The QMNTY Continuum responds to the interconnected challenges facing Black trans and TLGBQIA+ people housing insecurity, food access, safety, and belonging. We created a network of care that provides shelter, resources, and community connection all in one ecosystem. Each part of the Continuum reinforces the others, offering stability, healing, and pathways toward independence. Our model shows what’s possible when care is led by those most impacted lives are not only changed, they are saved.

This work was born from my own life. Growing up as a Black trans woman, I didn’t have the safety, affirmation, or resources that every person deserves. I know what it feels like to go without, to be unseen, and to still fight to survive. The idea for the QMNTY Continuum came from wanting to build what I needed back then a place where our people can rest, be cared for, and know their lives matter. Creating that space for others has also been a way of healing and saving myself.

Survival for myself and for our trans-led organization is the greatest challenge. As a Black trans woman, doing this work has always carried risk, but today it’s far more dangerous. The threats are real, and so is the growing loss of funding that keeps our programs alive. Each day we fight to protect our people, keep our doors open, and continue this work with fewer resources and greater danger. Still, we refuse to back down because our lives, our safety, and our future depend on it.

My greatest teacher has always been my mother. Watching how she cared for others and held community with love and strength shaped the way I lead today. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy has also inspired me through her resilience and her unshakable commitment to our people. Beyond them, I’m guided every day by Black women and Black trans women in advocacy spaces whose courage, wisdom, and care continue to help me grow as a leader and as a person.

One of our residents came to us from a shelter where she was struggling with severe anxiety and difficulty communicating as she navigated her transition. The staff there weren’t sure she would make it, so they reached out to us for help. We welcomed her into our housing program, where she stayed for two years. In the beginning, she rarely left her room and found it hard to engage, but our team stayed patient and consistent. Over time, she began opening up, attending groups, and connecting with others. This fall, she moved into her own home and still visits often to say thank you that we helped her believe she could make it. Her story is exactly what the QMNTY Continuum stands for: giving people time, support, and love to rebuild their lives at their own pace.