Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Cooper.
Hi Tori, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I worked in corporate America for many years. I was a manager with the one of the largest premier retail owners in the US. For many years, I was a “quiet advocate” and helped to create interoffice programs and fundraisers, and create and distribute educational flyers, promo materials, research and that sort of thing. I always did something in terms of advocacy, I just didn’t always use my own voice. Fast forward, I moved to ATL and witnessed transphobia that wasn’t directed at me. I was riding MARTA with some friends and we were sitting separately. Another rider said some really atrocious things about one of my friends that showed his ignorance, but also made the trip feel less safe. I’m fortunate. I have a certain amount of passing privilege that provides some safety in public. But what I saw and heard made me realize that even though this person’s words weren’t directed at me, they were about me – he just didn’t know it. From that moment, I realized that I had to use whatever privilege that I have in society to help my community. From that day, I committed myself to use my voice to speak up for those who are voiceless. And that is how I became immersed in this work.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The only roads that are smooth are the roads that no one has traveled. I just thought of that. So, no; the road has not always been smooth. But it certainly is worth it. Some of the struggles along the way have included being physically attacked for simply being an out trans woman. Words hurt. Verbal attacks hurt. But nothing shakes you to your core more than being physically attacked. There is an invasion of your personal space and this feeling of disrespect that someone, anyone, would dare to attempt to overpower you. There is also the sad reality that visibility as a Black trans woman is different than other groups of marginalized people. Black people don’t want you. Non-Black people don’t understand you. And male privilege and patriarchy exist in all of our societal systems. That means that as trans and non-binary people and more specifically as Black trans women, we have several enemies to fight at all times – race, sexism, genderism and all the phobias.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an employer and an employee at the same time. I am Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign. I manage a small team of dedicated trans and non-binary folk who operate under the four pillars of Community Engagement, Strategic Communication, Public Safety and Capacity Building. Currently, we provide small mini-grants and have two leadership development cohorts for BIPOC trans and non-binary people. As an employer, I am the Founder and Executive Director of Advocates for Better Care Atlanta, which is a small consulting firm that provides education, leadership development and capacity building across the country. ABC Atlanta is a proud recipient of Gilead’s TRANScend grant to provide the ABCs of Advocacy across the US. I am also a certified Master Trainer, content creator and co-author of TWIST, the CDC’s only intervention for transgender women living with HIV. As well, I am certified in Facilitation Skills, Motivational Interviewing, Couples Counseling and other specializations. I am a national public speaker and I can give a PowerPoint like nobody’s business. All of my work is geared towards increasing access and opportunities for trans people. These are two things that we have traditionally had less of than many of our peers.
How do you think about happiness?
Music makes me happy. Success makes me happy. Happiness makes me happy. Family makes me happy. And so much of my life is built around pursuing all of these things constantly.
Contact Info:
- Email: MsToriCooper@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @MsToriCooper
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tori.cooper.984
- Twitter: @MsToriCooper1
- Other: Just google “the Lizzo of Public Health” and you will find me.
Image Credits:
I own all of these pictures. Also pictured are Nancy Pelosi, Maven Logic Lee and Christopher Pride.
