homeless, starving, and without jobs."
On the positive side, the "visibility brings the dialogue, and as I said, Caitlyn has taken us to a different … income level of people that say 'Wow, this can happen to anybody. This can be in my home,'" he said.
As being trans becomes more mainstream, Broadus said the backlash is to be expected. "It's like the storm before the calm," he said.
About the visibility of the trans community: Despite a banner year of visibility for trans people, "most trans people are not employed because we're discriminated against in employment, in housing and in public," said Broadus.
"We've come a long way, baby!" he said, "but, there's a long way to go."
On anti-transgender violence: Broadus addressed the record year for anti-transgender violence, saying "we're in a crisis. We are in an epidemic; actually a pandemic that spans the globe in that brown and black bodies particularly in the trans movement are being killed," he said. "We are treated as non human."
For more of the Broadus interview, visit www.ubnradio.com, also available on iTunes at
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sylva-kelegian-skylar-broadus/id1015516501?i=357762748&mt=2.
Kylar W. Broadus is featured as one of five trans people in the November issue of Esquire magazine. For the article, visit www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a38971/transgender-men-and-women-on-transitioning/ .
Broadus was also named to the G-List Society's the top 100 OUTstanding Personalities of Color in the LGBTQ community. For the list, visit http://www.glistsociety.com/2015/12/the-g-list-societys-outstanding-100-personalities-of-color-in-2015/
A native of Fayette, Missouri, Broadus, 52, transitioned in 1994. He is the founder of Trans People of Color Coalition ( TPOCC ), which is the only national civil rights organization dedicated to trans people of color. Broadus is also the first openly transgender person to testify before the Senate during a hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act ( EDNA ), which is legislation, prohibiting discrimination in hiring and employment on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity. He was one of several people invited on stage with President Barack Obama when he signed an Executive Order, protecting LGBT workers.
After facing discrimination for his right to gender identity and expression, Broadus, a transgender man, has dedicated his life's work to advancing the policy, legal, and legislative concerns of LGBTQ Americans. In 2010, he founded the Trans People of Color Coalition ( TPOCC ), which is the only national civil rights organization dedicated to trans people of color. He's currently a board member of the National Black Justice Coalition, and served as board chair from 2007 through 2010.
For more than 20 years, Broadus taught law at the Lincoln University of Missouri, ranked 48th among the nation's top Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs ) by U. S. News & World Report. From 1997 to 2013, Broadus also maintained a law practice in Columbia, Missouri, including the groundbreaking representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clients in family law, criminal law, and other areas.
Additionally, Broadus formerly served as senior public policy counsel at the National LGBTQ Task Force as well as the director of the organization's Transgender Civil Rights Project. He also held the position of state legislative manager and counsel for the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ), where he worked with state stakeholders to pass LGBT-inclusive legislation. In 2012, Broadus was one of thirteen openly transgender delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
He's published numerous scholarly articles, including the groundbreaking essay, "The Evolution of Employment Discrimination Protection for Transgender People," published in Transgender Rights. Plus, he's been recognized for his activism, including Sue J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the Pioneer Award at the TransFaith in Color Conference, presented by the Freedom Center of Social Justice. In 2013, he was recognized as one of Out magazine's OUT100, an annual list of the year's most compelling LGBT people.
Broadus is featured in the award-winning documentary, "Still Black: A Portrait of Transmen," directed by Kortney Ryan Ziegler.
- For more information about Kylar W. Broadus and his activism, visit kylarbroadus.com .
- For more about the Trans People of Color Coalition ( TPOCC ), visit www.transpoc.org .
- To view the Senate testimony of Kylar W. Broadus on Youtube, visit https://youtu.be/conAzL2wCKE.
= For a look at Kylar W. Broadus interview in the doc, "Still Black: A Portrait of Transmen," visit Vimeo at vimeo.com/44143275 or Broadus's blog at KylarBroadus.com/blog/
= Find Kylar W. Broadus on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheKylarBroadus and https://www.facebook.com/kylarwbroadus.
= Follow Kylar W. Broadus on Twitter @KylarBroadus
