Transgender, nonbinary, and two spirit people deserve to live and thrive before, during, and after times of disaster.
In response to COVID-19 and the needs we’ve seen in our local mutual aid group, we created the Trans Clippers Project to help keep our community more safe.
Listen or read about a delivery with WBUR’s Cristela Guerra:
The #TransClippersProject Network is growing!
While the project was created in New Orleans by Imagine Water Works, we now have organizers and partners in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Toronto. Click the button for your state to learn more.
If you’d like to become an organizer for your state or join one of the teams already listed, email Klie@imaginewaterworks.org.
What’s in the delivery?
- Electric hair clippers or trimmers — it comes with the cord, but you’ll need a power outlet!
- A set of 3 to 6 cutting guides, from 1/8″ to 1″ depending on the model.
- A promise that we’ll prepare and deliver them safely <3
How’s it work?
- Click on the purple button for your state, and fill out the form to let us know a little bit about you, where you’re staying, and how to stay in touch.
- We’ll respond with a delivery time frame via text or email, based on your preference.
- To comply with distancing recommendations, we’ll drop it on your stoop, porch, or mailbox — and will let you know after we’ve left.
But why is this needed?
- Trans and nonbinary people need access to hair care to remain safe and healthy. It’s about so much more than looks or comfort.
- It’s important to our mental health, as many of us experience profound dysphoria with certain hairstyles. Individuals in our community are also being increasingly misgendered while trying to perform life-sustaining tasks… like getting food, going to work, or taking care of each other.
- Some of us also rely on specific hair styles to “pass” for safety reasons. We already know that rates of domestic violence have increased exponentially, and that one tool of violence is to misgender us or comment negatively on our appearance. This happens both in and outside of the home. And it is worsened by being forced to present in ways that do not match our gender expression.
How can I support this project?
- Thanks for asking — Share the project with your networks!
- DONATE HERE or Venmo us at @imaginewaterworks.
- Email sponsorship inquiries to miriam@imaginewaterworks.org.
- Volunteer to be a “delivery driver” in your area, email klie@imaginewaterworks.org.
Can I donate my own clippers?
- Yes! For safety reasons, we ask that they be unused and accompanied by cutting guides.
- Email klie@imaginewaterworks.org with the type + number of clippers and your current location (unless mailing).
Can I start up my own Trans Clippers Project?
We’d love to add you to the Network! The #TransClippersProject has been shared with over a million people, and we’ve seen that the need stretches far beyond New Orleans. Instead of operating in silos and “recreating the wheel”, we’re combining our efforts across the globe: Since the launch of the program in April 2020, we’ve worked with organizers from 19 states and 3 countries. Whether you’re an individual, group, business, organization, or collective, we’d love to work with you. And even if your state is already listed, we could still use more organizers. Email klie@imaginewaterworks.org to get started.
The #TransClippersProject is made possible by:
- Rapid response funding from Imagine Water Works, Gender Reveal Podcast, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, Urgent Action Fund, Campaign for Southern Equality, Queer Appalachia + End Metronormativity + Wussy Mag + Southern Fried Queer Pride, and more than 180 individual donors across the globe.
- Local organizers in over a dozen U.S. cities who are sharing their stories, forming partnerships, spreading the word, fundraising, and delivering the clippers in their home towns.
Did you know we’ve been supporting folks through storm season since 2012?
We are already preparing for the overlaps of COVID-19, water (Summer floods), and climate (hurricanes). Since you may just be finding us for the first time, check out these additional resources: