Trans History Month

Howdy Pride folks, 

This August, we’re celebrating Transgender History Month (THM) throughout California, which became the first state to formally recognize THM in 2023. But this year’s celebration, like the last, comes amid escalating government-sanctioned and social violence against trans people.

Many of us are wary, exhausted, and grieving. Our history is filled with stories of oppression and resilience—but even resilience, while positive and necessary, is still a state of survival. The constant need to insist upon our survival takes a toll. As minority stress continues to impact our mental and physical health, we have to ask ourselves: What does it mean to move beyond survival?

The recipe is in our history.

From the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot to Stonewall, some of the most fundamental moments in our movement came when trans people and our communities refused to accept the conditions imposed upon us. We put boots to the ground and fists in the air. We organized, envisioned, resisted, and created something better. 

This THM, I’m asking us to take that history as a recipe—not just for resilience, but for active resistance and liberation.

Invest your time and energy in trans liberation. Engage in TGI events, arts, and culture. Take action with Pride for city and county budgets that address our communities’ needs. Connect with your community, because we are history in the making.

Journal. Record your stories. Ask your elders about theirs. Celebrate the organizing and resistance that brought us here. Our history was written by us. Let’s ensure the next chapters are, too.

Con Orgullo,
With Pride,

Esmé