Advocate. Artist. Writer. Strategist.

Bio

Nyla Foster is a Black woman of Trans experience, Artist, Organizational Strategist , and Trans & Youth activist. She has been living in her truth since the age of 14 and is well known within the Kansas City LGBTQIA community. She is the current Miss Black Trans International and a former: Miss Missouri State,  Miss Black Trans Kansas, Miss Kansas City Black Pride, and Miss Kansas City Gay Pride. 

Nyla has a rich history of advocacy. As Project Coordinator & Advocate for the Kansas City Anti Violence Project (KCAVP) her work centered advocacy for LGBTQIA members who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crime, and neglect. 

While working at KCAVP, Nyla stepped up to facilitate Kansas City’s first support group for Transgender People of Color. Under Nyla’s leadership and program development, The TPOC support group was transformed into the Kansas City Transgender Empowerment Program (KCTEP), a program open to all transgender and gender non-conforming people, focusing on access to Healthcare, Legal Services, Employment, Education, and Safety.

In December  2017, Nyla received the ”Spirit of Pride Award”, presented by Camp Magazine and Hamburger Mary’s KC. She has shared her story on several media outlets and has worked collaboratively to coordinate many events in Kansas City : Channel 41 Kansas City Live!, KC Transgender Day of Remembrance 2015 & 2016,  KC Transgender Day of Visibility 2016, Anti-Violence Picnic: International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, In addition, she was featured in “I Am Not One Thing”, a short documentary film that highlights the identities and experiences of Trans and GNC people living in Kansas City.

Championing state-sanctioned violence - In 2018, Nyla joined with Lambda Legal as a plaintiff to sue the state of Kansas over their transphobic birth certificate policies; the following year, the State of Kansas affirmed Trans Kansas by allowing them access to corrected birth certificates.As Youth Rapid Rehousing Specialist for Restart Inc, Nyla works to provide access to stable housing solutions for youth ages 18-24.

As the National Director of Trans Women of Color Collective, she is strengthening the community through visibility and cultural competency to create social change. She continues to carve out safe spaces nationwide for transgender and gender-expansive folks to receive support, access, and affirmation.  .