WO=MEN in New York

It’s been nearly three months since the CSW70, and the dust has settled — at least for me. When I think back to New York City in March 2026, I’m left with a lingering weight in my stomach. The feeling that something wasn’t quite right. And something wasn’t. Something was missing — or rather, someone. Many someones. We knew this would be the case. New York has never been an accessible city for most activists who need to travel. But this year, the barriers felt almost insurmountable. Shrinking civic space. Defunding across movements. Travel bans. Visa restrictions tied to social media activity. Administrative attacks targeting trans* travellers. A hostile political climate. New and ongoing wars disrupting major travel routes and making flights more expensive and unpredictable. Taken separately, each of these developments creates obstacles. Taken together, they create a reality in which fewer and fewer of our people can make it to New York, especially those from the Global South, trans ac...