Day you look and theyre being killed, murdered all over. I have it easy. I mean, my biggest concern is losing a couple of pounds to get in my suit. Their biggest concern is leaving their front door and being assaulted or murdered, killed. I cant even put my head around that. I cant even fathom that. We need to protect those people. Those are the people we need to bring awareness to. Thank you, everybody. Thats all i have to say. [ applause ] next up is supervisor from district 11. Thank you, mr. President. Sorry. I have a lot of paperwork here. Im very honored today to honor a leader in the Trans Community, cecilia chung. Its our great pleasure to have her as a longtime resident of district 11 and the excelsior. She moved in 94, and has been calling the city by the bay home ever since. She changes the lives of San Francisco residents who have multiple diagnoses and has become the first transgender woman elected of the lgbt pride. After working for housing for homeless and public health, she began to lend other leadership to Capacity Building and hiv prevention and care as well as a Global Movement of People Living with hiv. As a transgender immigrant living with hiv, cecilia has been tirelessly working for her beloved community. Shes one of the original founders of the San Francisco transgender empowerment and mentorship. As an advisor of the transgender resources and neighborhood space, trans, before this program moved to San FranciscoCommunity Health center. And the chief architect of the first transgender Economic DevelopmentInitiative Funded by the city and county of San Francisco. In 2004, cecilia helped found trans march in San Francisco, an event thats been replicated across the country. Her commitment to Civic Engagement is equally impressive. After serving on the ryan white council, she was appointed to the Human Rights Commission in 2004 and later elected as the president of the commission to become the first transgender woman living with hiv to be in such a highranking position. In addition to serving on the health commission, cecilia has launched positively trans. When hes not living with all her work across the country or traveling to geneva, switzerland for meetings on the Advisory Group for the World Health Organization for women living with hiv, cecilia can be found at her office or supporting local stores in district 11 where she has called home. Cecilia, its our honor to honor you today. [ applause ] [ cheering ] thank you, supervisors. Im not really prepared to speak, but i want to congratulate all the honorees. I want to remind everyone that the community we see today didnt happen by accident. If we look at an article that was published yesterday by the news, we no that 3,317 trans people have been murdered since 2008, when they started collecting this information around the globe. There are countless more that lost their lives to systemic violence. All too often we have politicians who try to erase us, to try to tell us that we dont exist, but at the same time we have an amazing city like San Francisco that supports us and continues to let us live our authentic life, thrive, and know that liberation is possible. Thank you, and im proud to call San Francisco home. [ applause ] [ cheering ] next up, our supervisor for district 9, hillary ronen. Thank you, president yi. If the fabulous Maggie Sanchez can come up to the front . [ applause ] this is one of those days that i feel extra especially proud to be a san franciscan. I really wanted to thank supervisor mendelman and honey mahogany and erin for all their work on. This this is beautiful. It is my pleasure to honor Maggie Sanchez, a San Francisco native born and raised in the mission who has devoted her life to giving back and making a difference in her community. When we told maggie that i wanted to present her with a certificate of honor for her years of Community Service and volunteer work, her response was, its not about me. Its e its about the community. She seemed uncomfortable with the idea of accepting public recognition. Mother theresa was humble and never expected to be recognized, but theres no greater power in this world as a story. Maggie, i would hope that you would think of this as a way of sharing your story and inspiring others to get involved and be the change they wish to see in their communities. Maggie comes from a family of very strong women. Her mother, who is here today yay, mom [ cheering ] and her aunt taught maggie that empowered women empower women. Mother theresa showed maggie its not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. Her best friend who tragically died of aids got maggie involved long before lgbtq was a recognizable acronym. Sadly, not all inspirations are positive. As a survivor of domestic violence, maggie has suffered from ptsd, but, as shes done with everything in her life, she credit this is as yet another incentive to get involved in fighting for positive change. Through her involvement through Community Organizing through organizations like Communities United against violence and others, maggie has dedicated her life to fighting for vulnerable people, all vulnerable people, women who have been raped and abused, lowincome families that struggle to find a way to keep roofs over their heads as theres gentification. Immigrants who live in fear of being deported. Having lived in the mission all her life, maggie has seen a huge amount of detrimental changes over the years that saddens her immensely but also spurs her into action. She insists shes not a political person but speak what is she feels. Political or not, her drive to be a change agent is an example for all of us in the community to get out in the field and lead by example. Maggie, you are an amazing leader. It is an absolute pleasure to recognize and honor you today. Congratulations. Thank you. [ applause ] [ cheering ] thank you. Thank you. Im so humbled. Thank you, hillary. Thank you, everyone here. Im not too much for speeches, but i would like to thank my backbone support that i have there with my familiarly. Everyone thats here, the community, and my mother, thank you so much for this award, recognition. Thats all i can say. Thank you so much. Thank you. Gracias. [ applause ] okay. Next up is our district 3 supervisor aaron peskin. Colleagues, im excited to honor not only a tireless trans leader but a proud api activist who has been leading the charge since the 1990s to change cultural stigmas and raise Public Awareness all over the country. She has sparked programs to the the spreading of the aids that has truly transformed many, many lives. She was appointed by then mayor Gavin Newsome to be the first transgender member on the commission of the status of women, providing positive visibility and education about and for the Trans Community. She also has powerful powers of performance and has raised funds and significant support for various organizations, including the transgender law center, aids housing alliance, gay asianpacific alliance to help sustain them and continue their vital programming and services to the community. I say this in a time and Political Climate where theres a lot of position for philanthropic dollars and money for worthy causes has gotten tighter and tighter. She has continued to do the work to fight aids through runway shows, comedy specials, and, yes, beauty pageants. My staff recalls her performing, leading and cracking jokes from on top of the bar in a sequins dress with sixinchhigh ti stilettos. Shes at the former api center. One of the programs she shepherds in the role is the transthrive program, a center thats committed to helping transgender individuals success in San Francisco, particularly with housing and securing transgender people of color and those living with hiv. On a national level, she is also a board member of positively trans, a national constituentbased coalition with women of color living with hiv. Positively trans addresses inequities, stigmas nationally and in our local communities. Shes also the recipient of the gapa [ reading document ] this comes at a perfect time to commemorate her years of activism. In the time of 45, i wont say his name, in spite of the climate today, this supervisor salutes you. Con on up. Come on up. [ cheering ] thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. You know, i dont know how to start this. I didnt know this was a big deal. I should have worn my sixinch heels and everything. I want you all to move here in 1999 first, thank you for those wonderful words. I moved here in 1999. I had a choice to live in San Francisco or banitia. Not to diss folks or anything, but i made the right choice here, you know. I was welcomed by trans women of color, particularly africanamericans, in their homes. They fed me. They helped me make it through, you know, those years. 20 years ago, we didnt have any places like trans drive or support groups. We met on the streets, like when we go out at 9 00 in the evening and go party and everything, and then here comes the paddy wagon, the police, and would pick us up, and we would end up at China Town Police station. Thats where we continued talking and supporting each other. 20 years forward, here we are. I didnt imagine i would be overseeing trans drive. Thats the very first Dropin Center for the Trans Community here in the country. It has been modeled by many different cities all throughout the world. San francisco did that. So i salute San Francisco. I made the right choice, you know. And every day, you know, when were open, we welcome 25 to 30 transgender nonconforming individuals. My most ecstatic pleasure is to let them know things that are happening about San Francisco that can improve the quality of their lives. These are folks who are usually in crisis mode and choose not to be in shelters because they would rather be in the streets. They feel safer in the streets. Were trying to improve that. We have such amazing leadership that works with my community. I want to thank you all for that. I specialize in event productions, and i think i can probably say that we have uplifted many of our events, and you provided that also from the Human Rights Commission to the office of transgender initiative, youve given us some perks to make things really better for us. I cannot thank you all enough for allowing me to do that and let me flourish. And being a member of positively trans has allowed me to really just be myself. I want to let everyone know, hey, im hiv positive, but this is all about who the community is, how to serve the community better, and im all for that. So thank you very much. [ applause ] next up is our supervisor from district four, gordon marr. Thank you, president yi. Sort of continuing this truly inspiring firstever board of supervis supervisors celebration, i have the pleasure to honor martin. Shes transgender, jewish, bisexual father of two. Hes a friend and a great organizer with a list of accomplishments spanning two decades. What hes done on behalf of our city is vast and impactful. Were so grateful for having martin as our neighbor. Martin was a core organizer for the first trans march, now an annual and deeply important event for building visibility and power by and for the trans communities in San Francisco. He remains a Founding Member of the Lou Sullivan Society, lifting up the legacy of a pioneer. He cofounded biconn and serves on the board of the democratic club. In martins advocacy on behalf of tran and communities also includes working with the San Francisco committees. Martins leadership extends even further than that. Hes deeply involved in jewish faith work, working alongside others in providing thought leadership and advocacy on the topics in judaism. He serves as our district four representative and the vice chair of the pedestrian advisor committee. Martin is also an advocate in education. He ran a Historic Campaign last year as the first ever bisexual transgender candidate for the board of education in San Francisco. Im so inspired by the power of your example and grateful for the work you do on behalf of so many. The sunset is lucky and San Francisco is lucky to have you and countless more are lucky for your leadership thats impacted so many lives and movements and made our city a better place. On behalf of the board of supervisors and on behalf of the intersecting communities you represent and serve, and on behalf of the city and county of San Francisco, we thank you. [ applause ] im amazed at how much that is. Tiny little bio. First of all, i would like to thank supervisor marr for thinking of me and for the entire board of supervisors and also for the people who are here today. You know, i think about how i got started in the Trans Community, how i got started i was telling claire earlier today that, you know, my First Experience in the Trans Community was the transgender remembrance in 1998. Walking along the street in San Francisco. Thats been my experience. That we stick together. We selfregulate. We make sure policeman are on the route and we watch ourselves and make sure were together. You know, part of it is when i moved to San Francisco over 20 years ago, i volunteered for the Lou Sullivan Society named after a gay trans man that made it possible for me and others considered not straight after ward to transition medically. I was an office hand a cochair, and a publications director producing a newsletter. Activists communities allowed me to give back in ways that fit my abilities. You know, i am so happy to be here, and im also so humbled by this today. We have two kids. My wife, shelly and i, have two kids. Sarah, whos in high school. I dont know if you remember all the meetings when she was little and tiny. Shes not little and tiny anymore. Shes actually a good size, adultsized woman. Its kind of crazy. Our son, matthew, is in elementary school. Theyre the ones were fighting for. Theyre the ones we todo this for because theyre the next generation of us. I always look back at the past to see the future. Thank you very much. [ applause ] okay. Thank you. Next up is our supervisor from district one, sandy lee fewer. Thank you, president yi. I would like to call up thornhi thornhill. I have the pleasure of honoring an outstanding individual. Jackie thornhill is a senior at the university of San Francisco studying Political Science and philosophy. She grew up in los angeles and briefly lived in boston before moving in 2016. Over the past years, shes worked on five different campaigns and spent over 1,000 hours interning at city hall. Shes thrown down on campaigns to support progress leaders and Progressive Movement building. Most recently, she serves as a the Amazing Campaign manager and glue for prop e affordable communities now. I first met jackie in her capacity as a student asking brilliant questions about homelessness and how we, as a city, could and should come together to address root causes of homelessness. I was impressed by her commitment to social justice and pressing with a lens of human compassion and equity. Its been wonderful watching her grow and learn through interacti interactions. She approaches it with a balance of diligence, curiosity, and commitment. Im so proud of jackie for transitioning into the person she was always meant to be. I know this takes personal courage and a lot of support. So i also wanted to thank everyone here who has given her the positive support that she needs to be her true self. Jackie, thank you for joining the cadre of strong and hard women who are making the significant change in our communities. [ cheering ] [ applause ] i want to thank all my family and friends. I would not be here today without any of those people. I just want to acknowledge that it takes a community. Without the support of this community and this city and all of the people in and outside of this building, i would not be who i am or where i am today. I just want to acknowledge that we have a long way to go, and when we are living under a fascist regime, history shows us as hard fought and as long as these gains weve made may have been, they can be taken aware overnight. Lets not forget what is at stake here. Thank you. [ cheering ] [ applause ] okay. Next up is our supervisor from district five. Thank you, president yi. Today i honor two incredible people. Kenya and felicia. [ cheering ] felicia, come on this way. Both are Fierce Community leaders who really inspire me. Each of them are representative of different eras in our citys collective history. Its so important to remember our past and recognize how far we have come during trans awareness month. Unfortunately, in 2019, in San Francisco, we havent c