Healthy ecosystems are interdependent and rely on mutuality and collaboration to work on all scales, from microorganisms, to trees and entire ecosystems. Communities are the same (read more about community ecosystems here).

When imagining our community ecosystems, you may have thought about the people you know and groups that already give and receive care. Let’s now focus on the communities we are a part of, why certain communities might need more care, and how to enact that through exploring radical care and mutual aid. 

When we talk about community and care we cannot detach it from political, cultural and historical circumstances. Class, race, colonialism and capitalism all affect how care is distributed in society.1 Social inequalities and disadvantage means that care often doesn’t reach those who need it the most, especially those who are already the most oppressed or marginalised under these systems.2

Medical gatekeeping on top of social marginalisation towards the trans community is just one of the many examples of this. So how do we care for each other under these circumstances? Radical care such as Mutual aid offers a solution to this.

What are mutual aid and radical care?

Mutual aid: Mutual aid is when people get together to help meet each other’s basic survival needs. It asks us to take responsibility for caring for one another and for working to change the conditions that impact peoples health and lives, not just through symbolic acts, or necessarily by political advocacy, but by building new social relations that improve quality of life. Mutual aid is a form of organising and caring in which groups take responsibility for providing mutual care and assistance.3

Mutual aid has been adopted and used across the world since the early 20th century, such as by Friendly Societies in the Great Depression, the Black Panthers, the global HIV response and many LGBTQ+ community groups. An important difference between mutual aid and charity is that mutual aid is horizontal rather than vertical, I.e. it is conducted by the communities themselves, not by governments.

Radical care: Radical care is the notion that providing care for marginalised people is a political act in response to the discrimination and stigma experienced by many minoritised populations, including trans people.

 Engaging in mutual aid could look like online spaces providing Pay It Forward-style groceries or toiletries, community COVID-Relief groups, sex workers supporting each other through the pandemic, and even operations like Occupy Sandy , which provided disaster relief in Canada after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Mutual aid projects are usually volunteer systems or interpersonal networks of care, where participants are mutually passionate about changing conditions now, as opposed to waiting on systems and structures to make change for the better.

Mutual aid out in the world

Many of us are engaged in small acts of mutual aid all the time, maybe without realising that that’s what we’re doing, think of fundraisers for surgeries or other medical bills you’ve contributed to - that’s mutual aid too. It’s when we work together in networks and communities of care that mutual aid shines.

Let’s take a look at some examples where care is needed, have a think about what you could do in these situations.

Your friend Hiro (he/they) has been suffering from some health issues and has been fatigued, unable to work and is quite low on money. They also need to go to the doctor to fill their hormone prescription, but have been procrastinating it due to past transphobic experiences with medical professionals.

Here are some ways you could provide care to Hiro:

  • Accompany him to the doctors
  • Prepare some meals for them to put in the fridge to help him save money
  • Help them budget for the month
  • Help run errands
  • Research trans friendly doctors for him

Can you think of any others?

Mutual aid can also look like providing care and support to people that we don’t know or haven’t met, but are in community with in other ways, for example trans people who are incarcerated.

Incarcerated TGD Community Fund4 writes that “Trans and gender diverse people, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been criminalised, experience structural discrimination and violence that directly impacts upon access to legal support, stable housing, employment, income, health care and wellbeing.

Overwhelmingly the majority of trans people who are incarcerated are Sistergirls and trans women who have been placed in men’s prisons. While no prison is safe, trans women in men’s prisons face the daily risk of physical, psychological and sexual violence.”

Some ways to support incarcerated trans people could include:

  • Letter writing to form connections and friendships outside of prison
  • Support in gender affirmation on return home with job opportunities and housing
  • Connecting incarcerated folks with suitable legal support
  • Starting, sharing, or contributing to fundraisers for expenses or bail costs
  • Learning more about the conditions of trans people in prison

Can you think of any other ways?

Tamira (she/her) is ready to invite her family into her trans experience, but is having a tough time navigating this; her family doesn’t speak English and she doesn’t have the vocabulary in Tamil to communicate and share this. She has yet to encounter any other Tamil diasporic friends who are trans, so is at a loss about what to do.

What are some ways you can support Tamira?

  • Providing emotional support and listening
  • Researching and reaching out to Tamil trans community both locally and internationally
  • Help Tamira start a support group and share callouts for queer Tamil people

Can you think of any others?

As we can see, mutual aid takes many different forms, from the scale of a whole city to a small community sharing and supporting one another.

Mutual aid isn’t something that will solve all of our problems, but it’s a helpful way of thinking about how we can contribute to improving our communities’ health in general. Below are some questions to think about, and to imagine the ways that mutual aid could be helpful in the world around you.

  • Can you think of anything your community is struggling with at the moment?

  • Do you know people who are missing out on connection or struggling with money?

  • Is there any way you can organise with those people to help them get what they need?

  • Are you struggling at the moment?

  • Who can you organise with to get the help you need?

Linking in with others in your community can provide so much more than solving the immediate problem, it can provide connection, validation, care and support.