South Bay Trans Day of Rememberance 2006
Nov. 21st, 2006 12:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lobolanceI went to this event, at the DeFrank LGBT Center last night, as a kinda last minute thing. I've avoided it in the past... who needs the extra sadness added to daily life (not to mention that you've already had to process some of these murders before), but as a person involved in the community, and with the fliers for my group needed at the event (LOL), I went.
And it was entirely worthwhile! Emotional but not a downer. The focus was on accomplishments, as well as the lives lost in the past year (and yeah when those dates got into this past summer, that was powerful; anger and sadness).
IMO, the best speakers were Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, who gave an overview of the passage of the Gwen Arujo Justice for Victims act, Chris Daley, who spoke about the power of those present to act, and Jamison Green (yeah you can tell the man is a writer as well as a practiced speaker!), who did an excellent job of evoking the rage and heart and the need to change, to move forward, and did a fine summary of the need to remember (lest it - the murder of a gender variant person just because they are different - happen again... and you f'ing know it will).
The reading of the names was nicely handled. A small group of Metropolitan Community Church Singers performed a simple gospel-esque song and went to humming as assorted attendees took the mic, read the story, and placed a rose in a vase (which went home with an aunt of Gwen's, and one to Marina, the mom of a trans boy who is an amazing example of what's possible in families).
Several of the guys from my South Bay Transmen group were there, and one introduced me to a couple of guys from FTM-International.
I was really impressed that it was a full house! It was a good presentation, moved right along. Kudos to the planning committee and the deFrank. I'm glad I went.
And it was entirely worthwhile! Emotional but not a downer. The focus was on accomplishments, as well as the lives lost in the past year (and yeah when those dates got into this past summer, that was powerful; anger and sadness).
IMO, the best speakers were Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, who gave an overview of the passage of the Gwen Arujo Justice for Victims act, Chris Daley, who spoke about the power of those present to act, and Jamison Green (yeah you can tell the man is a writer as well as a practiced speaker!), who did an excellent job of evoking the rage and heart and the need to change, to move forward, and did a fine summary of the need to remember (lest it - the murder of a gender variant person just because they are different - happen again... and you f'ing know it will).
The reading of the names was nicely handled. A small group of Metropolitan Community Church Singers performed a simple gospel-esque song and went to humming as assorted attendees took the mic, read the story, and placed a rose in a vase (which went home with an aunt of Gwen's, and one to Marina, the mom of a trans boy who is an amazing example of what's possible in families).
Several of the guys from my South Bay Transmen group were there, and one introduced me to a couple of guys from FTM-International.
I was really impressed that it was a full house! It was a good presentation, moved right along. Kudos to the planning committee and the deFrank. I'm glad I went.
