By Skyler Brown
Kylar Broadus is the second recipient of Cloud Dancers’ wish-fulfillment program. Broadus has contributed to the LGBTQ+ rights movement for more than 30 years as an activist, author, lawyer, professor, and public speaker. He was the first transgender American to testify in front of the U.S. Senate in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2012 and was later present while President Obama signed the Executive Order protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in the workplace. Today, he is the director of the Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC), an organization he founded in 2010 dedicated to fighting for and amplifying the voices of trans people of color.
In his discussion with CDF, Broadus highlighted the role that elders played in shaping him and his journey and feels that there need to be “more groups like Cloud Dancers.” While there “weren’t many people that were out and visible” for him to learn from in the LGBTQ+ community, he credited his parents for teaching him a proper work ethic and what it means to be a “servant leader.” Broadus described his parents’ roles in civic projects among the black community in addition to working seven days a week. Although he said his parents “knew nothing [about the LGBTQ+ community],” their teachings to be strong and proud of who you are is what allowed him to “endure and journey and do the work.”
That work has included serving on the board of directors of Freedom for All Americans, as a counselor at the National LGBTQ Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign, and as a founding member of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute, to name a few things. His focus on LGBTQ+ law has garnered referrals from the ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Lambda Legal. Broadus’ work ethic has fueled his motivation, resulting in his never-ending pursuit to fight for “all oppressed communities.” It is this determination that led Cloud Dancers to select Broadus as a grant recipient.
Now, Broadus is focusing on three key issues within the LGBTQ+ community. The first is addressing the needs of transgender military members in the United States, with trans individuals being twice as likely to serve. Since the Biden Administration lifted the trans military ban, Broadus and TPOCC are partnering with GLAD and the National Center for Lesbian Rights to ensure trans people and their rights are protected. This is being done partly through amplifying the voices of transgender military members as well as providing resources and support in cases of litigation.
Broadus is also focused on the legislative attacks on transgender youth that are occurring throughout the United States. More than 100 bills have been proposed in 38 states targeting transgender individuals, particularly trans youth. While some prevent students from participating in athletics, others prohibit access to medical care that would ease transitioning or even hamper puberty. Broadus believes that for “those that want to transition in their teenage years: that’s when transitions should happen. Not when people are 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 unless they want to do that.” These new pieces of legislation provide a potentially lethal roadblock to transition, considering the already high rate of suicide and suicide attempts of transgender and nonbinary adolescents. Fighting against these bills is crucial to protect young members of the community, something that Broadus seeks to tackle.
Finally, Broadus stressed the importance of intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ community, something he feels needs improving. As a Black trans man, he is happy to see a greater number of BIPOC in top positions of the movement, but he emphasizes that until structural and systemic issues such as racism are addressed, progress will be limited. Being more aware and more inclusive of everybody in the movement will increase its strength and ensure the rights of all individuals in the community.
“Many people make assumptions about what I do and who I am and why I do it, and now I’m really getting to share with you why I do what I do… It is about serving other people and helping them live to their full potential.”