Jeriann Guzman, a two-spirit transgender woman who is co-founder and executive director of the Solano Serenity Center, an LGBTQ space in Vallejo, stood in front of a table of photos of deceased trans people during the Transgender Day of Remembrance observance Saturday, November 16, at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum. All told, there were 11 tables of photos that Guzman said she has collected over the years.
Born and raised in the Solano County city, Guzman said in an interview that she has seen good times and bad in terms of the trans community. "We're now trending bad," she said.
Other speakers at the event were Cicada Robison, a nonbinary person who also sang three songs; Ms. Bob Davis, a transgender woman who founded the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archives in Vallejo; Will McGarvey, an every-gender-loving man who is executive director of the Solano Pride Center; and keynote speaker Alameda County Superior Court Judge Victoria Kolakowski, a transgender woman.
Davis gave a history of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was started by Bay Area Reporter Transmissions columnist Gwendolyn Ann Smith 26 years ago to call attention to the death of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in the Boston area. Since then, the annual observance has brought attention to trans people who have been killed in anti-trans violence incidents or who have died by suicide or HIV/AIDS. The day is formally commemorated each November 20.
Many of the speakers' comments alluded to the recent election that saw former President Donald Trump win a second term, beginning in January. "The next four years, we will regress back," Guzman said.
"This is a hard time for us, certainly for me," Kolakowski said. "We live in a crazy time now where my going to the bathroom is a political issue."
About 30 people attended the event. Taii Pacheco, a gay cis man from San Pablo, said it was his first time at the Vallejo TDOR observance, which has taken place since 2013 and used to be held on the steps of City Hall before moving to the museum.
"I find it very inspiring, and it's great to be here," he said.
For more information about the Solano Serenity Center, visit its Facebook page.
For more information about the Solano Pride Center, which is located in Fairfield, check out its Facebook page.
Disclosure: Judge Kolakowski is married to Bay Area Reporter news editor Cynthia Laird.
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