In 2021, Quinton Reynolds launched Game Changing Men, an Atlanta nonprofit that centers the needs of Black trans men and trans masculine individuals, mainly because he, as a Black trans man, didn’t see many resources available for his community. This was especially true for those who’ve experienced domestic violence.
Domestic violence accounts for at least 20% of violent deaths of trans people, according to Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund’s Transgender Homicide Tracker. For Reynolds, it was important to create a space that prioritized that issue. One of the organization’s first initiatives was a family violence intervention program for cis and trans men.
“It also helps us combat the violence that the trans community faces directly from cis Black men. Some of the conversations that we have in our own 24-week sessions center patriarchy and white supremacy and how all of this shows up in male-identified folks and how it affects our relationships,” Reynolds said.
Today, the nonprofit offers a range of wraparound services for Black trans men, including mentorship for those who are incarcerated, and annual retreats and healing sessions. For Trans Day of Visibility, which falls on March 31, Game Changing Men will host its second cookout in Grant Park to foster celebration and connection between trans youth and trans adults in the community.
The cookout will take place on Saturday, March 30. It’s a free event, but attendees are encouraged to sign up via the organization’s Instagram feed at instagram.com/gamechangingmen.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Game Changing Men is hosting the event along with other LGBTQ-centered nonprofits in the area, like Destination Tomorrow, Ubuntu and Trans Women of Color Healing Project. The cookout will feature music, games, raffles and more.
Mpox vaccinations and HIV testing will also be available, courtesy of the Fulton County Board of Health.
“We’re here to provide support because often we hear the violence that takes place within Black trans femme communities. We are not talking about the violence that our Black trans masculine siblings are experiencing. Even though it’s not televised, or it’s not talked about in local news, they’re also suffering,” said Toi Washington-Reynolds, founder of Trans Women of Color Healing Project.
Manëësh Chatman, who uses they/he pronouns and is a program manager for Game Changing Men, said that support from others within the trans community is crucial. They said one of the biggest challenges that trans masculine people face is access to healthcare.
“As transmasculine folks, we still have to get the care from OB-GYN centers, so going into those places of course are going to be quite naturally nerve-wracking,” Chatman said. Game Changing Men can help trans men locate places to have the services comfortably and without judgement.
Dealing with those challenges is partially why organizers felt the need to continues hosting the cookout. It’s a source of healing, considering the recent deaths of Black trans women in Atlanta. Last spring, Koko Da Doll, a star in the award-winning documentary “Kokomo City” was fatally shot. At the time, she was the third trans woman to be killed in Atlanta that year.
“We created a space that was intentional and celebratory about our lives, and not just for us to celebrate ourselves, but a day for our allies and comrades to come together and support us on a day that means so much to us,” Washington-Reynolds said.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Last year, more than 200 people attended the cookout. Organizers expect a similar crowd this year. Washington-Reynolds said they really wanted to make this event more kid-friendly and foster intergenerational bonding.
“The most harmful and disheartening pieces is that [trans youth] have to hear about how the world views them and their beliefs and how they show up. We have to do a lot of damage control, to repair the minds and the psyche and ideologies of our youth,” she said. “Because even if these [recent anti-trans] bills don’t pass, they can’t unhear what they’re hearing.”
To further celebrate Trans Day of Visibility, Game Changing Men will host a screening of “Eden’s Garden,” a New York-based series that follows the experiences Black trans men. The screening will be held at Tara Theatre on March 29 and will feature a panel discussion with the cast.
“I wanted to bring it here to Atlanta for Trans Day of Visibility to promote more visibility for trans masculine individuals, because one of the things we lacked is the visibility that we need. I want to bring the narratives that are told correctly from our own lens and not somebody else’s,” Reynolds said.
IF YOU GO
“Eden’s Garden” screening
7 p.m. March 29. Free, but RSVP via the link at instagram.com/gamechangingmen is suggested. Tara Theatre, 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta.
Trans Day of Visibility Cookout
2 p.m. March 30. Grant Park, Pavilion 1, 840 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta. Free, but RSVP via the link at instagram.com/gamechangingmen is suggested.
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