California Assemblymembers push for state to adopt Transgender History Month
SACRAMENTO -- Should California adopt and recognize a Transgender History Month?
A group of California legislators thinks so and will announce an Assembly resolution Wednesday afternoon in Downtown Sacramento that will be voted on the same day. California would be the first state in the nation to do so if the resolution passes.
"Every August hereafter will be known in California as Transgender History Month. California has long been at the forefront of the transgender liberation movement. But transgender and gender-nonconforming Americans are being politicized and dehumanized in recent culture wars and their contributions to the history of the United States are being erased," said the Assemblymembers in a statement Tuesday.
Assemblymembers Matt Haney, Lori Wilson, Chris Ward, and Rick Zbur, and Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, Honey Mahogany are spearheading the effort.
Transgender History Month has been previously adopted in some California cities like San Francisco, but this push is statewide.
"We will be reminded of the value, acceptance and fights fought not only for the trans community but how it impacted LGBTQ+ rights and other communities who have fought so hard for the rights that we have now," said Jorge Reyes Salinas of Equality California.
Salinas says the advocacy group supports the bold stance by the state Assembly.
"Especially now, in a time that we are seeing a constant, week-after-week attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, especially the transgender community," said Salinas. "It's really a reminder that California stands behind the trans community and now more than ever we are not giving up on reinforcing that value."
There's no doubt the transgender debate has recently come center stage at Sacramento area school board meetings, on athletic fields and even at public libraries where recently a heated, conservative-led conversation about transgender women in sports was shut down in Davis.
The conversation surrounding transgender people should not be so polarizing according to Jonathan Cook of the Stonewall Democrats of Greater Sacramento.
"Trans people exist. Trans people have existed for a long time. They are not going to disappear because someone else objects to the fact that they are getting equal rights to everyone else in this country," said Cook.
He says the antidote is education and visibility, saying adopting Transgender History Month promotes both.
"Too often for Pride Month even in June, our movement as LGBTQ people has often left out our trans and nonbinary siblings," said Cook. "We wouldn't have Stonewall, we wouldn't have Pride Month without trans people. In particular trans women of color who were fighting for our rights before it was popular to do so," said Cook.
The resolution to adopt Transgender History Month is expected to be voted on Wednesday, Sept. 6 in the California State Assembly. A press conference announcing the resolution is scheduled for the same day at noon in Downtown Sacramento.