TranSanta Project Gives Hope to Trans Youth

This crowdsourced, gift-giving project, which was co-founded by Pose star Indya Moore, is brightening the holidays for trans youth who would otherwise go without. Together, trans and intersex organizers Kyle Lasky, Chase Strangio, Pidgeon Pagonis, and Indya Moore have created TranSanta, a way for trans youth to ask for what they want this holiday season.

The project is social media-based and aims to help trans youth who are experiencing homelessness, who are in foster care, or otherwise don’t have Santas of their own.

“The goal of the campaign is to show young, trans people that they are loved, supported, and have a family around the country and the world of people who will care for them during the holidays,” the organizers write in a press release. “Transness is so beautiful, and we are celebrating our magic!”

“My friends and I want to make sure that trans kids feel like they are a gift to this world because they are,” Moore adds in a recent Instagram post. “Acceptance and love are gifts we deserve all year.”

The TranSanta project comes at a time where trans people are experiencing existential and political danger. As OUT FRONT has previously reported, 2020 has been the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans, with over 40 of our trans brothers, sisters, and siblings having been lost to violence.

To combat these disturbing trends, the organizers of TranSanta built a platform for trans youth to share their dreams and needs for holiday gift-giving this year. Since its launch on December 5, TranSanta has already received dozens of wishlists and submissions, including handwritten notes, adorable drawings, and calls for support. Whereas some are raising funds for gender-affirming surgeries, others ask for practical household items to help them move out of abusive households.

The project aims to underscore the truth that trans folks deserve more than just survival; we deserve softness, comfort, acceptance, and love. You can find wishlists and requests here, where you’ll be able to purchase gifts that will be shipped directly to those with registries. To submit your own wishlist to TranSanta, organizers encourage you to start by emailing transanta2020@gmail.com.