Jump to content

Eli Erlick

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eli Erlick
Erlick in 2022
Born (1995-07-10) July 10, 1995 (age 29)
Occupations
  • Writer
  • activist
Years active2011–present
Websiteelierlick.com

Eli Erlick (born July 10, 1995) is an American activist, writer, academic, trans woman and founder of the organization Trans Student Educational Resources.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Eli Erlick was born on July 10, 1995. Her parents met while protesting, which she cites as a background behind her activism. She is of Jewish heritage and grew up near the rural community of Willits, California.[5][6] She came out as transgender when she was 8 years old, when she started to experience harassment, isolation, and violence. She could not use her school's restroom and was threatened and bullied for years after.[7]

At age 13, she publicly transitioned to female, keeping her birth name. She medically transitioned shortly after.[8] She then began her work in advocacy and writing at 15 and founded the organization Trans Student Educational Resources at age 16.[9] She attended Pitzer College in Claremont from 2013 to 2016.[10][11]

Activism

Erlick cites starting activism at age 15, in 2010, when she became a board member for an LGBTQ youth conference. She became public in media over a year later while advocating for California's School Success and Opportunity Act, the first state bill to protect transgender students.[1] That year Erlick co-founded Trans Student Educational Resources, an organization "dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment."[12]

While advocating for admissions for trans students at women's colleges, she spoke about the importance of remaining skeptical of all policy work.[13][14] In 2015, Erlick published an article on why equality should not be the goal of the transgender movement.[15] For her organizing, Erlick has been recognized in Refinery29 and The Advocate among other publications.[16][13] In 2015, she led national efforts with Trans Student Educational Resources to admit trans women at women's colleges. She also co-authored Trans Student Educational Resources' model policy for admissions of trans students at women's colleges.[17][18]

Erlick also co-founded Trans Youth Leadership Summit, a program run through Trans Student Educational Resources. It is the only national fellowship program in the United States for transgender youth. Several of its fellows have gone on to become prominent media advocates, activists, and organizers since its launch.[19][20] In 2017, she began publicly advocating for self-expression of gender-nonconforming transgender women.[21]

Erlick and a group of transgender activists erected a bronze sculpture of activist Marsha P. Johnson in 2021 in Christopher Park. The sculpture was not authorized by New York City Parks but later received a use permit, making it the first sculpture of a transgender person in New York City.[22][23] The sculpture received positive reviews from art commentators, citing the criticism of George Segal's Stonewall National Monument for "whitewashing" the Stonewall Riots.[24][25] The New York City Mayor's office announced plans for a statue of Johnson and her collaborator, Sylvia Rivera, in 2019 but the statues never came to fruition.[26][27]

In February 2022, Erlick alleged that conservative political commentator Matt Walsh was "attempting to dupe dozens of trans people and doctors into participating in an anti-trans documentary under false pretenses".[28][29] She uncovered that Walsh created a front organization, the Gender Unity Project, after his producer attempted to recruit her into the project.[30][29] Walsh later revealed the project was part of his then-upcoming film, What Is a Woman?.[31][32][33]

In March 2023, multiple Washington, D.C. transgender sex workers contacted Erlick to allege the owner of the security firm responsible for the suicide of Eden Knight hired them.[34] Later that month, Erlick recovered, restored, and colorized numerous photos from LGBTQ history.[35] She attributes black-and-white photography as a factor in the erasure of trans people of color from history.

Trans Student Educational Resources

In 2011, at age 16,[1] Erlick co-founded Trans Student Educational Resources, an organization "dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment."[12] It is the only national organization led by transgender youth. It is one of the largest transgender organizations in the United States.[3][36][37]

Access to hormone therapy

In August 2022, conservatives including Tucker Carlson, Matt Walsh, and Blaire White, criticized Erlick for detailing a plan on social media for individuals to send spare hormone therapy prescriptions to people in those U.S. states which are working to criminalize such drugs, despite the law only allowing such drugs to be prescribed by a physician. Some conservatives reported her to federal authorities, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.[38][better source needed][39] Chaya Raichik said that her account Libs of TikTok was suspended from Twitter after accusing Erlick of distributing the medications.[40][41]

Walsh accused Erlick of being a "confessed drug dealer" and later reported Erlick to the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is a PhD candidate. After the university's leadership initially ignored Walsh, he shared the contact information for several leaders of the university on social media. The university then said in a statement that "as a campus continuously working in pursuit of social justice," it "strongly supports transgender members of our community.", adding that "The university is aware of social media posts by one of our graduate students related to gender-affirming medical care outlawed in certain states. The university takes allegations of illegal activity seriously, harassment included." Erlick defended herself from criticism, saying that "all trans people should have access to gender-affirming care" and that "trans people have shared hormone replacement therapy treatments for over 80 years. This is nothing new or unique. It is important to add that no one is providing hormone replacement therapy to children and the accusations that I am are false and absurd." Erlick also accused Walsh of "profiting from the moral panic over transness through new followers, advertisers and pageviews. Money, fame and power are his only goals." Following Walsh's comments about her, Erlick received slurs, harassment, and threats of violence.[39]

Erlick and other activists accused Walsh of stochastic terrorism, a term used to describe an incitement of violence against a target through social media with plausible deniability. Walsh denied these accusations of terrorism, arguing that sharing contact information that is publicly available does not constitute harassment and that criticizing someone does not constitute terrorism.[39] Erlick alleged Walsh targeted her for her accusations that he misrepresented his documentary to potential interviewees.[42]

Academia

Erlick speaking at Harvard University in 2018

Erlick writes about political philosophy, social movements, and transgender communities.[43][44] She is a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz in its Feminist Studies and History of Consciousness departments.[45][46]

Public image and fashion

In 2016, Teen Vogue named Erlick the "New Face of Feminism" as a "young feminist changing the game".[47] Erlick also writes for publications including Teen Vogue and Glamour magazine about culture, media, and fashion.[48][49] In 2017, Glamour named her College Woman of the Year, the first trans woman to receive the award in its 60-year history.[50]

Erlick has appeared in numerous publications discussing fashion and frequently models for fashion brands.[5][51] In an interview with Yahoo News, Erlick stated that she felt pressured to dress femininely based on the widespread misunderstanding of gender identity and gender expression.[5] Erlick describes herself as gender nonconforming.[52]

Personal life

Erlick is openly queer and lives in New York City.[53]

Notable awards

Bibliography

  • "Depathologizing Trans" in The Remedy: Queer and Trans Voices on Health and Healthcare, Zena Sharman (ed.), Arsenal Pulp Press, 2016.[63]
  • "Trans Youth Activism on the Internet" in Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 2018.[64]
  • "(Trans)forming Education: How Transgender Youth Are Leading the School Justice Movement" in Gender Diversity and LGBTQ Inclusion in Schools, Karyl E. Ketchum, Lisa Richardson, Sharon Verner Chappell (eds.), Routledge, 2018.[65]
  • "Rethinking Nonbinary" in Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity, Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane (eds.), Columbia University Press, 2019.[66]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2013-2014 Huffington Post Live[67] Herself TV series; Recurring Contributor; Episodes: "How Can We Create Trans-Friendly Schools?"; "Transgender Student Athletes Fight To Compete"; "The Fight For Transgender Teen Rights"; "Making College Transgender Friendly"; "QueerView with Josh Zepps"[68][69][70][71][72]
2013 SBS Dateline[73] Herself Documentary; Episode: "Crossover Kids"
2016 Faint of Heart[74] Sara Quin Tegan and Sara music video
2017 ABC News[75] Herself TV series with Lana Zak
2019 Tales from the Closet[76][77] Herself CollegeHumor Series; Episode: "Traditional Values"
2021 Good Day New York[78] Herself TV series
2022-2023 Dr. Phil[79][80][81] Herself/panelist 3 episodes[82][83]
2023 Vice Debates[84] Herself/panelist TV episode; "Anti and Pro Feminists Talk Abortion, Barriers, Trans Rights, #MeToo, Beauty Standards"
2023 How I Caught My Killer[85][86][87] Narrator TV series; Series Premiere

References

  1. ^ a b c "Who We Are – Trans Student Educational Resources". TransStudent.org. Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ^ "Proposed Law Would Require School Support for Transgender Students citing radio". The Forum. KQED Radio. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Changing Gender, Changing School". The Story. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  4. ^ "About". Eli Erlick. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Trans woman shares gender expression journey, from 'femme to dapper'". Yahoo.com. October 27, 2017. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "Meet Eli Erlick: A Trans Youth Activist Who Stars in Tegan and Sara's New Music Video "Faint of Heart"". TheQueerAV.com. August 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Valens, Ana (December 20, 2017). "Ending Anti-Trans Violence Begins With Trans Rights in Everyday Life". Dailydot.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  8. ^ "Harassment prompts children's hospitals to strip websites, threatening access to gender-affirming care". October 3, 2022.
  9. ^ "I Knew I Was a Girl at 8: Transitioning and Teenage Activism". AutoStraddle.com. September 30, 2013. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  10. ^ "Gov. Brown signs transgender students' rights bill - News - KCRA Home". KCRA.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  11. ^ "How new Title IX rules could affect California's transgender and nonbinary students".
  12. ^ a b "What AB1266 Means for Transgender Students in Public Schools". Take Two. KPCC. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Meet The Trans Teen Who Just Won $25K to Make Schools Trans-Inclusive". Advocate.com. November 19, 2014. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  14. ^ "Women's colleges address transgender applicants". Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  15. ^ Erlick, Eli (June 9, 2016). "Why Equality Is Toxic to the Transgender Movement". HuffingtonPost.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  16. ^ "30 Under 30 S.F. — Rising Young Stars in San Francisco". Refinery29.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  17. ^ Moyer, Justin Wm (May 4, 2015). "Smith College to admit transgender women in historic policy change". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017 – via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  18. ^ "Spelman Just Joined the Growing List of Women's Colleges to Officially Admit Trans Students". Brit.co. September 6, 2017. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  19. ^ "Trevor Celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility". Thetrevorproject.org. March 30, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  20. ^ "What Does The Trans Visibility Day Theme Mean? It's All About Resisting Oppression". Bustle.com. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  21. ^ Truong, Kimberly (October 24, 2017). "Transgender Woman Side-By-Side Transition Photos". Refinery29.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  22. ^ "Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Monument in Christopher Park". August 25, 2021.
  23. ^ "Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Sculpture in Christopher Park". August 27, 2021.
  24. ^ "The first transgender statue in an NYC Park has been erected". August 25, 2021.
  25. ^ Liscia, Valentina Di (August 26, 2021). "On the Day of Marsha Johnson's Birthday, Guerrilla Memorial Pops up by Stonewall". Hyperallergic.
  26. ^ Jacobs, Julia (May 30, 2019). "Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York". The New York Times.
  27. ^ Wakefield, Lily. "New York activists take matters into their own hands after waiting years for Marsha P Johnson monument".
  28. ^ Baragona, Justin (February 8, 2022). "Far-Right Troll Tried to Dupe Trans People Into Joining His Anti-Trans Documentary". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "Anti-Trans Matt Walsh tries to lure Trans people into fake documentary". Los Angeles Blade. February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  30. ^ "Trans activists accuse conservative podcaster Matt Walsh of trying to lure them into participating in an anti-trans documentary". Insider.com.
  31. ^ Mendez II, Moises (June 10, 2022). "Why Are Social Media Companies Taking Ad Money From a Right-Wing Transphobic Doc?". Rolling Stone.
  32. ^ "A fake company duping trans people into joining a documentary appears to be the work of the Daily Wire's Matt Walsh". The Daily Dot. February 8, 2022.
  33. ^ "UC Santa Cruz grad student targeted for trans activism". August 19, 2022.
  34. ^ "A Saudi Trans Woman is Presumed Dead After Claiming She Was Forced to Detransition". March 17, 2023.
  35. ^ "Trans people have always been here – and these photos prove it". March 31, 2023.
  36. ^ Erlick, Eli (April 6, 2017). "Why Trans Students Need Your Help Right Now". Glamour.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  37. ^ Paul, Kari (November 12, 2018). "People protest Trumps proposed transgender policy with donations". MarketWatch. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  38. ^ "Conservatives accuse trans activist of illegally sending hormone 'drugs to children,' citing social media". news.yahoo.com. Fox News. August 8, 2022. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  39. ^ a b c Flaherty, Colleen (August 19, 2022). "UC Santa Cruz grad student targeted for trans activism". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  40. ^ "Libs of TikTok Account Reportedly Banned from Facebook with 'No Reason Given'". August 19, 2022.
  41. ^ "Will it take another death to stop the spread of anti-trans hate online". September 2022.
  42. ^ "Pressure over Trans Activist". August 19, 2022.
  43. ^ "Selected Writing". EliErlick.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  44. ^ "The Winter 2014-2015 Edition of the Journal of the Student National Medical Association is here!". JSNMA.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  45. ^ "Campus Directory - UC Santa Cruz". Humanities.ucsc.edu. July 30, 2018. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  46. ^ Militare, Jessica (April 6, 2017). "Meet Glamour's 2017 College Women of the Year". Glamour.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  47. ^ "Young Feminists Changing the Game - Feminists to Watch in 2016". Teen Vogue. January 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  48. ^ Erlick, Eli (May 19, 2016). "5 Examples Why North Carolina's Anti-Transgender Law Is Wrong". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  49. ^ Erlick, Eli (April 6, 2017). "The Fight for Transgender Rights: Why Trans Students Need Your Help Right Now". Glamour. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  50. ^ "Video: First transwoman wins Glamour's College Women of the Year award". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  51. ^ "100 Most Stylish dapperQs 2017 - dapperQ". dapperQ.com. June 1, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  52. ^ "What Halloween Means For Trans And Gender-Nonconforming People". Nylon.com. October 30, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  53. ^ "QueerView with @JoshZepps". Huffington Post Live. October 2, 2014. Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  54. ^ "30 Under 30 S.F. — Rising Young Stars in San Francisco". Refinery29.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  55. ^ "2015 Winners". Westly.org. October 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  56. ^ "2012-16 Winners". Westly.org. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  57. ^ "Trans Youth Leadership Summit". Davisprojectsforpeace.org. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  58. ^ "Young Feminists Changing the Game - Feminists to Watch in 2016". Teen Vogue. January 12, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  59. ^ Militare, Jessica (April 6, 2017). "Meet Glamour's 2017 College Women of the Year". Glamour. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  60. ^ Bendix, Trish; Jackson, S. E.; Hymowech, Gena; Long, Kat (June 22, 2017). "100 Women We Love: Class of 2017". GO Magazine. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  61. ^ Boureau, Ella (August 8, 2018). "29th Annual Lambda Literary Finalists and Winners". Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  62. ^ "Emma Watson". real-leaders.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  63. ^ Sharman, Zena (2016). The Remedy: Queer and Trans Voices on Health and Health Care. Arsenal Pulp Press. ISBN 978-1551526584.
  64. ^ Erlick, Eli (2018). "Project MUSE - Trans Youth Activism on the Internet". Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies. 39 (1): 73–92. doi:10.1353/fro.2018.a690810. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  65. ^ "Gender Diversity and LGBTQ Inclusion in K-12 Schools: A Guide to Supporting Students, Changing Lives". Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  66. ^ Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity. Columbia University Press. April 2019. ISBN 9780231546102. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  67. ^ "Videos - The Huffington Post". live.HuffingtonPost.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  68. ^ "The Fight For Transgender Teen Rights". HuffPost Live. November 20, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  69. ^ "Videos - The Huffington Post". live.HuffingtonPost.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  70. ^ "Videos". March 4, 2014. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  71. ^ "TakePart | Stories That Matter, Actions That Count". September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  72. ^ "Videos". October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  73. ^ "Crossover Kids". SBS.com.au. April 30, 2013. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  74. ^ Ceron, Ella (July 28, 2016). "Tegan and Sara's Brand-New "Faint of Heart" Video Is Amazing For So Many Reasons". TeenVogue.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  75. ^ "Video: First transwoman wins Glamour's College Women of the Year award". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  76. ^ "Tales from the Closet". IMDb.
  77. ^ "Traditional Values". IMDb.
  78. ^ "Tired of waiting for City Hall, activists install monument of trans icon in Greenwich Village park". August 30, 2021.
  79. ^ "Psychiatrist Says Schools Shouldn't be Required to Tell Parents if Child Assumes a Different Gender Identity". September 16, 2022.
  80. ^ "Inclusivity or Indoctrination? What's Happening in Schools Today?". September 15, 2022.
  81. ^ "Transgender Activist and Trans Man Face off with Mom and Teacher About Tampons Being in Boys' Bathrooms | Dr. Phil". April 20, 2023.
  82. ^ Burton, Liam (April 25, 2023). "'Dr. Phil' Will Not be Missed". Current Affairs (Jan/Feb 2023).
  83. ^ "Detransitioning: Is This a Growing Phenomenon? | Dr. Phil". March 2, 2023.
  84. ^ "Anti & Pro Feminists Debate Abortion, Trans Rights, and #Metoo".
  85. ^ https://www.hulu.com/series/how-i-caught-my-killer-390e7b76-7ae4-484b-9e4a-7e7802194ee9 [bare URL]
  86. ^ "Who is Eli Erlick from How I Caught My Killer?". January 15, 2023.
  87. ^ ""How I Caught My Killer" Social media? Yeah, it was her thing. (TV Episode 2023) - IMDb". IMDb.