When Javannah Davis turned 47, she celebrated her birthday by acting in a local play called “Steal Away” at the Black Box Theater.
Davis said, as a Black trans woman, her birthday felt like a milestone.
The life expectancy for trans people is lower than that of their non-trans counterparts, though exactly how much lower is not well documented. Research shows people in the trans community suffer from higher rates of cardiovascular disease and HIV, as well as mental health conditions, which can lead to a shorter lifespan on average.
Davis fears anti-trans rhetoric on the national level is creating even more threats to her community.
“Lot of these folks think we’re ‘freaks,’” she said. “We’re human beings who just want to live our lives, achieve great things, and be in peace.”
Davis, a longtime nurse and Rochester native, had a positive transition experience.
“My mother was like, ‘I thought you’d have done this in middle school’” Davis said. ‘You've always been my daughter.’”
Her mother’s encouragement, and other support she got from her community, inspired Davis to become a trans activist. She founded her organization Wave Women Incorporated in 2020. The nonprofit lobbies for transgender rights and supports the trans community with food, clothing and services like name changes.
Davis said that she and other transgender leaders across the nation are working even harder now that President Trump has signed several executive orders that directly target the transgender community.
On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order declaring that only two genders would be recognized by the federal government. Since then, the administration has issued orders that would ban transgender service members from the military and prevent agencies from providing gender affirming care to people under 19 years old. Both are the subject of ongoing legal challenges.
“It’s hurtful,” Davis said. “It’s frustrating… Every day we have to speak up and fight about something.”
Andrew Moran is president of the Rochester Rainbow Union. He said he sees the orders as seeking to “invalidate the experiences and the identities of trans individuals.”
He added that this could be a first step toward dismantling other LGBTQ+ rights.
“People are worried about gay rights,” Moran said. “They haven't come for that yet. But right now, they are coming for trans rights. We have to stand and support our trans siblings.”
Local activist groups and community organizations are planning a march for trans rights in Rochester on March 30. Organizers and participants plan to meet at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at 1 p.m. Sunday, as part of a schedule of events throughout the weekend in advance of International Transgender Day of Visibility on Monday, March 31.
