Pittsburgh’s Transgiving celebration will mark a major milestone this Thanksgiving as TransYOUniting prepares to celebrate 10 years of bringing the transgender and LGBTQ+ community together around food, fellowship, and chosen family.
The annual celebration returns Thursday, November 26, 2026, with an ambitious goal: serving more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to community members and neighbors across the Pittsburgh region.
Organized by TransYOUniting, a Black trans-led Pittsburgh nonprofit, Transgiving has grown from a small gathering in a private kitchen into a community tradition that offers more than a holiday meal. For many attendees, it is an opportunity to experience connection, belonging, and celebration during a season that can be particularly isolating for LGBTQIA+ people.
From 13 Meals to a Decade of Community Care
The story of Transgiving began in 2016 when two trans women, Dena Stanley and Mimi, prepared 13 Thanksgiving meals for other transgender people in Dena’s kitchen.
What started as a simple act of care has grown into an annual celebration that has served more than 2,000 Thanksgiving meals through 2025.
Ten years later, Dena and Mimi are still cooking for the community.
The celebration reflects a longstanding tradition of mutual aid within transgender communities, where people have created their own networks of support, safety, and care when traditional institutions and family structures have fallen short.
At its heart, Transgiving is about ensuring that transgender people have a place at the table, both literally and figuratively.
More Than a Thanksgiving Dinner
For many LGBTQIA+ people, the holidays can be complicated. Family rejection, strained relationships, financial hardship, and social isolation can make a season traditionally associated with togetherness feel especially difficult.
Transgiving offers an alternative. A welcoming Thanksgiving celebration where transgender people are centered, their identities are affirmed, and community connections can flourish.
While the event centers transgender community members, the celebration also welcomes the broader LGBTQIA+ community, families, and neighbors.
The gathering provides an opportunity for people to share a meal, reconnect with friends, build relationships, and celebrate the holiday in an affirming environment.
The organization’s commitment to community care also extends beyond the dinner table.
In 2020, Transgiving introduced home meal deliveries to reach community members who could not attend the celebration in person. That effort continues as part of the event’s mission to ensure that neighbors who face barriers to attending can still enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.
A Bigger Table for 2026
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, TransYOUniting is setting its sights on serving more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals through a combination of in-person dining and home deliveries.
Reaching that goal will require support from volunteers, community partners, local businesses, and individual donors.
The organization is seeking contributions to help cover food, serving supplies, transportation, meal deliveries, and other expenses associated with the celebration.
TransYOUniting is also inviting local farmers and food providers to contribute fresh ingredients, while businesses and community organizations can support the event through sponsorships, donated goods, or volunteer teams.
Sponsorship opportunities range from $250 to $5,000, with contributions supporting different aspects of the celebration, from volunteer check-in materials and meal supplies to transportation and food purchases.
Community members and organizations can also contribute food, desserts, meal containers, printing services, transportation, or time spent preparing and delivering meals.
Ten Years of Making Room at the Table
The anniversary is more than a celebration of how many meals have been served. It is a recognition of a decade of transgender people showing up for one another and building the kind of community they deserve.
From 13 meals in a Pittsburgh kitchen to a Thanksgiving tradition reaching thousands over the years, Transgiving demonstrates how an act of generosity can become an enduring source of community connection.
As TransYOUniting prepares for its largest Transgiving goal yet, the message behind the celebration remains much the same as it was in 2016: everyone deserves a hot meal, a welcoming space, and a place to belong.
The 10th Annual Transgiving celebration takes place Thursday, November 26, 2026, in Pittsburgh, with meal pickup available from 1 to 7 p.m., home-cooked meal deliveries from 1 to 8 p.m., and a sit-down Thanksgiving dinner from 2 to 6 p.m. Seating for the in-person dinner is limited, and the venue will be announced soon.
The deadline to request a Thanksgiving meal is Tuesday, November 24. Request a meal at transyounitingpgh.org.
Community members interested in sponsoring, volunteering, or supporting Transgiving can contact TransYOUniting at info@transyounitingpgh.org or visit transyounitingpgh.org.
