How an "Out 100" honoree in Philadelphia uses her role with the ACLU to help others

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- For Naiymah Sanchez, a senior organizer at ACLU Philadelphia, work isn't just work - it's literally life.

"At five o'clock I don't put the pen down and stop typing at the computer. I'm trans 24/7," she said.

Her role means she helps protect the rights of others.

"So whether it's trans rights, immigrant rights, voting rights, LGBT rights, mass incarceration. All of that encompasses our community," she said.

Important because Sanchez knows first-hand how hard the journey can be.

"I utilize the privilege that I feel I have as an out and proud trans person to educate, advocate and stop a lot of the rhetoric when I hear it," she said.

Sanchez has been a force in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, but she never thought her work would bring her praise from a national publication.

That was before Out magazine named her one of their 100 most influential LGBTQ+ people.

"I never thought about being rewarded for doing the work, because getting another day is the biggest reward I can get," she said.

Being one of the "Out 100" is a bright spot during a difficult time for many transgender people across the country.

"We're seeing bills that are coming out of our legislature that attempt to roll back the protections," she said.

Working with the ACLU to help the community now, Sanchez hopes to do her work on an even bigger platform in the future.

"I do have this goal or aspiration to run for office one day," she said.

Relating to people, and knowing what it's like to face hardships.

"Being a person who was formerly incarcerated, someone who is a survivor of sexual assault, and someone who used to be unhoused," she said. "When it comes to doing this work, I bring all of that experience into that room."

The challenges that once anchored her are now elevating her, the same way she seeks to uplift others.

"We lie at the intersection of impact and oppression," she said. "b=But also liberation and equity."