to say the least. if you are transitioning to something different. having these resources there for people to know who to reach out to and going through the process, one set at a time doesn't seem overwhelming because some days i scratch my head and say what do i do now? what have i not covered. the good we're talking about interviewing skills and bringing people up-to-date and technology. i think these are conversations that still need to happen and we're definitely here now that we got it straight what we want to share and what feel comfortable in sharing to help you with that process. we want people to be able to enter the workforce at whatever age, have access to the workforce, have the necessary technology to keep them employed and to move ahead if they'd like to. that's it. short and sweet. >> thank you. >> all right. well we're giving you a lot of

feedback. >> it seems to me your definition of older adult stops at 59. >> no. not that i want to reveal anything. there are people older. >> it's 60 and above. [laughter] we don't go that ridgedly anyway. >> sally, i'm really glad you brought that up. because i won't reveal my exact age but i don't fall under 60. i'm a little bit above that. i want to stay in touch with you too. i'll make my comment now. i run my own business as a california licensed insurance agent. i'm working with a financial group to provide a variety of insurance. i do work remotely. i work with people to sign them up over the phone with

applications. we run it through our different process to see whether they're qualified. my challenge is technology. yes, i have text to speech. yes i have a display but how accessible is this technology with data basis and internet, web sites and i have the challenge of working with people by telephone and online. it's a great challenge. i relish it. i'm doing it primarily from my home office. you know, i don't want to be out working for an employer 40 hours a week. although i do some work outside of my home office. nevertheless, i want to work with you too. i want to be able to reach out to people who are seniors that want to do the work that i do.

it's like blazing a trail. it's exciting. all right. so go ahead. >> yes. >> i just said thank you. >> i have another comment. >> did you have a comment you want to respond? >> anymore questions? >> i think she has one more question if that's all right. >> sure. >> so the question we would ask is what is the most -- the question you just answered. it's what is the most important role technology plays for you as it intersects with your employment experiences. >> in my case? >> yes, it plays a major role. i've run into situations where i didn't have the technology. i've gone through quite a frustrating process. different financial groups, they're not interested in working with people with disabilities. i found one that does. the training, for example, i found out is all on mp3 files.

i'm going yeah, that's what i want! because there's so many people who provide what's called focus technology. and jaws, which is my text to speech reader, it doesn't understand that. whatsoever. so i think i found the right niche. people who have the right technology but we still have challenges ahead. i just want to be able to make it possible so that other blind people or persons of disabilities don't go through some of the frustrations that i've gone through. >> susan, to answer your question from my experience -- >> alex, make it brief. we're running a little late. >> we're ok. >> anyways, i'm going to answer your question.

i think like resources on buying what i need to do my job. for example, i understand some employers or most employers require to make recommendations but some companies cannot provide those resources and making those recommendations. i think it's good to think about what are the resources to help individuals to find those technologies that can help them to do what they need to do at

their job. >> thank you. >> the answer to your question, what role does technology play. not only for myself, as a much older individual, but for the clients that i work with. it's imperative. it's not just in the job search that one needs to know their technology inside and out. but you also need to be able to perform in the job. technology is essential in being able to function almost in any job that is there today. job retention. so if you can't do your job because you don't have the technology to do your job, it impacts every single part of becoming employed and staying employed. retaining that job. so, it's becoming more and more complicated. it's not just learning a new technology to be able to do a

word document or excel, now we have phones and we have everything that we touch is around technology and without the kind of training and even time to have that training available to us is just almost overwhelming. i see so many of our older adults give up. they just can't face that challenge and the time and energy it takes. it i think it's 100% of our challenge is technology. thank you. >> very, very well put. for an older person so easy to give up. anyone else want to answer that question? >> i think we did quite well. [laughter] >> as i said earlier, technology is the thing for today. >> can i just like to say thank you so much for being so open with all of us.

it's really very helpful to us. we'll take it to heart as we work through our process. thank you. >> we look forward to staying in touch with you. in my case, i'd like to have further input on what you are doing and i'm sure that my other colleagues would like to as well. >> wonderful. >> all right. anyone else on the staff want to make comments? >> the mayor's office municipality is deeply involved with the tech council strategic planning process also. so we look forward to continuing partnership on this issue and i just want to say thank you to the tech council for raising this issue up. it was something that was much needed and we're very glad to go support it. you will all be drawn into this since you all volunteered. [laughter] hooray. and thank you.

>> we have a comment. >> that concludes your presentation but we do have a comment from the public. public comment. >> april from the people with disabilities foundation. >> hello. i'm not so good at speaking so i brought notes. i apologize if i sound a little -- my name is april. i am the executive director at people with disabilities foundation or pwdf. pwdf is a public non-profit agency in the civic center. i wanted to share some information about people with disabilities foundation services related to employment. we provide legal services for people with psychiatric and intellectual or developmental disabilities as well as public awareness and educational events. our attorneys provide legal consultation and represent individuals on cases that involve disability benefits, employment, housing, education,

and in other areas of life including discrimination in program access. and due process issues. our attorneys primarily represent claimants for social security disability benefits including post entitlement and eligibility for benefits which goes to the point that co-chair denise senhaux made about making sure that people don't lose their benefits when they're transitioning to employment. as part of this work, over a nearly six-year period, pwdf sued the social security administration on behalf of two san francisco residents who have a combination of mental or developmental disabilities. we brought this suit under section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, claiming that the social security administration failed to provide these men with equal meaningful access to social security work incentive programs. and we successfully settled the

case obtaining reasonable accommodations based on mental disability for our clients. i will add that case is still in the enforcement stage and will be throughout the clients working life. many attorneys and agencies, we believe, including those funded by the city, will not take cases where the client is already a social security beneficiary but is being terminated from benefits and that is because there isn't a lot of money in it for the attorneys. pwdf fills this void, especially as it applies to work reviews. the social security administration has increased its quota of worker views and it dis preportion atly terminates mental disabilities for working. for these reasons and because of the lack of attorneys that take these cases we hold a monthly legal clinic to advise disability beneficiaries from being terminated from benefits. especially those who are trying to work.

our attorneys work on a sliding fee scale. we do not turn down a client if the case has merit. even if the client cannot pay. our education program provides educational workshops on social security work incentives programs and held numerous free public awareness seminars on employment issues and produce professional videos. i see i'm out of time. i brought information if i could give to nicole. >> sure. >> thank you. for more information about our services check out website at wwwpwdt.org or call (415)931-3707. thank you. >> i think we have one more speaker. >> tiffany yu. >> hi, my name is tiffany with diverse ability. i just want to say three things. number one, as an adult with a

disability, i'm not an older adult and so my generation is the first that has grown up as digital natives and so our digital inclusion needs are different than older adults so that's something -- i've been able to attend a couple of s.f. tech council meetings which i've been grateful to attend. i wanted to keep in mind the needs are different between older adults and those of us who are 18-35 or 45. the second thing i want to say is a lot of the implement programs that i see within disability employment are entry level with no pass for advancement. there's been a lot of talk today about losing benefits. if we're not providing people with long-term sustained employment, at competitive salaries, then there's no incentive there to want to switch over to that. the third thing i'll say is that earlier this year, i actually piloted a program to train people with disabilities to learn about sales force

software. over the next five years, they're going to be three million jobs created with not enough people to fill those and so we've done the pilot. it was sold out. we partnered with the california department of rehabilitation. we're actually looking for some energy, a couple more people to kind of buy into turn this program into reality that we could grow much larger. thank you. >> may i make a comment to her comment. >> yes. >> can we talk? [laughter] i'm on board with you. >> thank you. >> so can you do networking here too. i like that. are there anymore public comments? no more cards. anyone want to volunteer on the spot? ok. it looks like we've gone -- let's see. we've gone through number nine, public comment then. >> this is a different public

comment. >> on number eight. i got it. all right. so now let's go to number nine. which is public comment of items not on today's agenda but within our jurisdiction. any cards? anybody in the audience want to come forward? how about on the bridge line? >> there is no one on the bridge line. >> no one on the bridge line. no public comments. that concludes item number 9. let's go to number 10. which is correspondents. >> there's no correspondents for the council today. >> ok. all right. thank you, very much. well we do have enough time. see it ended up just right.

number 11, discussion items. are there any council members with comments or announcements? anybody? >> no one. >> i don't think i have one either at this time. that brings us to number 12 which is adjournment. wow. does anyone want to make a motion to adjourn? >> i make a motion to adjourn. >> i second that. >> it's been moved. all in favor. >> aye. >> all right. and i go aye. this meeting is adjourned. thank you for coming.

- working for the city and county of san francisco will immerse you in a vibrant and dynamic city that's on the forefront of economic growth, the arts, and social change. our city has always been on the edge of progress and innovation. after all, we're at the meeting of land and sea. - our city is famous for its iconic scenery, historic designs, and world- class style. it's the birthplace of blue jeans, and where "the rock" holds court over the largest natural harbor on the west coast. - the city's information technology professionals work on revolutionary projects, like providing free wifi to residents and visitors, developing new programs to keep sfo humming, and ensuring patient safety at san francisco general. our it professionals make government accessible through award-winning mobile apps,

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adjourned. >> shop & dine in the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges residents to do their shop & dine in the 49 with within the 49 square miles of san francisco by supporting local services within the neighborhood we help san francisco remain unique successful and vibrant so where will you shop & dine in the 49 my name is jim woods i'm the founder of woods beer company and the proprietor of woods copy k open 2 henry adams what makes us unique is that we're reintegrated brooeg the beer and serving that cross the table people are sitting next to the xurpz drinking alongside we're

having a lot of ingredient that get there's a lot to do the district of retail shop having that really close connection with the consumer allows us to do exciting things we decided to come to treasure island because we saw it as an amazing opportunity can't be beat the views and real estate that great county starting to develop on treasure island like minded business owners with last week products and want to get on the ground floor a no-brainer for us when you you, you buying local goods made locally our supporting small business those are not created an, an sprinkle scale with all the machines and one person procreating them people are making them by hand as a result more interesting and can't get that of minor or anywhere else and san francisco a hot bed for local manufacturing in support that is

what keeps your city vibrant we'll make a compelling place to live and visit i think that local business is the lifeblood of san francisco and a vibrant community we are celebrating the glorious grand opening of the chinese rec center. ♪ 1951, 60 years ago, our first kids began to play in the chinese wrecks center -- rec center. >> i was 10 years old at the time. i spent just about my whole life

here. >> i came here to learn dancing. by we came -- >> we had a good time. made a lot of friends here. crisises part of the 2008 clean neighborhood park fund, and this is so important to our families. for many people who live in chinatown, this is their backyard. this is where many people come to congregate, and we are so happy to be able to deliver this project on time and under budget. >> a reason we all agreed to name this memorex center is because it is part of the history of i hear -- to name this rec center, is because it is part of the history of san francisco. >> they took off from logan airport, and the call of duty

was to alert american airlines that her plane was hijacked, and she stayed on the phone prior to the crash into the no. 9 world trade center. >> i would like to claim today the center and the naming of it. [applause] >> kmer i actually challenged me to a little bit of a ping pong -- the mayor actually challenge me to a little bit of a ping- pong, so i accept your challenge. ♪ >> it is an amazing spot. it is a state of the art center. >> is beautiful. quarkrights i would like to come

here and join them >> are you guys ready? five, four, three, two, one. [cheers and applause] >> e.a. all right. e.a. >> thank you so much for joining us today. today with mayor breed, we are honored to celebrate our community's -- community's brazilians as we continue to advocate for equality and human rights. -- community's equality as is to continue to advocate for equality and human rights.

thank you. [applause] from the cafeteria riot to the nation's first trans- city department to, we have, so far. thanks to many of you and the community leaders and allies who have paved the way before us. today, you are part of making history. as the trump administration continues to attack our communities in san francisco, we stand up against these attacks and celebrate each other. here in san francisco, we don't erase people. we understand that our differences are what makes us special. i'm so proud to work for a city that stands firm that we will not allow discrimination of any kind unchecked. san francisco continues to

protect all of our communities and be a sanctuary city regardless of the federal administration. regardless of how they want to redefine gender, ban us from military service or strip away our rights -- rights for medically necessary care. at the office of transgender initiatives, we are working every day to advance policies, program and equity for trends and nonconforming gender communities. earlier this month, we partnered with mayor breed to release a directive requiring all city departments to broaden gender identity options across all city forms. [applause] >> furthermore, we are providing trans- inclusion training across all city employees because everyone should feel safe when reaching our city services. also, last week, our advisory committee had the opportunity to meet with mayor breed and discuss several community priorities that we identified

through a series of community stakeholder meetings. i'm looking forward to working with the mayor and the board of supervisors and other city departments to move these important priorities for words. i am excited to share that we are launching two exciting pilots this year to better serve our diverse communities including our trans- and lgbt emigrant fellowship program, as well as a civic bridge program to increase navigation services so trans folks can access the wide range of services we have in the city. as i started in this role in december, i have had many opportunities to engage but our community has been under attack more now than ever before. we work to create name policies across the city and we track anti- lgbt legislation and we will make sure that any state that tries to discriminate against us gets added to the travel ban, and contracting ban

because we will not do business with states that think discrimination is okay. [applause] >> furthermore, we are advancing our workforce program to provide direct trends services to the tenderloin and the soma areas. we are also creating antiviolence programs to make sure that housing programs and providers are inclusive of trans people. we all deserve a home in san francisco. [applause] >> in conclusion, as the chump administration tries to strip away our rights, it's important we all remember that we will continue to be protected in san francisco through our leadership , through our office, and the work that each of you are doing every day. together we can remember our trans resilience and that we are never alone. i hope you will join us for this

important work because we cannot do it alone. volunteer with local programs, get involved, volunteer and give because we all need a fierce cheerleader. so together, let's make sure that no one gets left behind. everyone deserves a safe place to sleep, wellness and a community that celebrates them. now it is my great honor to welcome our wonderful mayor, lyndon breed. [applause] -- london breed. [applause] >> thank you. aren't we lucky to have such incredible leadership for our office of transgender initiatives here. we really appreciate you. thank you. thank you all for joining us here today. we are here to celebrate our transgender and gender nonconforming communities in san francisco and across the country

i would also like to thank the supervisors who have joined us here today, including supervisor raffaella mandelman, supervisor vallie brown and president president of the board of supervisors, melia cohen. thank you for being here. [applause] today, we are recognizing this important week by lighting up city hall in the trans- flag colours. blue, white and pink and if you are lucky to get one of these pens, may be asked anthony, i think he has a few extra. as well as raising the transgendered flag, which we just did, outside of the front of city hall. these are symbols that recognize our commitment to protecting the rights of all san franciscans. in these challenging times, i am so proud to be a mayor of a city that celebrates our diversity and our rich history with our trans- community.

from our roots as a first city in the country to honor transgendered date, a remembrance to today, where we have the first office of transgender initiative. and a great leader in claire. as i look around, i think about the challenges facing us as a nation and as a safety. i am reminded, constantly, of the resilience of the trans community. we have a federal administration that attacks our most vulnerable communities, time and time again here in san francisco, we won't stand for it. we will fight against it each and every time by standing together. that's why, earlier this month, i sent an executive directive to all city departments requiring the expansion of gender identity options across all city forms and mandating trans- inclusion training for all city employees working with the public.

[applause] >> this is just one way we can make sure that our trends community is respected and supported, and in san francisco, no one is erased. i am proud of how far we have come as a city and being inclusive and welcoming, but i know, i know there is still a lot of work to do. just as you have remained resilient in the face of adversity, i will remain committed to addressing the needs and priorities of the trans and lgbtq communities in san francisco. last week, i had an opportunity to meet with the transgender advisory committee to discuss many of the priorities that we all share. we talked about things like the crisis that has unfortunately impacted disproportionately our lgbtq community.

thanks to their work and our office of transgender initiatives, we are focused on expanding employment, healthcare , and educational opportunities for our lgbtq community. we are committed to preventing any discrimination or violence or any assaults against all of our residents, as well as bringing justice for those who have experienced these tragedies we will not rest until there is equity and ensure a basic human rights for all of our communities. but i know i can't do this work alone and i want to thank all of you for joining us here today. not only for what we have all ready achieved but for what we will continue to achieve by working together. and that is why i wanted to do something really special to commemorate this time and -- here it is. [laughter]

>> i am not only committed to making sure that we celebrate our transgender community, but we honor it by doing something that has not been done anywhere else in our country. today, i am happy to recognize the entire month of november as transgender month in the city and county of san francisco. [applause] >> i would also like to recognize and appreciate the work of our transgender advisory committee because they are spending countless hours working to push forward the right policies, the right investments, the right things here in the city that we need to do in order to address many of the challenges we face. here, i would like to present

commissioner melanie with this award, as well as honey mahogany , two of the leaders of the transgender advisory committee here and we will do everything we can to continue to work together in order to move the great initiatives forward based on the work that we know you are both committed to doing. thank you both for being here today. [applause] now i give you an opportunity to speak. >> good afternoon, everybody. some of us are bay area locals. some of us have been born and raised in san francisco. some of us relocate here for a better tomorrow. san francisco is the first city in the nation to have a trans alleged government office.

this city is committed to the advancement of the transgender community. i am a proud member of the transgender advisory committee and i am honored to work alongside some of the fiercest community leaders in san francisco. if you are part of the t.a.c. team, please stand up. we would like to acknowledge you [cheers and applause] >> thank you for being leaders in our community. at the t.a.c., we help prioritize community needs and give recommendations that advise the office of transgender initiatives and the mayor's office. i am also a human rights commission or. i was appointed by our late mayor ed lee, may he rest in peace. i would not be here today without the guidance of some amazing people like teresa sparks, cecelia chung, nikki, jason chan, and francis sang. thank you all. i mentioned this because i want to stress the importance of leadership.

this recent midterm election, we had a rainbow wave, everybody. record breaking numbers of lgbtq , women, people of color elected into office. that is amazing. [applause] >> i would love to see even more leadership programs like s.f. team, transgender empowerment advocacy membership program at the san francisco community health centre and more of encouraging civic engagement, leadership and pathways to appoint more trans and gender nonconforming folks to city boards and commissions. it is crucial to normalize trends people as leader -- transgender people as leaders. they need to see more representation that they identify with. youth need to see and believe that they can be leaders too. i love san francisco and i truly believe it is, and will continue

to be the best city for my competing -- for my community to live and survive in. happy transgender awareness week , now month. thank you. [laughter] [applause] >> thank you, melanie. good day, everyone. happy day today. as someone who was born and raised in this city, which is steeped in so much history, i am proud that san francisco continues to be a leader in the fight for justice and equality, especially as it pertains to the transgender community. while our community has been under attack, not just by the current federal administration, but by many who preceded them, we continue to exist despite their best efforts to stymie us, shut us out or eliminate us. we have history in this city. we can directly trace the lgbt civil rights movement back to the corner of turk and taylor where in 1966, the riots was the

first documented collective uprising of lgbt individuals in the country. [applause] >> the riots recently inspired the founding of the transgendered cultural district. the first officially recognized transgendered district in this country. [applause] >> it's important that we remember this history. and that we consider how it impacts us today. the tenderloin is still has the highest concentration of trends -- transgender folks in san francisco. this is changing with the tide of new development. the transgendered cultural district was created not just as a way of preserving the importance of the legacy of the tenderloin, but also as a mechanism to push back against the displacement of the transgendered community. it was created to be an advocate to serve as a resource and a

safe space. it is has been -- it has been my honor to present the district thus far along with cofounders. it has also been a great pleasure to work with claire farley and others in the salespersons from the office of sales -- of transgender initiative. oti has been a tremendous resource and support for the community being a strong advocate for inclusion and frequently prioritizing the voices of underrepresented members of the community including people of color, formerly incarcerated individuals, and the undocumented. through working with o.t.i. and serving on the trans- advisory council, we have been able to make key recommendations on how to best support the needs of the community in san francisco. these recommendations are improving access to safe housing

for transgendered and lgbtq communities by providing targeted housing programs and services that prioritize vulnerable populations such as transgendered, homeless individuals, recovering from gender affirming procedures, and lgbtq older adults. improving mental health of communities by developing and implementing specific mental health services programs and peer support initiative and expanding funding such as dedicating resources to support trans- arts and community events increasing economic development program designed for various trans- communities living in poverty are at risk of living in poverty. increasing access to education and employment opportunities by instituting gender systems, increasing access to legal immigration services and legal services for people with criminal records, increasing civic engagement of communities by developing and implementing leadership development programming, increasing care,

planning and care coordination by developing and implementing navigation strategies, and reducing rates of incarceration, were recidivism, and economic disparities by increasing funding for prevention for programs focused on trans communities. we hope to be able to continue to work with the mayor process -- the mayor's office and the city and county of san francisco to make sure these recommendations are implemented so that the contributions of the transgendered community to our city's history, strength, and culture, are not just honored, but carried forward into the future. thank you. [applause] >> we could not do this work alone without our fabulous members of the board. one particular board member new to district eight is the only out gay supervisor on the board and we could not do the work

without him. please welcome supervisor mandelman. [applause] >> thank you, claire. i believe we've been joined by my colleague, asha safai. thank you. at a time when the lgbtq community and trans people in particular are under siege from a hostile and toxic presidential administration, it is clear -- it is crucial for san francisco to stand with and support the community. i want to thank mayor breed for her strong and immediate repudiation of the president's attempt to erase transgendered people by undermining them. as a supervisor for district eight and the only supervisor, i feel a special responsibility to

represent our entire queer community and to be very gay doing it. and until we have a transit supervisor, and i suspect there may be one or more of those out in the audience or behind me, it is my honor to advocate for the trans community and to be here today. in san francisco, i think we all know the transgender community continues to face disproportionate and unacceptably high rates of violence, homelessness and unemployment. despite the advances we've made as a city, it is clear we need to invest in additional support services and resources to address these disparities. since taking office in july, i worked closely with claire and the staff at the office of transgender initiatives to start inclusive proper -- policies and programs for the folks in san francisco. the mayor did her proclamation. we have our strategic -- strategy of honor from the board of supervisors. i'm honored to share this

commendation from the board with a transgendered advisory committee. this is the first of its kind. it works to address important issues impacting trends and gender nonconforming communities committee members wrote represent diverse sectors and leverage their experience to help inform local policies, priorities and grams. where is our t.a.c. leadership? come on up. here we have this. then we will do the photograph and folks will get it. it is good. [applause] >> all right. thank you. in these challenging times, it is important we remember our history and the elders who came before us. at the same time, we must also support our trends and lgbtq youth who are the leadership of tomorrow. today i'm honored to introduce two important community leaders. donna persona is a legendary

community advocate and cocreator of the compton cafeteria hit play and performer at aunt charlie got shot lounge in san francisco. or story has been featured around the world including in the out magazine article, tenderloin is the night and in the short film beautiful by night. jojo tie is the youth commissioner representing district eight and a health worker. jojo is a clear, trans and filipino born and raised in san francisco and based in the castro. from their own life experiences of navigating personal and institutional challenges, they are committing to supporting lg deep -- lgbtq youth through luth -- youth empowerment and leadership. please welcome donna and jojo. [applause] >> good afternoon. i'm donna persona and i would like to talk a little bit about the honor i've had in cowriting

the play. when i was on the fence, coming from san jose, i wanted to find people that i felt were more like me. so i don't know how i came to this decision that san francisco would be the place to come, but i got on a greyhound bus and i came to san francisco. i couldn't get into bars, i didn't know where they were anyway. i landed on a place, compton's cafeteria. an all-night diner. i would say that is where i first -- i saw these beautiful women and i later learned that they were born as male.

but i became friends with them and i learned about their lives. they had decided to match there outside with their insides. they had what i call a courageous nests. by deciding to live the way that they know that they are, they were started by being abandoned by their families. they had no family, and they came to san francisco, and their lives became completely criminalized. they couldn't get jobs. they couldn't go to school. they couldn't get any kind of healthcare. so this play will tell the story of their lives.

when you see this play and hear these stories and learn about them, you will understand what informs their choices in life. i will say that these women were sex workers and they ended up in prison, sometimes. in one case, in many cases, they found themselves in prison because they were impersonating a woman. they were wearing women's clothes. they went to jail for that, served time, and you come out of jail, and you can't go to college, you can't get a job. so it spirals down from that. so they did what they had to do. but i knew them, and i'm saying that they were wonderful human beings, and they created a family together, themselves.

so this story and this play will let people know why they made the choices they made and the bravery. their bravery. this happened 52 years ago. i would like to say that i think they put in place the foundation of liberation. [applause] through their personal needs, this comes with a foundation. they sought out healthcare and transitions. by transitioning those days, they had what they called hormone parties.

there was nothing illegal. there was no place safe to do any of this. so i hope you can imagine how traumatic that is. it is hearsay. you come to this place and you can get injections for this or that. today, i know one woman who is suffering from the procedure she had back then. imagine this. when somebody -- when one of them ran into trouble with one of their procedures, who do they go to? i can imagine somebody saying, you didn't like what you got, go to the police. that is impossible. by laying down the things that they need, housing, education, healthcare, and just being permitted to feel normal, that's

all they wanted was to feel normal. today, we are benefiting from what they laid down. the needs that transgendered people need. and with this play, this is something i say from time to time. these ladies that i knew, they were born, they lived a while, and then they died. most of them died. they couldn't survive. so they didn't get anyone saying to them, everything you are doing and who you are is wonderful and right. they did not get to hear that. we get to hear that now and we get support. they did not get that. so what is most meaningful for me is to know that their lives

are engendering good things now. so their life is not in vain. it wasn't in vain. and i want to believe -- i am honouring them and i hope you will honor them. and somehow their life was not a waste. i wasn't brave enough to do that and do what they did. but they came before us and they are our modules. we heard about it already tonight and today. there is a push back. there is forces that want to take away what we've gained. so i'm going to say, now, more than ever, we have to get out there and do something. i am going to say, sometimes in the past, other transgendered people or people under the clear spectrum, i tell them, just by

presenting in the streets, you are doing part of the job. people see you and they say, they exist, they belong here. but we need to do more of that now. i will ask -- [applause] >> i will ask each and every one of you whether you are transgender or not, to do something. don't stay home. you have to do something to keep thriving. [applause] >> thank you. >> i would also like to say, we have transgender day of remembrance. please remember this group. that is part of remembrance. they deserve it. and the youth, i want the history and the older people like me, i'm 72 years old, to come together and fight together

we will hand over the torch to the young people. i will stay busy myself. [laughter] [applause] >> thank you for sharing your story. today, i am here because i believe that transgender and youth are the leaders of tomorrow. i wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the work of my transgender sisters and leaders of the past. the screaming queens who righted over 50 years ago in the tenderloin. at dream of the future, where transgendered youth art, empowered and celebrated for who they are, of a future that lets me on a pep -- be unapologetically meat without having to need or explain who i am. today, the transgender nonconforming youth of san francisco face many barriers. a resilience helps us overcome prejudice, discrimination and violence. our wisdom and knowledge guides us as we navigate the multiple

institutions that were not created for us. we are more than numbers and statistics. we are contributors and leaders in our communities. we are a community that is here to be up for one another and support and uplift each other to heal and grow. we will not be quiet and back down until we are included in the conversation and decision making process with full equity. what trends use leadership needs to meet -- means to me as having visibility. it looks like taking a step forward in the right direction towards positive social exchange it sounds like our voices and reclaiming our rights. it feels like freedom and liberation. it ignites others to take action with us. as we gather here today to kick off transgender awareness week, i want to challenge all of you to envision a future where transit -- transgender nonconforming youth are thriving in a more inclusive environment. it takes each of us to build

awareness, speak up and be linked to bad policies that support safety and leadership for trans people. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> i want to thank you all for coming out today and thank you to mayor breed. supervisors and our t.a.c. we can do this work together. don't give up and stay hopeful. join us for a little reception. thank you. [♪]