“Human rights are trans rights, trans rights are human rights."

Atlanta Phoenix Award winner, GA House of Reps Commendation recipient, currentlyserving on the Atlanta Citizen Review Board Chairwoman, Trans Human Rights Advocate, Certified Peer Counselor,and published author Tracee McDaniel is motivated by a strong desire to ensure that all Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binarypeople also receive justice, civil and human rights protections.

Tracee was born and raised in South Carolina. She credits her strength and determination to her family’s unconditional love and support throughout her life, which also enabled her to have stepped knee-deep into advocacy.

She became the first Trans person invited just five days before her January Birthday in 2007 to deliver a key-note speech at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration march and rally.

Tracee then marched on to Washington, DC and lobbied the United States Congress also in 2007 to support a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and increased HIV/AIDS funding.  

Her personal motto “Show Up and Participate for Equity” attributed to her becoming the Founder and CEO of Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, Incorporated, which is a Human and Civil Rights advocacy and consulting organization, specifically designed to empower the diverse Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary community.

Tracee established 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, Inc in 2007 to use as a vehicle for spreading the good news about Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary people, while also celebrating our resiliency being here since the beginning of time, existing in every country and on every continent inhabited by mankind.

Juxtaposed Center’s Mission is advocate for human and civil rights protections for Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary people locally and nationally.  

Our Mission also includes illuminating our resilience as well as the systemic discrimination, violence, inequities and injustice that Trans people face when seeking access to fair housing, gainful employment, quality healthcare, and just being treated with dignity and respect. 

Juxtaposed Center is also an anchoring organization for Trans Housing Atlanta Program Inc., which provides supportive and emergency housing resources to those individuals and families that are housing challenged and marginalized Trans, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary people, whom may just need a hand up during hard times.

Additionally, Tracee has previously served on the Atlanta Police Department’s TLGBQI Advisory Boards and a Working Group on Prostitution after a local security company petitioned the City of Atlanta to ban Trans people from Midtown, specifically Trans women of color, which was ultimately defeated.

In 2013 Tracee published “Transitions-Memoirs of a Transsexual Woman”, which chronicled her inordinary life growing up Trans in the South and then eventually in 1990 escaping to Los Angeles, CA to save her life from a domestically violent intimate partner relationship.  

“Transitions” also details her evolution working in the corporate world by day and then effortlessly transitioning into her performance artist Alter-Ego Destiny Your Mistress of Illusions, moonlighting by night to make ends meet.  

Tracee was in the right place at the right time to have been a featured background singer and also hand-selected by producers to Rehearsal Stand-In for the legendary icon Diana Ross, during her 1996 “I Will Survive” music video shoot.  

All before meeting the man of her dreams. Tracee was also featured in the VH1 Miniseries “The Jacksons”-An American Dream and “Primary Colors with John Travolta and Emma Thomas.  

After being retired from the entertainment stage now for over a decade, in 2014 Tracee advised on curriculum development after becoming a Vetted Trainer under the Obama Administration's United States Department of Justice CRS Program “Law Enforcement and Transgender Community Training”.

The life-affirming training was specifically designed to educate Federal Law Enforcement Officers on how to better interact with Trans people, while also treating us with dignity and respect.

Another highlight and milestone for Tracee was on March 31, 2015, she was invited to brief the Obama Administration’s White House Washington’s “Trans Women of Color Women History Month Briefing” on Employment and Economic Equity, and how those inequities affect Trans Women of Color.  

Tracee felt affirmed by her community’s support after an unprecedented appointment by former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in 2016 to serve a three year term on the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.

Tracee has also previously represented the Office of Mayor when her honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms was in office. Tracee's is currently serving out the last year on her second term, representing the Office of the current Atlanta Mayor.

Tracee's currently serving out the last year on her second term, representing the Office of the current Atlanta Mayor. 

Not only was Tracee the first Trans person to be appointed to such a prestigious Appointed City Official status, she was also unanimously elected to leadership on February 10, 2020, serving out her sixth and final year as Board of Directors Chair for the ACRB. 

Progressing forward, in addition to previously facilitating Trans Cultural Competency Training for APD Academy Recruits, Tracee also credits her experiences after an eight week course at Atlanta Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy for providing insightful knowledge and a better understanding of the unique challenges and occasional rewards that are associated with community policing. 

On November 18, 2018 Tracee traveled to Vancouver, Canada and delivered her Trans empowerment international keynote address at British Columbia Nonprofit Housing Association’s Housing Central annual conference. “I Am My Sister and Brother’s Keeper” is a love letter to her mother that chronicled more intimate insights into Tracee’s life’s journey up to this point in time. 

In addition to other life-affirming acknowledgments for her service to community, on March 10, 2020 Tracee received a Commendation from the Georgia House of Representatives, commending her on her service to community and also receiving the Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award. 

Currently, after retiring from organizing Atlanta’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigils for ten years, Tracee is still a Co-Founder serving on Trans Housing Atlanta Program’s Board of Directors, Center for Civil and Human Rights TLGB Advisory Board and she previously served two terms on former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ TLGBQI Advisory Board. 

Conclusively, Tracee never apologizes for always putting the “T” first, believing that human rithts are trans rights, trans rights are human rights, and our visibility saves lives.  

Advocate for Human and Civil Rights protections for Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary people locally and nationally.  Our Mission also includes illuminating our resilience as well as fighting against the systemic discrimination, violence and inequities that Trans people face when seeking  access to fair housing, gainful employment, quality healthcare or just being treated with plain old dignity and respect.