Digital Transgender Archive

Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker Oral History

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Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker is a co-founder of the New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG). Here, she shares her history of LGB and trans activism in New York City. Born on Staten Island, Miss Tanya describes her childhood confronting racism, homophobia, and transphobia along the east coast of the United States before joining the military and relocating to Germany. Upon her return, she moved to New York City, attending college on Staten Island, where she notably led a protest against Staten Island borough president, Guy Molinari, for which she was run off of campus. She also recounts the development of a distinct trans identity, surviving in New York City during the AIDS crisis, the community among homeless, queer and trans people of color in New York City in the 1980s and 90s, and her work as a social service provider and activist.

Item Information:

Identifier
z890rt54h
Collection
Oral Histories with People of Color
Institution
NYC Trans Oral History Project
Creator(s)
Van Ness, Lorenzo
Asapansa-Johnson Walker, Tanya
Contributor(s)
Katz, Micah
Publisher
New York Public Library
Date Created
Apr. 2, 2017
Dates Covered
1963 to 2017
Genre
Oral Histories
Subject(s)
Karen Burstein
Paris Is Burning
Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker
Places
North Carolina
New York
New Jersey
Topic(s)
Activists
Army
Bullying
Childhood
Christianity
Discrimination
Ethnic groups
Femininities
Gender identity
Harassment
Health care
HIV/AIDS
Homelessness
Homophobia
Hormones
LGBTI community
LGBTQ+ sex workers
Migration
MtFs
Nurses
Oppression
Passing (Gender)
Politics
Racism
Resistance movements
Sexual harassment
Sexuality
Social exclusion
Social workers
Substance abuse
Transgender people
Transphobia
Violence
Resource Type
Audio
Digital Format
duration: 1 hour 20 minutes 14 seconds
Language
English
Rights
Copyright undetermined
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