• ELIXHER
• On September 10, 2013

Research shows that trans people are unemployed at twice the national rate — four times for transgender people of color — and have incomes of less than $10,000 a year. Trans*H4CK, an upcoming hackathon in Oakland, CA (September 13-15), seeks to address these disparities by creating technology that socially empowers transgender individuals. The community convening will allow programmers, developers, graphic designers, entrepreneurs and community members to share ideas and skills to develop new software projects. Speakers and judges at the inaugural event will include author and activist Janet Mock, trans blogger Monica Roberts, and more. ELIXHER got the chance to chat with Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, founder of Trans*H4CK.

ELIXHER: What inspired the Transgender Empowerment Hackathon?
DR. KORTNEY RYAN ZIEGLER: The lives of trans people are gaining more widspread attention due to the work of visible trans activists as well as that of allies who, for the most part, are learning about trans people as technology advances. I felt that the power of the hackathon model-a coming together to solve problems creatively and collectively-could do wonders in fostering a new type of collabration between trans people and allies.

ELIXHER: Why use technology as a great equalizer?
KRZ: For many of us who are trans or gender non-conforming, finding other people who share similar life experiences are integral to our survival and the Internet has played a major part in making that happen. Even with my own transition, without the community of young trans people I discovered through YouTube, I would not have had the courage to live openly in the ways that I do now. I believe that since we utilize technology to connect and create safe communities where we might not have offline, it would be a great way to have a different stake in the technology that we use. Of course, technology cannot solve all of the problems that exits among the trans community but I believe it is a great start.

Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler

ELIXHER: Trans people of color experience higher rates of homelessness and unemployment, how is Trans*H4CK working to help ensure they have access to basis needs?
KRZ: Trans*H4CK exists to address all types of social issues that trans and gender non-comforming people experience, especially homelessness and unemployment. Knowing this, as part of the selection process we chose participants that expressed interests in creating products that connect trans people with jobs and homes and we are excited to see what is produced. Additionally, to further encourage participants to focus on economic sustainability, we are offering a grand prize for a mobile app or website that best supports trans and gender non-conforming entrepreneurs.

ELIXHER: Is there a gap in terms of who can access technology or is that more of a misconception?
KRZ:There definitely is a gap in who has access to the types of technology that exists and trans people of all backgrounds are affected. Because of this, one of the central goals of Trans*H4CK is to create products that are accessible to trans and gender non-conforming people across different tech mediums, such as mobile apps that can be used on smartphones as well as SMS only feature phones. Trans*H4CK’s emphasis on exploring the reality of the vast barries to technology that trans people encounter is pertinent in creating solutions.

ELIXHER: What can folks expect from Trans*H4CK beyond the upcoming conference?
KRZ: Trans*H4CK will be a yearly event here in the city of Oakland. I also hope to help scale the projects that are produced through Trans*H4CK through multi-tiered support that includes funding and mentorship.

- Interview by Kimberley McLeod

Kimberley McLeod is a DC-based media strategist. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of ELIXHER.