Microgrants Equity Policy

Trans people should not have to pay fees and spend countless hours that cis people do not—for accurate, necessary documents, healthcare, and so much more. Historically, Trans Lifeline’s Microgrants program offered ID change funds through a first-come, first-serve application with no questions asked.

After nearly four years, several of our trans BIPOC peers taught us how our process unjustly increased barriers to trans BIPOC communities by assuming everyone benefited from the same level of support. This one-size-fits-all equality framework reinforced structural white supremacy.

Now, our equity policy addresses disparate levels of privilege caused by colonialism, white supremacy, ableism, and transmisogyny by prioritizing racial equity for intended targets of these systems who face the most barriers to simply existing.

Today, our Microgrants program:

  • Reserves 75% of Name Change Microgrants for trans BIPOC
  • Distributes Gender-Affirming Hair Removal Microgrants as 60% to Black trans folks, 30% to non-Black trans folks of color, and 10% to white trans folks
  • Conducts outreach to organizations serving trans BIPOC in geographic areas historically underserved by Microgrants

It is an honor to do the work of redistributing funds to our community in a way that chips away at the continuing impact of white supremacy. We’re grateful for the opportunity to transform and be transformed by our community as we deepen our work for trans liberation and racial and economic justice.

In solidarity,

The Microgrants Team