Lyft and HRC launch the Transgender Justice Initiative

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“Lyft is committed to creating a safe and inclusive community"

The educational arm of the USA’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, announced a vital partnership between mobile app taxi service. Lyft and its Transgender Justice Initiative.

The partnership will provide transportation to trans and non-binary people free of charge in an effort to address issues of violence against the transgender community – especially among people of Black and Brown minority groups.

Already since the beginning of 2021, an unprecedented 12 fatal attacks on transgender and non-gender-conforming people have been recorded by the HRC. Last year at least 44 deaths were tracked – the highest since tracking began in 2013. Overall a total of 200 deaths have been recorded, 85% of which consist of transgender and non-conforming people of color.

President of the Human Rights Campaign, Alphonso David, said: “The goal is simple—provide reliable and immediate access to transportation for transgender people of color, a community that has been disproportionately impacted by discrimination, stigma, and violence,”

Alphonso David
Alphonso David: “At the end of the day, this initiative aims to save lives.”

David continued to speak about how the global coronavirus pandemic has had an effect. “Over the past year, we have not only experienced nationwide lockdowns, requiring people to stay in potentially dangerous environments,” he added, “but also an onslaught of brutality that has resulted in the tragic
deaths of far too many. At the end of the day, this initiative aims to save lives.”

HRC and Lyft will provide $15,000 in ride credits on a quarterly cycle to a group of community-based organizations, which support transgender and non-binary people – special consideration will be given to groups that serve communities of color.

The credits are provided to selected organizations for their nationwide clientele. Four community-based organizations have been selected for the first quarter: Black Transgender Advocacy Coalition, the Kansas City Anti-Violence, GALALEI, and Trans Latin@ Coalition.

Head of Policy Development at Lyft, Jennifer Brandenburger, said: “Lyft is committed to creating a safe and inclusive community in which all riders and drivers are treated with respect and dignity. We believe access to transportation is critical.”

Queer Latin@ social justice organization, GALAEI, is one of the groups who successfully employ this strategy and report that it has experienced incredible success issuing ride codes to its clients. Executive Director of GALALAEI, Ashley L. Coleman, said: “We thank Lyft and The Human Rights Campaign
for aiding and carrying our staff, volunteers, and so many other community members to our doors.

“Lyft and The Human Rights Campaign have been an integral part of the rebuilding of our organization and the reopening of our services, so we can make Philadelphia a healthier and safer place for all QTBIPOC.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyft has partnered with national and local organizations to provide transportation access to other vulnerable populations.