BIOGRAPHY
Athena Vaughn
Athena Vaughn (she/her) has been a leading figure in the LGTBQ community for over fifteen years. Driven by her faith and her lived experience as a black, transwoman, Athena is committed to fighting for the rights and dignity of Transgender and Gender Nonbinary people everywhere. Athena began her work in social justice at Boston Glass and AIDS Action. Currently, she is the Trans Health Navigator at Fenway Health Institute, advocating for greater healthcare access for Transgender individuals. She also has worked as the Assistant Director at Transgender Emergency Fund and is a Co-Founder and Executive Director at Trans Resistance MA, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting for the rights of transgender communities in Massachusetts. Athena is passionate about creating safe spaces for other members of the LGBTQ+ community, often doing so by organizing local ballrooms for trans and queer individuals to express their full selves. She is also an ordained minister at the Community Tabernacle of Deliverance in Lynn. Athena thanks her loving grandmother for reconnecting her to her faith, and for guiding, supporting, and pushing her to live on her own terms.