From Seattle to Toronto, from Vancouver to New York, many cities across North America have annual Trans Pride Marches.
I remember my first time I attended a Trans March. In 2005, two years after I came out, I went to San Francisco’s second annual Trans Pride March. Hundreds of trans and intersex people, along with partners, families and allies, gathered at Delores Park, first for a picnic, and then for a march down the streets to San Francisco’s Civic Center. I remember being one of only two trans people with the pink, blue and white Trans Pride flags at the park, so the other trans woman with a flag and me led the march.
San Diego has never had its own Trans March.
“Other major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and now even Portland have their own Trans* Pride events and marches,” says local trans community organizer Claire Russell. “It’s time for San Diego to have one of our own.”
So Claire, along with many other local trans community organizers, is organizing San Diego’s first annual Trans Pride March. The Trans Pride March, along with a preceding barbecue, are being entirely organized by the community – free of any organizations or affiliations.
“We’re attempting to create our Trans Pride March at a grassroots level without pre-established organizations,” added Claire. “We’re doing it this way because we want to send the message that this is an event by and for the trans* community and its allies.”
The barbecue that kicks off the day will be at Balboa Park (at about Sixth Avenue and Balboa Drive) July 18, between noon and 2:30 p.m. It’s a potluck event where trans people, partners, friends, family and allies are welcome. The organizers are encouraging people to bring food, art, music and games etc., but if for whatever reason one can’t bring anything to share, folk are still very welcome to attend.
At 5 p.m. the march is scheduled to start. It begins at Sixth and Balboa Drive, first going north on Sixth and then east on University Avenue. The march ends at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally near the Rainbow Flag on the corner of University Avenue and Normal Street.
Laverne Cox, an actor in the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black and recently on the cover of Time magazine for their The Transgender Tipping Point issue (June 9), is speaking at San Diego Pride’s Stonewall Rally that evening, and the organizers are ensuring that there is a visible trans presence at the rally.
“So far in our planning it’s become evident that this is something that’s been eagerly awaited for a long time in San Diego,” continued Claire, “and now a lot of people are excited about attending. There are even people from out of town who are driving down or flying in to join in.”
When we talk about LGBT Pride, it includes all of us. It’s a good thing, in my opinion, for trans people to have pride in themselves, and pride in their community … their sub community of the LGBT community.
When I go to the barbecue and the march, I know I’ll be joining many, many others who’ll be saying I’m trans and proud.
Well, personally, I prefer simply living my life as a woman, quietly and without make a public spectacle of myself. But hey, that’s why I am not transgender. Transgender is really about making a public spectacle, nothing more.
We need some positive energy here. Personally, I’m thrilled to be involved in the first Trans* Pride event in San Diego. We are making history here. As a 63 year old trans woman who transitioned back in the 1970s I have lived a stealth life for the past 30 plus years. It’s the younger people of today, transgender, gender non-conforming and allies, that have inspired me to come out and do my part. These are exciting times. We need to be inclusive and stay focused.
How can you make your “life as a woman:” when you spend all your time on transgendered blogs. Do “just woman ” do that? Or writing a transgendered blog? Do “just woman” do that”? Or (according to your daughter) physically abusing your ex-wife? Do “just woman” do that?
How can you be “just a woman” when you weight 275 pounds, have a voice in the lower bass range and are 6 feet 1″? Do “just woman” physically abuse the female members of their family to the extent that their very own daughters feel the need to tell the world about it on their web blogs?
You wouldn’t want to suppress that information would you? I mean you aren’t calling your very own daughter a liar are you?
Spoken like a true man, a man with a penis who wants to keep it in order to force him and his penis into our spaces.
I suppose you think that spending 5 minutes here showing you TGs how silly you look to the rest of the world is “your whole life”.
Dude that reality check just bounced.
Some of us have been living our lives as women and had our birth defect corrected since the early 80s long before you ever gave it any thought or knew what transsexualism was.
Anne
Yes, that is quite true. I know who this person is. He has been stalking me for years, and has stalked others even longer.
I don’t spend “all my time” on transgender blogs. And I most certainly do not write a transgender blog. Sorry Mr. Lask, but you keep trolling. And nope, not 275 pounds (i’ve lost quite a bit of weight), my voice has never been in lower base range, and nope, not 6′ 1″ (actually, 5′ 10″…the same height as Princess Diana). As to what my daughter wrote, that was at a time when we were estranged over some very private issues (I will not violate my daughter’s privacy by revealing any of it) and we are now on excellent terms. But facts…well, you don’t need facts. You have been making up lies for years, like the one about how you had surgery….
If trans-inc wants their own parade, I say more power to them…perhaps then they will quit trying to appropriate dyke parades and invading female safe-space by demanding access.
Gosh, this comments section is a bummer.
I think this is wonderful news 🙂 I’m glad another city’s residents can show pride in their genuine, authentic selves. No more hiding in shadows! We are all entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!