San Diego Trans Pride event educates, empowers, entertains

San Diego’s fourth annual Trans Pride, which took place July 14, re-affirmed the local transgender community’s growing self-confidence and continuing advocacy work. Sean Redmond of the Stonewall Citizen’s Patrol, who provided security for the event, estimated attendance at over 550 people.

Organizing committee Chair Veronica Zerrer of Neutral Corner attributes a big part of the event’s success to its being “family-affirming”. It honors those families who give love and support to trans people, but at the same time challenges those families whose support is tepid or non-existent. Significantly, Trans Pride drew in not only trans children and their parents, but many other local youth along with their own families and friends.

The event featured a stage show where a number of activists and others entertained with song and commentary. Andrea Jenkins, writer-poet-performance artist-activist, returned to San Diego after her January poetry reading at Hillcrest’s LGBT Center. She shared some of her provocative and heartfelt songs and verses onstage. She spoke of trans community pride, connecting with friends, telling one’s story with a whole heart, standing strong for independent expression and the right for people to be who they are, and making life better for the future. Miss Venice (Pepper Price) led the crowd in the classic civil rights era song “We Shall Overcome”.

San Diego’s Spanish language group Transgenero 2000 was also on hand, their booth prominently displaying the Mexican flag. Representative Sandra Ramirez said “It’s an honor to show our flag … It shows where we come from. It unites our being trans and our being Mexican”. Transgenero’s presence at the event underscored the integral part Latina/o transwomen and transmen play in San Diego’s LGBT community.

In many ways, incarcerated transpeople are the most invisible members of the trans-community. They face conditions most people can’t even imagine. One particular booth at the event invited members of the public to write general letters of support to transgender prison inmates. (The organization blackandpink.org is also doing significant work to bring their issues to national attention).

Many local organizations and professionals staffed resource booths. San Diego’s transgender community was represented by The Neutral Corner Inc., Transfamily Support Services, Transforming Families, Trans Narratives archival and oral history recorder, Transgender Americans Veterans Association and the T-Spot resource clearinghouse.

Social service and advocacy organizations included PFLAG, the Foster Youth Mentor Program, Child Welfare Services, the Metropolitan Community Church, the Human Rights Campaign and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. The psych and health care community was represented by Darlene Tando LCSW, Jennifer Rickard LMFT, Family Health Centers, and Christie’s Place HIV/AIDS education and support. Other groups in attendance included Auntie Claire’s electrolysis and JaxBug studios. And rounding it all out, Trans Pride’s special guests from both ends of the county: the North County’s LGBT Resource Center’s Gender Advocacy Project (GAP) and South Bay Pride.

At the end of the event, an estimated 200 people participated in a peaceful march from Balboa Park to the LGBT flag in Hillcrest, the site of the Spirit of Stonewall rally. Three marchers led the parade carrying the flags of the United States and Mexico, with the trans flag in the center. People carried signs that read “Proud Parent of a Trans Child,” and “Ban Transphobia.” Rainbow flags were flown, trans-supportive T-shirts were worn and chanting echoed up Sixth Street. Upon entering the Spirit of Stonewall rally site, the marchers were greeted with a thunderous cheer and sustained applause. The San Diego Police Department provided an appreciated march escort, as well as a security presence at the event.

One prominent participant was 7-year-old trans girl Vanessa Barilla, who served as the high spirited co-mistress of ceremonies at the stage presentations. Her mother Trish says, “My daughter is unapologetically authentic” and adds “Being the mother of a trans little girl inspires me to be a better mother every day … She’s my reason for being”. As the next generation of the transgender movement, young Vanessa is arguably the San Diego trans community’s own reason for being as well.