San Mateo County Marks Transgender Day of Remembrance

REDWOOD CITY – Local leaders and residents today marked the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance by raising and flying the Transgender Pride Flag at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City and hosting a virtual remembrance ceremony. Earlier in the week, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a Proclamation declaring November 20, 2020, Transgender Day of Remembrance in the County.

“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 2020, the list includes 34 names.

“The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to draw attention to the discrimination and violence endured by transgender people throughout the year,” said Dana Johnson (they/them), Co-Chair, LGBTQ Commission and Co-Chair, PRIDE initiative. “It is important that we create a safe space for members of the transgender and nonbinary community to come together.”

Frankie Sapp (he/him), Program Director, San Mateo County PRIDE Center, added: “Seeing the transgender flag flying at County Center means a lot to all individuals who identify as gender queer, transgender, or nonbinary, and for those who color inside and outside the lines.”

The flag raising event was live streamed at 8:30 am on the Facebook LGBTQ Commission page. The video of the event is posted at: https://www.facebook.com/SanMateoCountyLGBTQ/posts/1529089510614593

The County of San Mateo Transgender Day of Remembrance virtual ceremony will be live streamed today at 4:00 pm on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSp4mcRoHO-YOeD19Wuc-ng/featured

Additional information about the Transgender Day of Remembrance can be found on the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission’s website at: https://lgbtq.smcgov.org/events/transgender-day-remembrance-2020

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