Jason Howard Green

Jason Howard Green

Friday, April 24, 2009

Akasha Harding - Homeless and Transgender

This is an interesting interview with trans individual Akasha Harding. Akasha now resides at Atlanta's largest homeless shelter and they are requiring her to "present as male" in order to stay. If she were to dress in female clothing she would be forced to leave.

Being honest, I don't know enough from this to form an opinion. Most shelters I know are either or (it's a men's homeless shelter or a women's homeless shelter). If Akasha identifies as female should she stay at a female homeless shelter? Or would she also be turned away from that facility? I'm also torn because I was raised to believe that beggars can't be choosers. If you need a place to stay and there are guidelines you mush adhere to stay there, why should an exception be made for you.
Don't get it twisted, I'm definitely an ally of the trans community and I know that most facilities do NOT know how to appropriately address the needs of this community. We're lucky in Phoenix to have a place like This Is HOW, a halfway house for the trans community. Unfortunately it is the only place of its kind in the country. Maybe now that they're forced with this issue, this shelter will develop some type of policy to address this community.

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