Atlanta organizations host free passport clinic for Trans Day of Remembrance

Orgs help trans and non-binary residents obtain gender-affirming, life-saving identification

Story and photography by Bashirah Mack

ATLANTA — On Wednesday morning, Monica Roland hopped into an Uber and left her Decatur residence for Atlanta City Hall. There she joined more than 135 people from around the metro area, and as far as Macon, Ga., to attend the Free Passport Clinic, a program dedicated to helping transgender and non-binary individuals obtain gender-affirming identity markers on new or renewed passports.

In the past, Roland faced financial barriers and even felt shame thinking about the application process. But this week’s Free Passport Clinic is an experience she appreciates.

“It means a lot because we can go into a safe place and get things done and not feel like everybody’s staring, trying to figure out what’s under your clothes,” Roland said.

The clinic, which began in 2017, was organized by Atlanta-based organizations Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SnapCo.) and TransSocial. It was sponsored by Wells Fargo.

Toni-Michelle Williams, executive director of SnapCo., said the goal for the day was two-fold, to provide community members with passports and to raise awareness on Transgender Day of Remembrance about the issues—and persons whose lives are at stake.

“We wanted to make a statement here at City Hall, that if you are serving our city, then you need to be protecting the folks who are most vulnerable and marginalized,” Williams said.

Transgender Day of Remembrance honors the memory of transgender people who lost their lives to anti-trans violence. According to Human Rights Campaign, over 350 transgender and non-binary people have died due to violence in the past ten years.

In addition to the clinic, organizers held a press conference at Atlanta City Hall with speakers from the mayor’s office, advocacy organizations, and an elected official.

Georgia State House Representative Park Cannon, who is openly queer, spoke on the need to “bring our truth to the decision-making tables” in the face of “policies that bring our community further away from justice.”

The American Civil Liberties Union has tracked 14 bills in Georgia that restrict healthcare, public accommodations, education, and accurate identification for LGBTQ people.

Williams connects the harm of anti-trans speech to the physical harm transgender people experience.

“The more harmful rhetoric from any politician, any person of influence or power, the more it puts us at risk for violence and ultimately death,” Williams said.

Prior to the start of Wednesday’s event, organizers transformed Atlanta City Hall’s lobby into a temporary passport boutique and memorial, complete with floral arrangements, candles, balloons, a photography station and nearly 20 posters mounted on easels representing local community members who died due to violence.

“We wanted to give face and give names to those people while also honoring the trans folks and leaders who are still living,” Williams said. “We have the right to breathe and to live like everybody else.”

Ashley Hodges, a project manager with the Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, said the memorial “stands as a powerful reminder” and that the city is “thinking critically about the well-being and safety of trans individuals in our city.”

SnapCo., a Black, transgender, and queer-led social justice organization, works to build safety for transgender and non-binary people by providing services like the passport clinic. It’s a direct way to respond to the needs of the community.

“Many people would think that this is a response to the election, but having the identification that you need is a part of trans safety,” Williams said. “When Trump put in his bid, and then when he won the presidency again, we knew that this would be the most vital clinic that folks could engage with right now.”

Williams reflected on her experience as a Black trans woman and how the absence of gender-affirming identification, like a passport, made her more vulnerable to discrimination.

“I remember being questioned, stopped, being turned away from housing, being turned away from job opportunities,” she said. “People would see me and then see my ID and make a decision on my behalf that impacted my livelihood. So we want folks to have what they need.”

With help from volunteers, clinic attendees received guidance filing out passport applications. On site, they could visit hair and makeup booths before getting their photographs taken.

To eliminate financial costs, organizers coordinated free Uber rides, covered passport fees, and catered food for the event.

Applicants ages 11 years old to 68 years old received services.

For anyone who missed this week’s Free Passport Clinic, Williams invites them to connect with SnapCo. and TransSocial for upcoming passport clinics.

As for Roland, she looks forward to international travel and finally having government-issued identification that affirms her.

“I can use my passport to get my gender marker updated on my driver’s license,” Roland said, “and then I’m not ashamed to show it.”