ABOVE: MTV’s +1 the Vote and LOGO x Trans Lifeline. Screenshot via MTV/YouTube.
MTV is extending its voter participation campaign to the trans community by awarding grants to trans individuals to help them navigate some of the unique hurdles they face in the voting process.
+1thevote is a campaign designed to increase the political engagement of youth. Its goal is to make voting more social, easier and “part of the milestones already happening in [young people’s] lives, from prom to graduation to birthdays,” the network advises.
Additionally, the program recognizes the heightened importance of voting for LGBTQ people, as well as some of the difficulties faced by members of the queer community in making their political voices heard. “Voting and organizing are crucial ways to bring about real change,” MTV wrote in a statement. “From healthcare and housing, to education and immigration reform – there are tons of issues that uniquely affect the LGBTQ+ community.”
In an effort to remedy some of these disparities, MTV has partnered with TV network Logo and the nonprofit Trans Lifeline to award a series of grants to more than 250 trans individuals. The funds from the grants will help recipients cover the costs of updating their government documents to more accurately reflect their gender identity, such as changing their gender marker and/or legal name.
For trans people, voting with an ID that doesn’t reflect their gender identity can be a source of anxiety.
“As soon as I have to show my ID, their eye will track to the picture and then they’ll look at me and then they’ll look at the gender marker,” Owen, a grant recipient, said in a video interview with MTV. “It’s a terrifying moment because I have no idea how someone will react to that.”
Furthermore, being misgendered by election officials can be particularly demoralizing for trans voters.
“In terms of people misgendering you, it’s like nobody is actually seeing you and feels like you’re walking around like a ghost,” Aidan, another grant recipient, said.
The red tape trans people have to deal with in the voting process, in terms of paperwork and required fees, can easily stunt their political participation. “Trans people will have to wait months, years, fill out all these forms, pay all these fees and do all of this extra stuff that doesn’t make any sense,” Aidan explained.
“It’s frustrating that other people in more socially accepted situations such as marriage have a much easier time of changing their name than transgender people,” Owen added.
The work of MTV, Logo and Trans Lifeline in reaching out to the trans community has provided a sense of relief to grant recipients. Another recipient, Coral, advised “the moment the grant money hit my account, it was just like jubilation.”
For these individuals, receiving an authentic ID and becoming fully-recognized voters is essential to reclaiming their political autonomy.
“Having an ID is the first step to being able to use your voice and make that choice to make change,” Aidan said.
Voting is “a real opportunity to express discontent with the current state of things,” Coral also shared.
The next application cycle for Trans Lifeline grants will begin on July 15 at 6 p.m. EST. To fill out an application, click here.
Watch the full interview with some of the most recent grant recipients below:
