On Feb. 20, MAZON: A JewishResponse to Hunger, announced they were adding transgender (trans) youth to its advocacy priority populations.
As the national and political climate grows increasingly difficult, MAZON is addressing concerns that trans youth are struggling to meet basic needs, including access to food.
“We began exploring this as a possible priority for our work some time ago, but there’s no denying that recent events, including the rhetoric during the 2024 election campaign, provided a greater sense of urgency for us in elevating trans youth as one of our priority populations moving forward,” Abby J. Leibman, president and CEO of MAZON, told The Journal.
In a release, MAZON stated that the number of young people who identify as trans has nearly doubled in recent years, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.Ages 13 to 17 comprise about 18% of the trans-identified population today. This number was previously 10%. Of the 1.6 million people ages 13 and older in the U.S. who identify as trans, 300,000 are youth ages 13 to 17.
MAZON also cited The Trevor Project, which reported that 30% of LGBTQ+ youth experienced food insecurity in the past month, with disproportionately higher rates among trans, nonbinary and youth of color.
“As a leader in the national anti-hunger community, we must step up to highlight this population and the acute sensitivities and barriers that they may face in seeking assistance from charitable organizations,” Leibman said. “Many of the organizations who advocate for trans youth do not focus on food insecurity, but we know this population faces unique barriers to assistance and that traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches are often ineffective.
“On top of it all, President Trump and his cronies are spewing hateful rhetoric and enacting new harmful policies with each passing day,” she said. “We will not stand by and watch, we will not be silent; we are fighting back with every ounce of strength we have.”
In voting to immediately make trans youth a priority population, MAZON’s board of directors acknowledged the clear and immediate need. MAZON’s staff will assess short- and long-term tactics to safeguard access food assistance for trans youth and, working alongside existing and new partners, will develop strong and meaningful responses and resources. This includes but is not limited to program development, policy advocacy, coalition outreach and legal action.
“Moving forward, we will be in a place of marshaling our resources and using them as effectively as we can,” Leibman said. “We understand that there are things that we can do right away and there are things that we will want to work on with partners and others already doing important work in the field.”
She added, “We will be doing our part to elevate this issue and make sure it is being discussed and recognized not only in the civil rights and social justice space, but also in the anti-hunger space.”
“When we make the decision to add a new priority area, we do so with our full heart and soul,” Carolyn Schwarz Tisdale, MAZON’s board chair, said in the release. “Our organizational ethos is to step in where we see a growing need, which in this case is a dire one without much recourse or support.
“When we make the decision to add a new priority area, we do so with our full heart and soul.” – Carolyn Schwarz Tisdale
“Furthermore, our history is one of real impact and success, built upon strong relationships with key partners and long-term dedication to the cause,” Tisdale continued. “We are not committing to support trans youth for days, weeks, or months — we are committing to them until our support is no longer needed.”
Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. Others in the priority population category, who need resources and more food advocacy, include military families, veterans, single mothers, college students, Native Americans and the people of Puerto Rico.
For more information, visit mazon.org
