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Mariah Lopez

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Mariah Lopez
Born
United States
OccupationActivist

Mariah Lopez is an American transgender activist and former sex worker,[1] currently located in New York City.[2] She works to address the issues around improving the lives of LBGTIQ population in the United States and more specifically for people of color and/or low income.[3] Lopez is the executive director for STARR (Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform), a transgender rights advocacy group.

Activism

In 2012, Lopez lobbied for the 1992 death of Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender rights activist to be reexamined with modern technology. Initially the case was considered a suicide but in 2012 the New York Police Department re-opened the case as possible homicide.[4]

Lopez helped open the very first transgender housing unit for the largest prison in America, Rikers Island in 2014. She wrote on Facebook on July 30, 2014 that "the country's first exclusively transgender facility" would open within days.[5][6] The new unit would help better protect transgender individuals as Lopez stated the housing unit was in response to "abuses so severe and taboo, that most people (the general public and elected officials) believe these practices to be outlawed and or no longer practiced"; writing that "abuses included strip-searches by officers, beating and rape of trans individuals while incarcerated throughout the United States." citing Amnesty International's 2003 report, "Stonewalled".

In 2014, Lopez acted as a publicist with STARR when the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) of New York City offered gender reassignment surgery for a 21-year-old, former foster care child. The city paid for the surgery.[7]

In 2015, Lopez served on a panel discussion at the National Action Network (NAN) about LGBTQ rights and homophobia in the Black community, moderated by Patrik-Ian Polk.[8][8] The panel included Sean Coleman, Executive Director, Destination Tomorrow, Reverend MacArthur Flournoy, Director Faith Partnerships and Mobilization, Human Rights Campaign, Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO, National Black Justice Coalition, Lawrence "Miss Lawrence" Washington, Co-Host, Bravo's Fashion Queens, Daniel Williams, Youth Huddle Member and Chairperson, LGBT Committee, NAN New York City Chapter, Reverent Steffie Bartley, Sr., President, NAN Elizabeth, NJ Chapter & NAN Board of Directors and BJ Coleman, President, Coleman Entertainment Group.[8][9]

Personal life

Lopez is transgender of Black and Latino heritage.[3]

On June 17, 2006 Lopez was arrested for "loitering with intent for solicitation" by the New York Police Department. She was held on a one thousand fifteen hundred dollar bond, which she couldn't afford to pay. The abuse she endured while going through the prison was: being taken to a women's jail where she was ordered to do a 'genital check' for the officers to determine if she belonged there; when she refused they took her to a men's jail where she was denied her clothing, bra, and underwear, later being sexually harassed and assaulted by an inmate then assaulted by an officer.[10]

References

  1. ^ Nir, Sarah Maslin (2012-07-24). "In West Village, Living Out Loud on a Transgender Runway". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  2. ^ "Vigil For Murdered Transgender Woman Disrupted". The Huffington Post. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  3. ^ a b Morrison, Aaron (2015-06-26). "Will Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling End Culture Wars? Activists On Both Sides Say No". International Business Times (IBT). Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  4. ^ Jacobs, Shayna (2012-12-16). "DA reopens unsolved 1992 case involving the 'saint of gay life'". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  5. ^ "Rikers Jail to Open Transgender Unit". gaycitynews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
  6. ^ Conley, Kirstan (2014-11-19). "Rikers Island to offer separate housing for transgender inmates". New York Post. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: A sex change operation is funded by New York City's Administration for Children's Services". Daily News New York. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  8. ^ a b c "Creators of FOX's hit Empire amongst honorees at Al Sharpton's NAN 2015 Conference". Voice World News. 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  9. ^ "Convention Schedule" (PDF). National Action Network (NAN). 2015-01-01. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  10. ^ "New York City: Abuse of Transgender Women by New York City Police Officers" (PDF). Amnesty International. 2006-10-01.
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