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San Francisco inaugurates transgender month

A rainbow flag waves over the Castro District
Chris Park
/
Flickr / Creative Commons
A rainbow flag waves over the Castro District

August is the month in which the city's famed Compton's Cafeteria Riot erupted in 1966 as a response to police harassment of transgender residents in the Tenderloin.

The riot preceded New York's famed Stonewall Riot by three years and is thought to be one the first LGBTQ uprisings in the country. San Francisco is the nation’s first city to celebrate a transgender month.

Mayor Breed said in a press release that "San Francisco has been, and always will be a place where we embrace our diverse communities to ensure everyone has the freedom to be who they are without scrutiny."

The city set aside $14 million for combating homelessness in the trans community and for "subsidies" to help trans and gender nonconforming residents find homes, services and employment, according to the release.

Some of the money will be used to provide permanent housing by opening a 50-to 80-unit building for "TGNC and LGBTQ transitional aged youth" and for behavioral health services.

Sunni M. Khalid is a veteran of more than 40 years in journalism, having worked in print, radio, television, and web journalism.