We hope you had a safe and fabulous Pride!
Although Pride month looked different this year, we still came together to celebrate our beautiful community, San Francisco’s reopening, and the continued fight for LGBTQ equality.
It was definitely a busy month with so many wonderful in-person and virtual events, from our annual Pride Flag Raising at City Hall, to the Trans March Resource Fair at Dolores Park. Also, members of our OTI staff were honored to be guest speakers at several community and City events during Pride month, including our Deputy Director Pau Crego on an LGBTQ+ Pride Month Panel with the Department of Human Resources, and a "Queer and Undocumented" workshop with California ChangeLawyers and Oasis Legal Services.
It was so special to be together again and show our pride after such a challenging year. This would have not been possible without you and so many in the community who showed up to support friends and neighbors, while getting vaccinated at record numbers. Also, this includes the incredible work and dedication of San Francisco’s trans and LGBTQ community organizations who were on the front lines of fighting the pandemic.
Last month we also joined Mayor London Breed in announcing several critical LGBTQ investments in her proposed citywide budget. Some of the highlights include the first of its kind Guaranteed Income Project for the Trans Community, that will prioritize San Francisco residents most impacted by the pandemic and those disconnected from other benefits.
Special thanks to our Trans Advisory Committee (TAC) for your work advocating for these critical investments. Check out the full press release to see additional investments.
Also, thank you to our awesome OTI team and all of our LGBTQ City employees who do such incredible work every day. We look forward to coming together again soon!
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In Pride and Solidarity,
Clair and OTI team
Clair Farley (she, her, they)
Director, Office of Transgender Initiatives
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Image description: The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band and singer Leanne Borghesi entertain the crowd while City officials and guests prepare to raise the LGBTQ Pride flag at City Hall. |
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City of Pride Featuring OTI |
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Image description: Photo of the San Francisco skyline with the headline "City of Pride" and the YouTube play button. |
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Also, see how the trans community came together to combat the pandemic, and is continuing to build towards a stronger, more equitable future.
Thank you to María Peña and SFGovTV for partnering on this project!
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Expanding data collection to advance LGBTQ rights |
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On June 22, we partnered with Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to introduce legislation to the Board of Supervisors to expand the collection of voluntary and anonymous data on sexual orientation and gender identity from City employees and applicants. Read more in the press release and Bay Area Reporter article.
This legislation is critical to support San Francisco’s efforts to advance LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion in the workplace. Our team is proud to have worked with the City to expand critical data collection to include our LGBTQ community and employees, while assuring we have inclusive policies and training programs to assure a safe and affirming workplace.
In collaboration with TAJA's Coalition, we have launched the Trans Data Mapping Project to generate better information about our trans population. We are seeking four additional community-based organizations to join this project; applications are open until July 11.
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New District Attorney policy affirms chosen names and pronouns |
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We were proud to consult with the San Francisco District Attorney's office on a new name and pronoun policy. Announced June 30, staff at the DA office must honor the correct names, pronouns, and titles of trans and non-binary crime victims, witnesses, and those involved in the criminal justice system..
Trans and gender-nonconforming communities — specifically Black trans women — experience disproportionate rates of violence and engagement with the criminal justice system, and this new policy takes important steps in assuring trans residents are respected and feel safe.
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SF Human Rights Commission - LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee |
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Image description: Trans Advisory Committee member JoJo Ty speaks at SF City Hall. Standing alongside are Mayor London Breed, SFHRC commissioners Joseph Sweiss and Melanie Ampon, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. |
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On June 23, Mayor London Breed swore in new members of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission's LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee. Congratulations to the new appointees, which include our Trans Advisory Committee members Nicole Santamaria of El/La Para TransLatinas, Akira Jackson of TAJA's Coalition, and former Youth Commissioner JoJo Ty. Read more in the news release.
Thanks also to the SF Human Rights Commission and HRC Commissioners Joseph Sweiss and Melanie Ampon (who is also on our Trans Advisory Committee) for their leadership.
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Trans March: Together Again |
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Image description: At the Trans March resource fair, OTI Director Clair Farley and Mayor London Breed pose with Erica Reyes and Khilynn Fowler from the SF Community Health Center. |
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On June 25, the community came together in-person as well as online for Trans March 2021: Together Again. Youth and elders mingled at Openhouse's Felicia Flames Intergenerational Brunch, an online showcase featured trans talent, and OTI staff enjoyed connecting with the community at the resource fair next to Dolores Park.
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Trans Rights victory at the Supreme Court |
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Image description: Screenshot from The Advocate featuring a photo of Gavin Grimm wearing a trans Pride themed cape and waving while holding a trans Pride flag, and the headline "SCOTUS Decision on Trans Youth Gavin Grimm Is Major LGBTQ+ Victory".
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On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Grimm v. Glouchester County School Board. This is a victory for Gavin Grimm and other trans and nonbinary students, who have the right to use restrooms in accordance with their gender identities. Read more about the decision in The Advocate.
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Image description: A bald, muscular person wearing a mask and a Pride-striped bandage on their upper arm stands outside the Castro Theatre. Text to the side reads "Show Your Pride Get vaccinated" and "For more info visit sf.gov/getvaccinated", alongside the logos of the Office of Transgender Initiatives and the San Francisco City Seal.
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Did you #GetVaccinated yet? As the City fully reopened on June 15, it's more important than ever to protect our community from the spread of the coronavirus.
Everyone age 12 and over is now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for free; no insurance needed. Visit our Vaccine Pride webpage for more information and resources.
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See what's happening on our social sites: |
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