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Gender Justice League announces founder Askini to step down — UPDATE

Askini at this year’s Trans Pride Seattle march

The Gender Justice League, a nonprofit with an important presence on Capitol Hill providing support and advocacy for transgender and gender diverse people, has announced executive director Danni Askini has stepped down from the organization she helped found:

Gender Justice League has been rapidly growing in size, budget, and influence. However, under our current model, we will not be able to sustain this rate of growth indefinitely. We are taking this opportunity to undergo a strategic restructuring of our organization.

Askini’s legal situation, meanwhile, is fraught.

The activist traveled to Sweden earlier this year facing growing threats, the nonprofit said, as a target for “Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups in the United States, due to her work at Gender Justice League, and being a highly visible trans woman activist.”

Askini says the State Department is deliberately hindering trans travelers over gender. Now she is worried about what will happen to her if she tries to return to the United States facing passport issues over the State Department’s concerns over her citizenship paperwork, she told Swedish news outlet, The Local.

“In US immigration detention facilities, transgender women are often detained with men, and they run a huge risk of getting raped or sexually assaulted there,” Askini told The Local. “So I am trying to explore what my legal options are to remain in Sweden. It is rare, coming from the US, to apply for asylum in Sweden.”

Askini said her 90-day tourist visa would end October 9th.

The Seattle LGBTQ Commission has called on officials to ensure Askini’s wellbeing.

A legal fund for the activist has raised more than $17,000. Originally aimed at helping Askini settle the citizenship issues with the State Department, an update from Askini last month said the goal had changed. “it has been made clear to us that I cannot reobtain a U.S. passport,” she wrote. Askini’s new goal? Securing permanent status in Sweden.

The Gender Justice League, meanwhile, said that deputy director Elayne Wylie will lead the organization while the search for a new executive is underway.

UPDATE 12/3/2018 10:20 AM: The Seattle LGBTQ Commission is leading an effort to call on public officials to support Askini in her ongoing passport and citizenship proceedings.

The Seattle LGBTQ Commission, Seattle Women’s Commission, Seattle Human Rights Commission, Seattle Commission for People with disAbilities, and the Seattle Immigrant & Refugee Commission are highly concerned about the wellbeing of Seattle resident and prominent trans activist and human rights defender, Danielle (Danni) Askini, who had to flee the U.S. due to threats against her safety. They have submitted a joint letter outlining their concerns and requesting that WA state lawmakers speak publicly in support of Ms. Askini’s safety.

Specifically, the group of Five Commissions have asked Sen Murray, Sen Cantwell, Rep Jayapal, and Rep Smith to work to ensure her safety and well-being until she is granted her new U.S. passport that they believe she is entitled to. Ms. Askini is currently seeking asylum in Sweden, but risks being deported back to the United States and potentially detained in a men’s facility, as the U.S. State Department has repeatedly rejected her amended birth certificate with her correct gender as sufficient documentation to establish citizenship. It would be unconscionable to subject her to the emotional and possible physical risk that that would entail. The mistreatment of Ms. Askini has risen to the attention of and has been investigated by the United Nations Human Rights council.

Ms. Askini had her first hearing regarding her asylum application on Monday, November 19th, and needs continued public support in this matter as she waits for the outcome and potentially needs to appeal. The Five Commissions believe she is deliberately being targeted by the State Department as a visible trans activist, as someone who has been outspoken against institutions of power, and risks particular mistreatment due to her gender if she is forced to return to the U.S. at this time. The members of these Commissions urge individuals to continue to contact their elected officials and representatives of large human rights/LGBTQ+ organizations to speak publicly in support of Ms. Askini reaching a solution that ensures her safety and well-being in this process.

The Seattle City Council recently unanimously passed Resolution 31844 (proclaiming that Seattle affirms the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in the wake of increased targeting of local activists) at the request of these Commissions as part of a first step in working toward increased support for the rights of activists. Danni Askini, Maru Mora-Villalpando, and many other human rights activists have faced threats both from individuals and from this federal administration. Seattle needs to ensure that we are not complicit in making activists less safe.

“Danni Askini is a champion of human rights, especially for those who are trans or are otherwise under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. Her impact on this community is enormous, but this time she needs us,” said co-chair of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission, Jessi Murray. “We need to fight for her rights, her dignity, and her safety. She deserves the right to live without fear of being targeted for who she is and what community she serves.”

Further information about Ms. Askini’s case can be found in this letter from the UN Human Rights Council:

https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24006&fbclid=IwAR216NSOKIh1i8oxuWBHF6OoGMXsoFGwm8rLvuv4OMfpejvw_fpLnCpDzuY

 

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5 Comments
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Brian N.
Brian N.
5 years ago

The story on her go fund me sounds sketchy AF.

Moving On
Moving On
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian N.

The basic outline seems pretty plausible to me. Which part is hard to believe?

That high profile radical trans women might face threats of violence and get freaked out?

Or that the State Department might subject trans people to extra scrutiny when they apply for passports and then inappropriately threaten to prosecute them?

Bill the Builder
Bill the Builder
5 years ago

She’s sounds a little nuts but good on her for taking the money and using it to extend her European vacation.

If you followed her on twitter she was all over the road with her explanations on what the issue was. Her story changed every week. But she has her $17k.

Trey
Trey
5 years ago

In 2013, she identified herself to Seattle Globalist as having been *born* in Sweden. Oddly, no mention of that seemingly relevant fact (if it was a fact) in this latest episode.

More recently, she has claimed she was issued a provisional passport valid for more than a year, but has made no further references to this passport, and asserts that she is unable to re-enter the US (despite, it would seem, holding a valid provisional passport).

The general rule for dealing with Danni in Seattle LGBT circles since she appeared suddenly on the scene several years ago has been a variation on Reagan’s rule about the Soviets: “Trust, but verify…and then, don’t really trust, because she’s a bit of a whack job.”

Unknown Story
Unknown Story
5 years ago

Her story is difficult to follow. She didn’t just “show up on the scene” a few years ago, however. She’s lived in Seattle, that I’ve known about her, since at least 2006-07. She worked for Verbena when Michelle “Mo” Malkin killed it by embezzling money straight to her personal gambling habit and fled Seattle with an indictment against her, which she still has. When Danni lost her job, I heard she got married to a guy looking for a US passport and left for San Francisco, I think. I’m not sure. I don’t know her well but this new information just adds more confusion to the story. Bottom line is: we’ll probably never know the truth.