Nina Chaubal Explained

Nina Chaubal (born 1992) is the co-founder and former Director of Operations at Trans Lifeline,[1] [2] the first transgender suicide hotline to exist in the United States[3] [4] [5] and Canada.[6] [7] As a leading LGBTQ+ activist and trans woman,[8] when Chaubal was held in immigration detention, the story made national headlines in publications such as The New York Times[9] and Chicagoist.[8] In 2019, Chaubal was the subject of the first episode of America in Transition, a documentary about transgender people of color.[10]

Early life

Chaubal grew up in Mumbai, India.[1] At 13 years old, she discovered the word 'transgender' and realized it described her. She found connection with other trans people through the internet.[1]

Education and career

In 2009, Chaubal immigrated alone to the United States on a student visa to attend college[11] at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.[12] She undertook an internship at Riverbed Technology in 2011 as a quality assurance software engineer. In 2012, she interned at Google in a similar capacity. Also in 2012, she worked as a programmer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.[12] In 2013, she came out as trans. As her family was not supportive of her transness, the familial relationship was fractured.[1]

Chaubal earned her H1B, a visa for foreign workers employed in the U.S. in order to work at Google as a software engineer, a position she accepted in January 2013.[13] In 2014, Chaubal co-founded the 501(c)(3) Trans Lifeline with Greta Martela.[1] The organization was the first transgender suicide hotline to exist in the United States[3] [4] [5] and Canada.[6] [7] The cause was close to the pair, as Chaubal had struggled with suicidal thoughts and Martela had been hospitalized for being suicidal.[1]

Chaubal remained in her post as a Google engineer through April 2015.[14] The same month, she took the post of Director of Operations at Trans Lifeline. In February 2015, Chaubal attended the National Conference on LGBT Equality, overseeing a Trans Lifeline booth there.[15] In June of the same year, Chaubal was the subject of one of Miley Cyrus's Happy Hippie Presents #InstaPride Portraits Campaign.[16] [17] In the photos, Chaubal appears with her wife and Trans Lifeline co-founder Greta Martela, as well as Cyrus.[18] On August 30, 2015, Chaubal was among the Happy Hippie Foundation representatives to speak onstage and introduce Miley Cyrus at the MTV Video Music Awards.[19] [20]

On Nov. 20, 2015, Chaubal and Trans Lifeline launched the Canadian branch of their operations.[7]

On Feb. 22, 2016, Chaubal appeared on KGNU 88.5 FM to discuss the continued need for trans crisis support.[21] In April 2016, Chaubal appeared on the panel "Suicidality Among Transgender Populations: New Directions in Understanding and Treatment" at the American Association of Suicidology Conference.[22]

In January 2018, Trans Lifeline's Board of Directors dismissed Chaubal and Martela, after an internal audit discovered that they had misdirected over $350,000 of the organization's funds. Chaubal subsequently took a post at Hustle as a software engineer, then transitioned to work at Even.com in the same capacity.

In 2019, Chaubal was the subject of "Where Is My Refuge?", the first episode of America in Transition, a documentary about transgender people of color.[10] Also in 2019, Chaubal began organizing an intentional living community, art space, and small business incubator in the Mojave Desert.[23]

ICE detention and release

On Dec. 28, 2016, while driving from California to her home in Chicago through a checkpoint in Wellton, Arizona, Chaubal was stopped and detained by ICE agents, who asked for her passport. She produced a photo of it, which is when they saw that she was designated as male on it, contrasting with her gender expression in-person. They also noted that she was in the country on an expired work visa, although she was legally married to a U.S. citizen, Martela. She was then transported to a holding facility in Arizona, eventuating in her admission to Eloy Detention Center,[8] which has a reputation for violence against LGBTQ+ detainees.[24] [25] She was released Jan. 2, 2017 after posting $4,500 bond, which she was able to do with the help of an online crowdfunding campaign.[13]

Embezzlement

In January 2018, a Trans Lifeline internal review involving independent legal and financial professionals revealed that Chaubal and Martela had made $353,703 of unauthorized purchases for personal benefit and side projects. The Board of Directors immediately removed the co-founders from the organization and began seeking mediation.[26] [27] [28] Chaubal and Martela were able to repay $8,585, and in June 2018, agreed to repay the remaining amount over the next ten years, in lieu of lawsuit or other recovery attempts.

Awards and honors

Personal life

Chaubal married Greta Martela in 2015.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nina Chaubal helps build community, save lives with Trans Lifeline. NBC News. 8 March 2017 . 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20190629133800/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/nina-chaubal-helps-build-community-save-lives-trans-lifeline-n728411. 2019-06-29. live.
  2. Web site: Trans Lifeline needs help to continue saving lives. February 24, 2015. GLAAD. January 27, 2020. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201023912/https://www.glaad.org/blog/trans-lifeline-needs-help-continue-saving-lives. dead.
  3. Web site: America's First Transgender Suicide Hotline Is Now Live. Jesse. Mechanic. December 22, 2017. HuffPost. 2022-10-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20191007041225/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/americas-first-transgender-suicide-hotline-is-now_b_5a3d253ee4b0df0de8b0648c. October 7, 2019. live.
  4. Web site: A Volunteer With Trans Lifeline Talks About Why People Are Scared—and Dialing. Willamette Week. 31 October 2018 . 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20191010081826/https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/10/30/a-volunteer-with-trans-lifeline-talks-about-why-people-are-scared-and-dialing/. 2019-10-10. live.
  5. Web site: The Only Crisis Hotline by Trans People, For Trans People. July 22, 2019. PAPER. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190723150924/http://www.papermag.com/trans-lifeline-crisis-hotline-2639196886.html. July 23, 2019. live.
  6. News: Transgender crisis line launches in Canada . 2022-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218134854/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/transgender-crisis-line-launches-in-canada-1.2890039 . 2019-12-18 . live .
  7. Web site: Transgender support line launches for Canadians as creators look to expand | canada.com. January 13, 2015. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20160607120328/http://o.canada.com/news/transgender-support-line-launches-for-canadians-as-creators-look-to-expand-trans-lifeline-577069. June 7, 2016. live.
  8. Web site: ICE Is Detaining A Leading Local Trans Activist & Supporters Are Urging Help. The Chicagoist. 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20190407024757/https://chicagoist.com/2016/12/30/ice_is_detaining_a_leading_local_tr.php. 2019-04-07. dead.
  9. News: Transgender Women Fear Abuse in Immigration Detention. Fernanda. Santos. The New York Times. January 10, 2017. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190207092038/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/us/transgender-women-fear-abuse-in-immigration-detention.html. February 7, 2019. live.
  10. Web site: TV Review - America in Transition - DelmarvaLife. 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327064436/http://www.delmarvalife.com/delmarvalife/the-m-report/tv-review-america-transition/. 2019-03-27. live.
  11. Web site: 'Being denied what is integral to you': The struggle for transgender rights. July 2, 2016. Hindustan Times. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190701083038/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/being-denied-what-is-integral-to-you-the-struggle-for-transgender-rights/story-n8CTmRqUbFoRIaCEIQwokJ.html. July 1, 2019. live.
  12. Web site: Alumn – Innovative Software and Data Analysis.
  13. Web site: Trans Lifeline co-founder released from ICE detention. The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc..
  14. Web site: Trans Suicide Hotline Founder Heeds the Call. December 3, 2015. SF Weekly.
  15. Web site: LGBTQ Denver conference draws thousands, rallies activists. February 6, 2015.
  16. Miley Cyrus: 'You Can Just Be Whatever You Want to Be'. Time. 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20191022040120/https://time.com/3918308/miley-cyrus-transgender-rights-instapride/. 2019-10-22. live.
  17. Web site: Nearly 3 Months In, Here's the Impact Miley Cyrus Is Having on LGBT and Homeless Youth. Mic. 30 July 2015 . 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20170312204113/https://mic.com/articles/123122/nearly-3-months-in-here-s-the-impact-miley-cyrus-is-having-on-lgbt-and-homeless-youth. 2017-03-12. live.
  18. Web site: Miley Cyrus And Instagram Launch #InstaPride. James Michael. Nichols. June 25, 2015. HuffPost. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190423175258/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/miley-cyrus-instapride_n_7656390. April 23, 2019. live.
  19. Web site: Here Are All The Beautiful People In Miley's Happy Hippie Squad. Rae. Paoletta. MTV News. 2020-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20190610093105/http://www.mtv.com/news/2256106/happy-hippie-vmas/. 2019-06-10. dead.
  20. Web site: Gigi Loren Lazzarato, Tyler Ford, Nina Chaubal, Greta Gustava.... Getty Images. 31 August 2015 .
  21. Web site: Outsources: Trans Suicide. February 23, 2016.
  22. Web site:
    1. AAS16 – Summary of Conference Proceedings as Curated from Social Media
    . April 8, 2016.
  23. Web site: ReelQ: America in Transition. March 31, 2019.
  24. News: Warner. Tim. LGBT detainees describe harrowing life inside Eloy. Washington Blade. December 8, 2016. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190810133726/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/12/08/lgbt-detainees-describe-harrowing-life-inside-eloy/. August 10, 2019. live.
  25. Web site: Transgender women describe journey of fear in ICE detention in Arizona. Laura. Gómez. azcentral.
  26. Web site: Trans Lifeline Executive Team & Board of Directors . 2019-02-21 . The Leadership Transition, 2017 Taxes, and How We're Moving Forward . 2022-09-07 . Trans Lifeline . en-US.
  27. Web site: Trans Lifeline . An Update on the Trans Lifeline Leadership Transition . 2022-09-07 . us12.campaign-archive.com.
  28. Web site: Roberts . Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Andrea Suozzo, Brandon . 2013-05-09 . Nonprofit Explorer — TransLifeline — Full Filing . 2022-09-07 . ProPublica . en.
  29. Web site: Introducing 2017 TJFP Community Grantmaking Fellow, Nina Chaubal!. April 26, 2017. January 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20170427122716/https://www.transjusticefundingproject.org/introducing-2017-tjfp-community-grantmaking-fellow-nina-chaubal/. April 27, 2017. live.

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