With a background in grassroots activism and community building, I work with organizations to spark impactful change through policy, activism, and education. Through shared humanity, I challenge notions of inclusivity and diversity to expand gender, racial, and economic equity at a global level.
Background
Nala Toussaint works with people across the spectrum of identities, social and economic realities to support their health goals and well-being. She has done extensive work as an outreach liaison, conducting safe sex interventions for youth, and coordinating educational and job development services at renowned LGBT public service organizations.
In order to dismantle the dehumanization of Trans folks, we need to educate our youth at an early age, allowing Trans youth to live in their truth comfortably. This process can happen once adults open their hearts and minds, and create a popular language that recognizes the fact that gender never stands alone.
/ Nala SImone Toussaint /
United We Rise - Every(BLACK) Body Mobilizing For Health & Liberation Committee Member Interview: Nala Simone
In season 2 episode 6 of PBS Digital Studios' First Person, host Donald Shorter talks to Nala Simone Toussaint about allyship, finding and living her truth as a...
Experience
Nala is a passionate visionary and advocate whose journey is defined by resilience and empowerment. With a degree in Fashion Design and a Cosmetology license, her creative spirit shines brightly. However, her life took a pivotal turn in 2013 when she lost a dear friend to transphobia in Harlem. This heartbreaking experience ignited a fire within her to combat racial and gender-based violence, as she transformed her grief into a powerful force for change. As a Black woman of trans experience, Nala channels her intersecting identities into a mission of healing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and LGBTQ communities.
Throughout her career, Nala has dedicated herself to creating spaces that uplift trans women, particularly those who are Black and immigrants of color. In her impactful roles as Advocacy Coordinator, Executive Director, and Council Co-Chair, she has worked tirelessly to expand access to gender-affirming healthcare and services. Nala challenges outdated notions of inclusivity and diversity, advocating for true gender, racial, and economic equity on a global scale.
Her extensive experience in policy and advocacy includes serving as Co-Chair of the Young Women Advisory Council under Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the NYC Council. In this role, she helped launch the #SheWillBe campaign, ensuring that the voices of diverse young girls were heard. Nala also co-programmed at Girls for Gender Equity until August 2018, where she facilitated empowering groups for cisgender and transgender girls and gender non-conforming individuals aged 13-24, focusing on government policy, media literacy, and philanthropy.
Nala’s nearly ten years at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, as the Coordinator of Advocacy & Engagement involved lobbying for LGBT policymaking and supporting those living with HIV/AIDS. Her expertise led her to serve as an advisor to the White House on HIV strategy in 2016. Additionally, she engages organizations as a coach and consultant, promoting deep commitments to gender and racial equity through training, facilitation, and conflict mediation.
Currently, Nala is the Director of Programs and Advocacy at the Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI), where she provides strategic leadership to protect and defend the human rights of Black transgender individuals. MPJI actively seeks to eradicate systemic violence and offers vital resources related to housing, food security, legal aid, health and wellness, and more.
In 2018, she founded Reuniting of African Descendants (ROAD) , a trans-led grassroots initiative aimed at fostering equity, collective growth, and healing for TLGBQIA+/SGL individuals of African descent. ROAD’s work is rooted to ending violence against trans and queer people and has pioneered groundbreaking initiatives such as a mutual aid fund for Black trans and queer individuals globally. Notably, in September 2020, ROAD secured half an acre of land for trans women in Uganda to support their livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic—an unprecedented achievement for a Black transgender woman.
Beyond her advocacy work, Nala finds grounding in her faith as a minister-in-training at Rivers of Living Water NY United Church of Christ. She is also the Co-Director of the FLOW (Fluid Lovers of Worship) Ministry, where she fosters an inclusive spiritual environment, welcoming all across the gender spectrum to worship God (He/She/They) in spirit and truth, embracing their authentic selves.
Nala’s unwavering commitment to justice, healing, and community empowerment makes her a true beacon of hope in the fight for equity.