From Stonewall to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, from the fight for marriage equality to LGBTQ youth and students rights and beyond, our transgender siblings have always been at the forefront of our movement. At the same time, our trans family members experience higher rates of bullying in school, familial rejection leading to homelessness, and have borne the brunt of hate crimes against our community. As hate crimes have risen against our community in the last two years, it’s the trans community, and in particular black trans women, who have been disproportionately impacted. 2018 is still on track toward being one of the deadliest years in history for our trans community.
The hard work of casting off the trappings of cisnormativity, heteronormativity, racism, and sexism are intertwined. Within the broader LGBT community, our lives, love, clothing, and expression can fall anywhere on the spectrum defying social norms. From fem gay men to butch lesbians, our drag community, intersex community, and of course our gender-fluid, nonbinary, and trans-identified loved ones – the nature of our collective LGBTQ experiences and movement is and has always been one of gender nonconforming lives. Fighting alongside and for our trans siblings is integral to the health, safety, and well-being of our entire community. It is all connected. We are all connected.
Next week is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day when we will take time to mourn and honor the lives of those who were lost to anti-transgender violence, and while I hope that you will join us at one the events happening all over San Diego, I encourage you to evaluate the ways in which you can elevate, support, and empower our trans community members. As we approach the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, it is imperative that we honor the legacy of liberation gifted to us by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy by ensuring that justice for our trans community is something that we all understand as important, necessary, and how we will all Persist with Pride.
Trans Day of Remembrance Events
San Diego LGBT Community Center
Chicano Park
Valencia Park
North County LGBTQ Resource Center
Fernando Lopez is the Executive Director of San Diego Pride. Lopez’s years of LGBT advocacy, nonprofit management, public education, diversity consulting, media relations, guest lectures, and organizing have made them a consistent presence ensuring the struggles of the LGBT community are ever visible.
