People are saying. And one of the things that is so striking about this day, that i know a lot of us can see when we see the signs that we are carrying, is that of the 26 transgendered women that have been killed this year, 24 of them are black transgendered women. And with that, there was a speaker earlier today, a performance artist and poet named miss mojo who asked, what do we do when two black transgendered women are getting murdered every month. What do we do . And thats a really important and hard question for us to answer about what we can do. And in that, i wanted to take leadership in trans women of color and what they are saying. And one of the things Racquel Willis is a amazing editor at out magazine. She wrote a post today but all the things we can do. And one of the big things is investing in our communities. Investing in our leadership, putting resources in these organizations, and particularly with black transgendered women. So with that, kicking off transgender day of remembrance is importance to center that. I want to invite leaders to come and have a word about the day who have been part of organizing this event throughout these past few months, and who are doing it doing important work in our community. Without further ado, i want to invite Akira Jackson who has been doing incredible antiviolence work and doing incredible work in getting people housed in San Francisco and making sure that people have a safe place to stay. Welcome to a cure acura jackson. [applause] welcome, everyone. I love you, too. The only way to beat hate is with love and the only way to love is to be together. That is why we are all here today. Daniel castro, one of the founders of the coalition, that is one of her words today. It has been almost five years since gabriela to jesus was murdered. The founders, the leaders, and the family stood here at city hall calling out for support from our city officials and allies to end the genocide of transgender women. This coalition assembled here for a dianne on february 10th, 2015. Leaders such as genitive jackson , the executive director of transgender [calling names] [calling names] just to name a few, sit in solidarity for all of our fallen sisters. That demonstration still resonates today. Since then, the coalition has dedicated the mission in addressing systems of oppression , but not only calling out to those who perpetuate acts of violence, vertebral, emotional, and or physical, but we hold them accountable. The vision of this coalition is safety for trans women in a world free of Prison Industrial Complex and state violence. Currently, project coalition has taken responsibility in providing training to Housing Service providers. We are aware that 70 of trans people in shelters experience harassment, one out of two trans people are homeless, and that trans people are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness. Last monday, project coalition launched the hour trans home citywide Media Campaign on the munimobile buses, which features a staggering findings from the experience of trans people seeking shelter. Campaigns such as this have been one of several projects that the coalition has produced, in addition to addressing the immediate issues of trans and gnc folk. Issues such as advocating and supporting individuals experiencing eviction, threats to citizenship, support in the legal gender affording document, and work permit providing gain voles gainful employment, leadership development, and Community Mobilization and correspondence. Sins mayor london breed maida stands in ending homelessness, she has made it evident to include our trends and gnc community. The mayor accepted are ask in providing trans Inclusive Housing and trans rental subsidies. As it pertains to this project, we are providing expertise in developing Impactful Solutions to inform this project so it maintains the integrity of the true project. We want to keep people housed and improve Housing Services. [applause] furthermore, as we observe this day of remembrance for those that were brutally murdered because society has no values for our lives, let us also take a stance today to tell these individuals that the whole system of oppression, and those that could give a damn about our lives and our future. Not one more. [cheers and applause] thank you. This is also a big moment for San Francisco and we are so excited to welcome you here. I know this is a big deal and we think it is incredibly important and because of that, and to mark the importance of how this is for city hall, mayor breed has joined us today to say a few words. [cheers and applause] thank you for the opportunity to speak to you all this evening on an occasion that we know is very difficult for so many people. I grew up in the city and i grew up in a community where violence was normalized. Gun violence in particular took away the lives of so many people that i loved, so many people that i cared about and sadly in this country, we see that we have still not done enough to address what is happening with gun violence and how it is important to make sure that this doesnt continue to happen in this country. The same, sadly with so many incredible people in our Trans Community throughout the country the loss of 26 lives in just this past year, and unfortunately, disproportionately again, africanamerican women who are victimized just because they are being who they are meant to be. It is so unfortunate that every year, when we come here, we come here as a day of remembrance, but we also sadly have had to add more people to the list. It is heartbreaking, but i am also excited about the future because so many people are here, so many people are paying attention. So many people are advocating and pushing and fighting and are not giving up on the need for change in this city and in this country. There is no reason why anyone should have to walk anywhere in fear of being victimized for any reason. That is why we are here today. We must remember because we have to rededicate ourselves every single time to a Better Future so that there is not one more person that we lose to violence in any way. I want to thank the Trans Advisory Committee and the advocates for continuing to push for the kinds of policy changes where in this city we are making historical investments. Our trans home s. F. , so many incredible investments in the arts and our trans Film Festival continuing to make not only the financial investments, but the changes to policies and being an example for the rest of the world to follow. We are doing this because we have incredible leaders and incredible people who continue to advocate, including Claire Farley, who has been an amazing advocate for change in this city [applause] tonight, in honor of those who are no longer with us, city hall is lit up in the color of our transgender flag. This is a way to make sure that this city knows how important this day is, how important the people are that we have lost and that their lives are not forgotten and that as a result, we are committed now more than ever to make sure that the change leads to the results that we all want. Not one more ever. Thank you. [applause] thank you so much for those words. My name is naomi right. I may block transgendered women, unapologetically black, unapologetically trans, and unapologetically a woman. [applause] i dont have an elaborate speech today. When i was asked to speak was asked to speak about what it means to me. So i will do just that. As a woman of black trans experience, i am using it to make a way this fight did not start with me. I think about the marcia p. Johnsons, miss billy cooper, the amazing team that stand behind me and stand with me that have been in this fight for a long time. I am reminded of the beautiful souls who have helped pave the way for women like me. I am reminded of my siblings who dont have access to the education i have had. I am reminded of my friends who dont have access to basic necessities such as gainful employment, healthcare, trans inclusive healthcare, and so much more. At the same time, i think about the janets of the world, the laverne his of the world, and i think about all of the potential that has been lost and all of the potential that still exists. I think about the potential of myself, i think about the potential of everyone on this stage. I think about the potential of everyone in this audience, and they really invite as today to use this space as a way to celebrate the lives of these women and to celebrate the potential of our community. Thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. [applause] [speaking spanish] sorry. I would like to start honoring all the beautiful trans people who are presented here and say to you that [speaking spanish] we see you, we feel you, and we honor you for the great gift you give. I want to say, in the name of the organization, thank you to all our trans siblings who we are honoring here today. The lives of those who were silenced by the hands of violence and bigotry. We are here to raise the awareness of this violence epidemic against us, against trans people. We believe in healing, in restorative justice, in peace and love and our communities. So we work hard to prevent violence, but also create action and awareness because awareness is a daily practice which is reprised by human responsibility those who are facing the face of violence. If you are a nonna trans person who is proud about [indiscernible] you can start knowing about us, more about our stories. Know about our lives and learn from us who we are and what challenges we face in our daily basis. Sometimes i hear comments justifying the violence and murder of trans women. [indiscernible] and forgetting that the only responsible person of a murder is the person who causes harm and kills her, him, them. There are many ways to kill someone. You can deny them education, and they wont have the skills and tools to get a job. You can deny them Job Opportunities and they will need to put themselves at risk to get food and basic needs to survive. You can deny access to the community, and this person will be isolated and causing emotional and spiritual harm and make them more available for any kind of violence. [indiscernible] we are honoring the 22 trans sisters whose lives were taken away from us from their families and community, but also remembering those trans siblings who are fleeing their countries to seek life and find death here we honor a trans sister from honduras and a trans sister from el salvador. We also honor the life of those trans siblings around the world who hatred took their lives away and make us realize that this epidemic is growing. We can and we need to do better. [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [cheers and applause] thank you so much. Next i want to welcome icon, mother to many, founder of trans life, pride grand marshall, miss billy cooper. Hello, everyone. I would like to say that i am so honored to be here. I would also like to say we can never forget remembrance and resilience and black trans excellence and black trans equity and black trans equality. As i stand here, h. And every time a trans woman is murdered or a trans man, that takes a little part of me away. I am 61 years old and also as i stand here on the soldiers shoulders of many trans men and women, i just want to say, it is also about respect. It is about respecting Human Dignity and human consciousness and human life, and it is horrific and its horrible that the United States of america treats people the way they do. The Life Expectancy for a black trans woman is 29 years old as we stand here. I am 61. I am so lucky to be alive. I am so very lucky and grateful and honored to be here living in San Francisco for over 35 years and being a Community Activist and fighting for transgender human rights. The rights that we have been neglected and denied for many, many years, and my black trans sisters and my latina sisters should have not been murdered, should have not been subjected to i. C. E. , to all the police, to all the brutality and to all the inhuman treatment. I would like to say, to all the senators and all the congressmen and all the state representatives and all the mirrors and the governors and to that Little Orange haired man a living in the white house, i just want to say, your time is limited. You have to answer to someone, too. Give us our rights that we deserve. I am tired of begging for the scraps off the table. I am tired. We have to realize that we have to vote because every vote counts and we need to have some transgender congressmen and representatives and senators and we need the first transgender president of the United States. I am is billy cooper. We are still fucking here [cheers and applause] with that, thank you so much miss billy cooper. Thank you so much, everyone. My name is Claire Farley and i want to thank you all for coming out. You really represent what makes San Francisco great and we cannot do this work without our allies. Thank you to mayor breed and thank you to all of our amazing, amazing speakers. It is an honor to serve you and i look forward to the rest of the work we have ahead. Now lets march over to hastings thank you. [cheers and applause] growing up in San Francisco has been way safer than growing up other places we we have that bubble, and its still that bubble that its okay to be whatever you want to. You can let your free flag fry he fly here. As an adult with autism, im here to challenge peoples idea of what autism is. My journey is not everyones journey because every autistic child is different, but theres hope. My background has heavy roots in the bay area. I was born in san diego and adopted out to San Francisco when i was about 17 years old. I bounced around a little bit here in high school, but ive always been here in the bay. We are an inclusive preschool, which means that we cater to emp. We dont turn anyone away. We take every child regardless of race, creed, religious or ability. The most common thing i hear in my adult life is oh, you dont seem like you have autism. You seem so normal. Yeah. Thats 26 years of really, really, really hard work and i think thises that i still do. I was one of the first open adoptions for an lgbt couple. They split up when i was about four. One of them is partnered, and one of them is not, and then my biological mother, who is also a lesbian. Very queer family. Growing up in the 90s with a queer family was odd, i had the bubble to protect me, and here, i felt safe. I was bullied relatively infrequently. But i never really felt isolated or alone. I have known for virtually my entire life i was not suspended, but kindly asked to not ever bring it up again in first grade, my desire to have a sex change. The school that i went to really had no idea how to handle one. One of my parents is a little bit gender nonconforming, so they know what its about, but my parents wanted my life to be safe. When i have all the neurological issues to manage, that was just one more to add to it. I was a weird kid. I had my core group of, like, very tight, like, three friends. When we look at autism, we characterize it by, like, lack of eye contact, what i do now is when im looking away from the camera, its for my own comfort. Faces are confusing. Its a lack of mirror neurons in your brain working properly to allow you to experience empathy, to realize where somebody is coming from, or to realize that body language means that. At its core, autism is a social disorder, its a neurological disorder that people are born with, and its a big, big spectrum. It wasnt until i was a teenager that i heard autism in relation to myself, and i rejected it. I was very loud, i took up a lot of space, and it was because mostly taking up space let everybody else know where i existed in the world. I didnt like to talk to people really, and then, when i did, i overshared. I was very difficult to be around. But the friends that i have are very close. I click with our atypical kiddos than other people do. In experience, i remember when i was five years old and not wanting people to touch me because it hurt. I remember throwing chairs because i could not regulate my own emotions, and it did not mean that i was a bad kid, it meant that i couldnt cope. I grew up in a family of behavioral psychologists, and i got development cal developmental psychology from all sides. I recognize that my experience is just a very small picture of that, and not everybodys in a position to have a family thats as supportive, but theres also a community thats incredible helpful and wonderful and open and there for you in your moments of need. It was like two or three years of conversations before i was like you know what . Im just going to do this, and i went out and got my prescription for hormones and started transitioning medically, even though i had already been living as a male. I have a twoyearold. The person who im now married to is my husband for about two years, and then started gaining weight and wasnt sure, so i we went and talked with the doctor at my clinic, and he said well, testosterone is basically birth control, so theres no way you can be pregnant. I found out i was pregnant at 6. 5 months. My whole mission is to kind of normalize adults like me. I think ive finally found my calling in early intervention, which is here, kind of what we do. I think the access to irrelevant care for parents is intentionally confusing. When i did the procespective search for autism for my own child, it was confusing. We have a place where children can be children, but its very confusing. I always out myself as an adult with autism. I think its helpful when you know where can your child go. How im choosing to help is to give children that would normally not be allowed to have children in the same respect, kids that have three times as much work to do as their peers or kids who do odd things, like, beach therapy. How do speech therapy. How do you explain that to the rest of their class . I want that to be a normal experience. I was working on a certificate and kind of getting think Early Childhood credits brefore i started working here, and we did a section on transgender inclusion, inclusion, which is