Leaders of the Transgender District in the Tenderloin, the first of its kind in the world, led the advocacy efforts to initiate the month-long holiday. Millions of dollars were invested into the District and “Black trans equity programming.”
KALW went to Market Street near the Transgender Cultural District to ask people’s thoughts on the new holiday. Not one person had heard of it, much less wanted to talk about it.
Is this unawareness of Trans History Month widespread? So we went to the Castro and asked people there.
Chris, a middle-aged coffee shop manager, makes a point to hire and support trans employees. He had never heard of Trans History Month, but likes the idea.
“We could do a lot more. Even though we are the most progressive city that actually allows that and accepts that, there’s still so much in our own city that people don’t understand.”
Taylor James Monae, from Berkeley, had not heard of it either…and said they hope it is not just celebratory.
“Like we also want money towards organizations and things to help trans people, one – transition and feel safe.”
Una Chang works at Philz Coffee in Castro and the National Center of Lesbian Rights as an immigration intern. They, too, had never heard of Trans History Month.
“I’m not 100 percent sure if the city is doing all it can do to really have more services because I don’t know where that 2 million dollars is going, like I feel like my friends and my community members have not seen the effects of that.”
There are a number of city programs and services that aid trans people, such as the guaranteed income program. Many of these are led by the Office of Transgender Services.
Honey Mahogany is the Director of that department. She had this to say.
“I think that oftentimes there’s this false dichotomy of oh well you can’t celebrate culture or history because people are suffering, and I think that’s false, I think we have to do both.”
The next event in celebration of Trans History Month is the “Sounds of the Tenderloin” at the Tenderloin Museum on Thursday, August 15th.