January 22 reminds us that the struggle for basic human rights doesn’t stop at prison walls. Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people in U.S. prisons are among the most marginalized people our legal system impacts. They face policies that strip away gender-affirming care, force them into housing that disregards their identity and safety, and reinforce cycles of violence and neglect. These harmful practices raise serious constitutional and human-rights concerns; incarceration does not strip a person of their right to medical care, bodily autonomy, or freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

State and federal systems continue to rely on rigid, sex-assigned incarceration policies that ignore their victims’ lived reality. The result is predictable – increased risk of assault, re-traumatization, emotional distress and preventable harm. Courts have repeatedly recognized that deliberate indifference to serious medical needs violates the Eighth Amendment, yet trans prisoners still struggle for care and safety that is constitutionally guaranteed.

Trans Prisoner Day of Action is a reminder that solidarity must extend beyond prison walls. Community pressure, legal advocacy, and public accountability matter. When people on the outside speak, write, organize, and litigate, conditions on the inside can change. A kind card or letter expressing solidarity can also be really valuable to an incarcerated trans person.

We call for an end to discriminatory incarceration practices, full access to gender-affirming healthcare, and an immediate halt to the use of solitary confinement as a default response to institutional failure. The struggle for liberation includes those the state has imprisoned, and justice demands that their voices be heard.

Since the Green Scare, CLDC has been a strong supporter of Marius Mason, a trans, environmental, and animal liberation activist, and one of the longest-incarcerated trans political prisoners in the United States. Sentenced during the Green Scare for multiple federal felonies including the terrorism enhancement for nonviolent property destruction, Marius has spent over 17 years in federal prison while facing repeated denials of adequate medical care and periods of extreme isolation. His case sits at the intersection of state repression, trans survival, and the criminalization of dissent, reminding us that prisons are often used to disappear people whose politics and identities challenge systems of power. Honoring Marius Mason means remembering that trans liberation and political freedom are inseparable.

*We are relieved to announce that Marius will be finally released from prison on May 4, 2026 to a halfway house, and will be returning home after that! In addition, today, January 26th, is Marius’s birthday! Please show him birthday love and gratitude for his many sacrifices!

How to get in touch: https://supportmariusmason.org/about/
Photo Credit: https://supportmariusmason.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Marius-self-portrait-small-1-727×1024.jpg