While the national landscape has provided obstacles to the mission of My Sistah’s House, which fosters sustainability and security for the transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (TLGBQ) communities in Memphis, local developments have helped the group widen its reach and connect with community partners.
Kayla Gore, executive director of My Sistah’s House, said the National Guard’s presence caused the group to reexamine and reestablish its bail funds.
Gore said the bail fund was established prior to the arrival of the Guard and the Memphis Safe Task Force. Gorre added that the bail funds reestablishment was not the only response the group has made as a response to the dispatch of federal agencies.
“We’ve had a big influx of folks requesting housing for families and children,” Gore said. “Whether that’s emergency, transitional, or permanent housing. We’ve had a lot of our partners reach out to form memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to be referring agencies.”
Gore said the partnerships help the group stay in the loop of what’s going on, not just with the population they primarily serve, but with other groups as well.
“There’ s a lot of folks who are calling about their loved ones who are the breadwinners and have been incarcerated for different reasons,” Gore said. “We’ve seen a lot of folks — more than normal — reaching out to us.”
Attacks towards the transgender community were occurring prior to the Guard’s arrival, with federal cuts to funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) centered-programs. Those obstacles threatened the group’s sustainability, but despite those challenges, Gore said this year has been the group’s most effective in meeting people’s needs.
As an example, Gore said 2025 has been the best year for the group’s Trans Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (T-WILLOW) program. Through this initiative, trans women living with HIV are able to connect with each other through shared lived experiences. The program has improved mental health outcomes for its participants while also increasing their “social support networks.”
“We’ve been able to implement it regionally across the South,” Gore said. “T-WILLOW has been able to expand its influence from Memphis to cities such as Macon, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, to name a few.”
As she reflected on the success of the program, Gore said the beginning of the year caused My Sistah’s House to brace for impact.
“We started the year out not in the best space,” Gore said. “We had a lot of previous funders pull out once they knew who our president was going to be.”
Gore said she and her team knew the influence of the Trump administration would cause marginalized groups and their supporters to be under scrutiny. This caused the advocacy group to return to its beginnings, which meant more fundraising, and in-person events with community partners to raise awareness and increase the group’s reach. As a result, My Sistah’s House was able to complete construction of two homes in South Memphis under its Tiny House Project. The organization is also looking at plans for a community mixed-use space.
The broadening of My Sistah’s House’s reach brought more attention to the organization, but Gore noted the support could be more “robust.”
“Folks that are in our homes are not just trans people,” Gore said. “We have cis people in our homes as well. We also have families in our homes. We’ve been able to meet the needs of the community — not just trans folks and LGBTQ+ people, but all people.”
While the organization is still championing inclusivity, Gore challenged Memphians to elevate trans people in leadership roles and in conversations.
“Inclusivity is not just a word — it’s something that you do,” Gore said. “We don’t see that a lot, and in this political climate we want to make sure all the voices in Memphis are heard.”