For Immediate Release
REDWOOD CITY – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors today passed a Proclamation declaring November 19, 2021, Transgender Day of Remembrance in the County. This Board action will be accompanied by raising and flying the Transgender flag at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City and hosting a virtual remembrance ceremony.
“Violence against transgender people is all too common,” said Supervisor Dave Pine (he/him), sponsor of the Proclamation and Board liaison to the County’s LGBTQ+ Commission. “We are lucky to live in a County that embraces diversity and inclusion but recognize that is not the case everywhere in this country.”
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was established in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender activist, to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts. Since 1999, Transgender Day of Remembrance has been held annually, and quickly evolved from a local gathering started by Smith into an international event. An important part of the day is the traditional reading of the names of individuals who were killed during the year due to anti-transgender violence. In 2021, the list includes 44 names.
“Transgender Day of Remembrance is a call to attention for protection against acts of violence, discrimination and exclusion that transgender and nonbinary people endure daily,” said Dana Johnson (they/them), Co-Chair, San Mateo County LGBTQ+ Commission and Co-Chair, PRIDE initiative.
“For the County to raise the Trans pride flag means more than visibility, it demonstrates inclusion for those of us who color inside and those who color outside the lines and sends a message of solidarity that days of remembrance need to end,” said Frankie Sapp (he/him), Program Director, San Mateo County PRIDE Center.
The flag raising event will take place on Monday, November 15, at 9:00 am, in the County Center Courtyard, and will be streamed live on the Facebook LGBTQ Commission page: https://www.facebook.com/SanMateoCountyLGBTQ
The County of San Mateo Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony will be held virtually on Friday, November 19, at 5:00 pm, and will be livestreamed on the Redwood City Public Library YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/3D-pl2twVdo . Registration is requested at https://tinyurl.com/TDOR2021smc
More information about the event can be found at: https://lgbtq.smcgov.org/events/transgender-day-remembrance-2021
David Burruto
Chief of Staff
San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine
650-219-0457
dburruto@smcgov.org