California TRANScends is a “Black trans woman-led organization” that claims to advocate for transgender interests in opposition to “the growing threat of fascism” in America. ¹ California TRANScends supports pro-transgender legislation, seeking “equal access to healthcare, education, employment, and legal protections” for transgender individuals. ² California TRANScends is a fiscally sponsored project of Possibility Labs. ³

Supported Legislation

California TRANScends announced its support the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, that went into effect in January 2021. The bill claimed to reclassify the grounds for sexual assault charges under state law so that the definition excludes “voluntary sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual penetration” between adults who are 20 years old or younger, and minors who are at least 16 years old. ⁴

California TRANScends also supported California’s Gender Recognition Act which was signed into law in October 2017. The bill enabled transgender individuals living in or born in California to obtain legal identity documents reflecting the gender of their choice. ⁴

The group also supported the proposed Intersex Autonomy law of California that would make it illegal for parents of intersex babies to have surgeries performed on them to ““normalize” their bodies until they have the ability to make their own informed decision.” ⁴ The bill would criminalize such surgeries and hold medical providers liable, regardless of parental consent. ⁵ The bill is co-sponsored by Equality California, interACT and the ACLU of California. The bill was introduced in 2019, and has yet to pass as of 2024. ⁴

California TRANScends also supported the California Senate Bill (SB)132, the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act, which was signed and went into effect in January 2021. ⁶ The legislation would claim to enable individuals identifying as transgender and facing incarceration to be “classified and housed based on their gender identity.” ⁴

Possibility Labs

California TRANScends is a model-C fiscally sponsored project of Possibility Labs, which uses fiscal sponsorships and donor-advised funds (DAF) to allow separate organizations to benefit from its tax-exempt status and fundraising. ^{7 3}

Possibility Labs lists California TRANScends as a Partner on its website, ⁸ with several of those listed as “partners” also being fiscally sponsored projects of the group including Just Economy Institute (JEI). ^{9 10}

Possibility Labs is an advocacy group founded by Keiko Murase and Lem White that claims to focuses on pushing “social and environmental justice” and further claims its “systems, policies, and processes are designed to honor the cultures, histories, traditions, and needs of Black and Brown communities.” ^{7 11}

In 2022, Possibility Labs reported $46,742,841 in revenue and $20,919,752 in expenses, with $30,143,060 in total assets. ¹² In 2022, Seed Commons reported donating $1,000,000 to Possibility Labs. ¹³

In 2022, Urban Tilth, a left-of-center environmentalist organization reported donating $500,000 to Possibility Labs. ^{12 14} In 2022, left-of-center environmentalist group Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) reported donating $400,000 to Possibility Labs. ^{12 15} In addition, the Ford Foundation reported donating $80,000 to Possibility Labs in 2024. ¹⁶

Leadership

Ebony Harper is the founder and Executive Director of California TRANScends. ¹⁷ Prior to this, Harper worked at Project Angel Food and the Los Angeles Youth Network. In addition, Harper previously worked as a peer counselor for advocacy group Children of the Night in Van Nuys, California. ²

1. “Our Story.” California TRANScends. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.catranscends.com/general-9.
2. “About.” California TRANScends. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.catranscends.com/about-1.
3. “California Transcends.” Possibility Labs, September 27, 2023. https://possibilitylabs.org/partners/california-transcends/.
4.  “Landmark Legislation.” California TRANScends. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.catranscends.com/landmark-legislation.
5.  Harlow, Kat Reilley. “Intersex Individuals Are Protected by the California Constitution’s Right to Privacy.” SCOCAblog, September 11, 2023. https://scocablog.com/intersex-individuals-are-protected-by-the-california-constitutions-right-to-privacy/.
6. “Senate Bill 132 FAQs.” Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), October 15, 2024. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/prea/sb-132-faqs/#:~:text=State%20law%20prohibits%20discrimination%20based,consistent%20with%20their%20gender%20identity.
7. “Press Kit.” Possibility Labs. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://possibilitylabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Possibility-Labs-Press-Kit-Sep-2022.pdf.
8. “Our Partners.” Possibility Labs, September 9, 2024. https://possibilitylabs.org/our-partners/.
9. “Donate.” Just Economy Institute, September 26, 2024. https://justeconomyinstitute.org/donate/.
10. “Just Economy Institute.” Possibility Labs, September 27, 2023. https://possibilitylabs.org/partners/just-economy-institute/.
11. “Possibility Labs Enters New Era of Leadership with Deep Focus on Its Movement-Accelerating Mission.” Possibility Labs, June 11, 2024. https://possibilitylabs.org/pl-new-leader/.
12. “Possibility Labs.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/open-possibilities,853989363/.
13. “Seed Commons.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-working-world,202264584/.
14. “To Address the Climate Crisis, the Green New Deal Must Transform Our Food System and Revitalize Rural America.” oaklandinstitute.org, October 14, 2020. https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/green-new-deal-transform-food-system-revitalize-rural-america.
15. “Our Work.” Asian Pacific Environmental Network, November 6, 2019. https://apen4ej.org/our-work/.
16. “Grants Awarded – Possibility Labs.” Ford Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/possibility-labs-149279/.
17. “CA Transcends Global.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/ca-transcends-global,871364518/.