San Francisco Mayor London Breed, center, was joined by trans performer and activist Donna Personna, second from right, in raising the trans flag Wednesday, August 2, to open Transgender History Month. "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," Breed stated in a news release. "Last year we declared August Transgender History Month in San Francisco, making it the country's first of its kind. We are proud of what this city stands for, and today and the entire month of August reflect the resilience of the transgender community and San Francisco's commitment to supporting and protecting the rights of trans people."
Transgender History Month honors the 57th anniversary of the Compton's Cafeteria Riots, which occurred in August 1966 in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, marking the beginning of transgender activism in San Francisco. A response to violent and constant police harassment, this incident, the date of which has been lost to history, was one of the first LGBTQ uprisings in United States history, preceding the better-known 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.
Breed has budgeted city resources to help the trans and gender-nonconforming communities, including funds for behavioral health programming and housing, the release stated.
Trans people praised the city's recognition of trans history month.
"Transgender history should not be understated. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to lean into transgender history to understand the reemergence of extremist and violent anti-transgender rhetoric. It is rhetoric that is not new - in fact, it draws from the tumultuous decades of the 1970s and 1980s that led to the pathologization of transness which resulted in devastating consequences for the safety and livelihood of trans people," stated Jupiter Peraza, transgender activist and manager of statewide coalition at Openhouse SF.
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