within any security or control within the building and checking personal bags is having a awareness of the surrounded. >> there is so month people the brunet of breaking into this career that was every for easier for me had an on the with an before he cleared the path for laugh us. >> my people he actually looking at lucid up to poem like he joe and kim and merit made they're on the streets working redondo hard their cable of doing this job and textbook took the time to bring us along. >> women have going after their goals and departments line the san francisco sheriff's department provide a lot of training tools and inspiring you to go into the department.

>> they gave me any work ethics she spider me to do whatever he wanted to do and work hard at the intersection. >> if you're going to make change you have to be part of change and becoming law enforcement i wanted to show women could do this job it is hard not easy. >> finds something our compassion about and follow roll models and the gets the necessary skeletals to get to that goal with education and sprirmz whatever gets you there. >> if this is what you want to do dream big and actually do what you desire to do and you can go vertebrae far it is a fast job i wouldn't do anything

else. >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

. >> i love that i was in four plus years a a rent control tenant, and it might be normal because the tenant will -- for the longest, i was applying for b.m.r. rental, but i would be in the lottery and never be like 307 or 310. i pretty much had kind of given up on that, and had to leave san francisco.

i found out about the san francisco mayor's office of housing about two or three years ago, and i originally did home counseling with someone, but then, my certificate expired, and one of my friends jamie, she was actually interested in purchasing a unit. i told her about the housing program, the mayor's office, and i told her hey, you've got to do the six hour counseling and the 12 hour training. she said no, i want you to go with me. and then, the very next day that i went to the session, i notice this unit at 616 harrison became available, b.m.i. i was like wow, this could potentially work. housing purchases through the b.m.r. program with the sf mayor's office of housing, they are all lotteries, and for this one, i did win the lottery. there were three people that

applied, and they pulled my number first. i won, despite the luck i'd had with the program in the last couple years. things are finally breaking my way. when i first saw the unit, even though i knew it was less than ideal conditions, and it was very junky, i could see what this place could be. it's slowly beginning to feel like home. i can definitely -- you know, once i got it painted and slowly getting my custom furniture to fit this unit because it's a specialized unit, and all the units are microinterms of being very small. this unit in terms of adaptive, in terms of having a murphy bed, using the walls and ceiling, getting as much space as i can. it's slowly becoming home for me. it is great that san francisco has this program to address, let's say, the housing crisis that exists here in the bay

area. it will slowly become home, and i am appreciative that it is a bright spot in an otherwise >> we are very excited to introduce our next speaker. someone who can speak about the importance of affordable housing and what it means for low income families in the mission district pick someone that understands this and actually talks about this on a regular basis throughout san francisco. i'm very honored to introduce our mayor, london breed to the podium. [applause] >> thank you. it is so exciting to be here. to break ground on 100% affordable housing. [cheers and applause] >> finally, after almost ten

years, we are finally building -- building affordable housing in the mission for those whose income ranges anywhere between 30 and nifty% a.m.i. and i think i'm more excited because -- 30 and 50% a.m.i. and i think i'm more excited because even though we have had challenges making sure people who live in the communities can have access to the affordable housing built in their community , we will not have that problem with this project. because of the neighborhood preference legislation that i and others on the board of supervisors put through a few years back, i got so much support for that legislation from this community. to dedicate 40% of the 80 units to the people who live in this district first. [applause] there are so many people that have made this possible and i just want to thank each and

every one of you for all of your hard work, including the mayor possess office of housing, bridge has an, of course, commission housing development corridor, thank you for your advocacy and your work around not just helping to build new affordable housing, but the small sites acquisition program, and all the work that you continue to do. all of the architects and the contractors, thank you all so much for being patient, working hard, putting together a project that we know is going to be absolutely incredible in this community. i also want to acknowledge, in addition to neighborhood preference, some of you may know that there are people who live in public housing. there are challenges with locations and we also have an opportunity to welcome in residence of public housing to this new development as well. it's part of the plan.

a way to try and make sure that people have access to affordable housing. that people are able to stay in their communities. i just want to thank each and every one of you for the hard work and i see someone who snuck in here and is trying to hide. roberto hernandez. thank you for your advocacy and the work that you have done to help us with neighborhood preference. holding folks in city hall accountable to make sure that the housing that gets promised to this community gets built in this community and that we do a better job as a safety of providing opportunities with our application process. because the real work begins. we better get -- we build the housing but we have to make sure that we outreach all over this community to folks unfortunately , in some instances struggling and in the process of being displaced. that we make sure that we help them get those applications in.

that is what i am committed to. the planning department to, thank you so much for being here thank you to each and every one of you for your work. i am excited to be here during this groundbreaking and i'm looking forward to making sure that we don't let another ten years go by before we break ground on another affordable housing development. [applause] folks, let's celebrate today and tomorrow, let's continue to roll up our sleeves and get to work. we have got to do more, not just in the mission, but all over the city and county of san francisco thank you all so much for being here today. >> thank you so much, mayor breach. and the project manager at bridge housing. for the last two years, it has been my pleasure to shepherd this project to this moment right now, which is so exciting. we are going to replace this

vacant gas station with a beautiful building. it is really thrilling for me to say that. i would like to welcome supervisor hilary ronan which includes district nine. she has been a champion for many of the projects. we are glad you can be with us. thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you everybody. what an exciting day. this site right here represents such a huge victory for the mission community. i. i love the fact that our friends are holding a sign that says house keys, not handouts. thank you! [cheers and applause] that is exactly what we want in our community. eighty-one units of truly affordable housing. sometimes when we talk about affordable housing, we are talking about housing that people are making over $100,000 are eligible for. not at this site.

we are talking about a family of four earning $35,000 a year who will be living right behind us. finally housing for the families that we have all been fighting for in this neighborhood. it is truly remarkable. what's even more remarkable about this, and i've seen so many faces of so many people i love in this crowd, this was slated to be luxury housing. it was going to be housing for people -- for people who grew up in the neighborhood would never be able to afford. and this community fought hard, fought a long, fought to get $50 million from the last affordable housing bond to come to the mission district. this was one of the sites that came out of it. please give yourselves a round of applause, mission community,

because you made this site happen. i also want to congratulate mission housing development corporation his. is such an important organization in our community. this is the first time in ten years that you are breaking ground on a new affordable housing site in the mission which is just incredible. you are back in action and you will be the powerhouse organization that in the past is built so much housing in our neighborhood and are doing so again. shortly after this, you will break ground on 1950 mission, which will be another truly affordable housing site. mission housing development corporation and housing in the mission. we couldn't be more excited. we love you, and as the mayor said, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work and get this housing built. congratulations. [cheers and applause] >> thank you supervisor ronen.

we are pleased to be working hand-in-hand with your office on the critical issues that our community continues to face. just like supervisor ronen just said, there was a point in time where many did not believe that mission housing was going to make a comeback. so we were resilience. just like this communities. our team came back stronger than ever, with one goal in mind. to uphold our mission statement, to build affordable housing in our district. in san francisco. our board supported us every step of the way. this isn't just a celebration for mission housing today. but it is a win for this neighborhood. at this specific site, was one because of community advocacy. today we come together as a community to celebrate. our next speaker is someone i work with on a daily basis and i've gotten to know him extremely well.

i have to say that his spanish has gotten a little better. he loves latin food. particularly tacos. if you ever want to offer him something to drink, offer him some tamarind water. he is currently laughing. you can find him specifically at the panel discussions, at schools during presentations on affordable housing, asking either myself or a team member in the organization to help a local nonprofit in the mission. or walking around wearing a t-shirt with various messages. many of them about housing. his work has not gone unnoticed. certainly not by our team or our board or affordable housing community. he has been my counterpart in mission housing. together, we have overcame many

obstacles to get to this place of celebration and groundbreaking. i am very pleased and honored to introduce our executive director of mission housing, my counterpart. [applause] >> i feel like everyone said my whole speech, i guess i can go home, right? thank you, everyone. thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and for mission housing. >> it has been a nostalgic kind of a day, thinking back on seven years ago and where mission housing was and where i was. i can't -- there were countless meetings of me -- of people telling me i was crazy for thinking that i could help take over mission housing. that will never happen.

it is impossible. you are never coming back. over and over again, if it wasn't for marcy at and the staff and our board and the leadership and support, it probably would have been rights. the fact is, mission housing was created to actually develop community. mission housing was created to be a backbone for infrastructure or whatever you want to call it. that is what we are again. i am really proud to stand here next to this broken dirt and guarantee that 80 some odd units of affordable housing are coming but what i'm most proud to do is to be with our community and to break ground with the people who stood by us. the people who didn't believe that this wasn't going to weigh. who wanted us to regrow. i would like to personally dedicate this building and the rest of our building to the

mission community. why don't we give the mission community a hand we -- why do we give them a hand? [applause] >> i would be remiss if i got up here and i didn't point out to the fact that this project and all the thousand units of affordable housing in the mission were originally and only made possible by a man who had the foresight to lead and to listen to the mission community. when mayor ed lee decided to focus on affordable housing and fix our public housing and to build more units, it was something -- that without it, i don't know mission housing could have come back like we have. while he is not here physically with us, i am fairly certain he is looking down on us and smiling. thank you. [applause]

>> i really do want to thank the mayor and all of our partners and supervisor ronen. there so many people. i'm sorry, i honestly have not been this tongue-tied ever. anyone who knows me knows what an emotional day this is been. i will just leave by saying thank you. thank you for believing in mission housing. i assure you that we believe in ourselves and that we will not go another ten years. we won't go another ten months for another groundbreaking. if unlimited money was made available, we wouldn't say no to that. okay. let's get on with the show. thanks, everybody. [cheers and applause] >> thank you so much. it is a pleasure to work with you and john and michael and your whole team in partnership on these projects. i would like to introduce the c.e.o. and president, cynthia

walker. when she joined us, she brought a long-term commitment to affordable housing with her cat demonstrated by 30 plus years of experience from alaska, seattle and now here in san francisco. she has been projects like this to life for a long time. i appreciate cynthia's leadership. through all the twists and turns that we go through, trying to blow things out of the ground, and there are many, many twists and turns. i feel personally supported by cynthia. please welcome cynthia parker. [applause] >> thank you. thank you everyone who is here today. it does indeed take a village to get this type of development off the ground. we can't do it without the support of our partners and also , bakers, the mayor, assembly members, supervisors, everyone who is here has had a

hand in making this happen. but it is particularly an auspicious project because of our partnership with mission hell being with sam and his group. and also, the neighborhood preference, which is incredibly important here. in this code today, for someone to rent a market rate unit, they have to earn a wage of $54.76 an hour in order to pay the rent on an unrestricted property. so with this particular 100% developed project back we are able to rent it to families who are making $35,000 a year. a family of four. we are not reaching everyone because there are many people who live in this neighborhood to make less of -- less than that. recent survey of latino

residents in the neighborhood indicated 30% of them made about $11.56 an hour. they are still living here and as rents go up, they are being forced out. i want to thank the mayor personally for her efforts and for everyone who has advocated for the neighborhood preference. and for also making resources available and the support that is necessary to get this type of 100% development project off the ground. it takes a village and it takes all of us to make a commitment. i see you have some tears in your eyes. i think i met sam when i got here a little over seven years ago. he was in another job and another life and then he left and called me up. he said, i've gone to work at mission housing. and i said well, cool. he said we have not done a

project for the longest time. do you want to topically come on over. he did. he said this is what my vision is for mission. i want to get it back on the grounds and i want to be developing more housing. i want to be focused on the housing in the mission and i want to catalyze all of the things that have gone on in that community. i said, how can we help we what happens as a result of that is that we formed a deep partnership. we are engaged with other organizations because it takes a village to create this type of work here. but i really celebrate the fact that this is our first project. we will have another one breaking ground very shortly, and it will also accommodate families and seniors and we will have children living here. it will be back to the neighborhood. that's what is so important. i want to also comment on an article that i saw in the paper

today, in the chronicle, which i thought was sort of interesting. it was a contrasting of new york and san francisco. i can't --dash i don't know if it is accurate or not. i certainly hope it wasn't but i did fire up an e-mail to the chief of staff. i said new york has made this commitment to housing and to affordable housing and to public housing that san francisco has not done. and that is why new york is much more economically diverse. my e-mail back to his chief of staff was someone i happen to know, was i hope this isn't an accurate statement. the next city, with this mayor, this is not the case. i want to thank you mayor breed. i want to thank everyone who works in this city. i know projects like these is a commitment that the city has that will make this city support the residents of the city and always and providing more housing.

thank you. [applause] >> thank you, cynthia. i want to take a moment. we said it takes a village. i want to name a couple of the folks who have been critical in bringing this to life. tom, chris, dan and miguel and anita, you guys have literally broken the ground behind me. thank you so much. those are our contractors. [applause] >> travis, mary, irving, the enhanced beauty of the urban landscape can deliver the credit to your fabulous design. thank you so much. [applause] >> you are rock stars. kevin, joan, jenny, mara, aaron, and kate from the mayor's office of housing. you are partners every step of

the way and we are so grateful for everything. we talk on the phone almost every single day. heather, eileen, joshua, amy, and william. you make all of our long loan documents really fun to read. thank you. justin, doug, mike, larry, and jamie and rebecca, thank you for all you do. [applause] and of course, there are so many more people than just that that have been sitting around all day those are just some people i wanted to call out. the fun part of this project is a san francisco housing authority, our permanent lender -- and our construction and equity lender, bank of america, it's been a pleasure closing

this deal. i am really excited to welcome the managing director for the bank of san francisco in east bait bay market. please join us. [applause] >> thank you so much. we're so honored and grateful to be with you all today. i love this scene at the groundbreaking. thank you for that item. americas grateful and honored. sixty-six -- 56 and a half million dollars in financing for this project. it has been stated again, i wanted to thank you mayor breed for her continued unwavering support for affordable housing. and supervisor ronen for her support of this amazing neighborhood in the mission. you guys are wonderful partners. thank you so much for the work you do together. the two developers working on the project with us with bridge housing and mission housing. i would like to thank all of the bank of america associates who work every day to assist our

communities and who work on affordable housing. we look forward to many more occasions. thank you. [applause] >> thank you for being here tonight. our closing speaker needs no introduction. he is known to many people across the city as a community leader, home grown native a passionate advocate. he has been working in this neighborhood for years ensuring that the voices of our people is not only being heard but also respected. there is an organization partner of ours not only here at 419 but also across the street. not too far away from here. they are an integral part of the community and we greatly value the work we do on a daily basis. without further ado, i would like to welcome someone to the podium for closing remarks.

[cheers and applause] >> good evening, everybody. i am an organizer. i'm so humbled to be here among so many community warriors. a lot of people who have spent a lot of long hours and organizing hours on this street talking to neighbors and making sure we get what we need and what we deserve in this case, affordable housing we started our groundbreaking with a blessing. we started with movement. we were led in four directions. so appropriate and so fitting that we started with movement. because its movements that organizes this piece of land. it is movement that advocated. it is movement that unfolds banners like that one. it is movement that demanded that sights like this return to our neighborhood and returned to the hard-working families and

individuals in san francisco. we started with a blessing that called on our ancestors to guide us, to protect us, and people are resilient. resilient because this isn't the end of our journey. this is in the end of the movement. we are on a long distance marathon. it is far from over. it is a marathon that includes not only building and reclaiming land to build affordable housing , but also protecting renters and they're existing homes. it is making sure that we get the most amount of benefits with any luxury corporate developer that comes into our hood. because of families in our community deserve more. just walk around these streets. there are hundreds and thousands of our loved ones on the streets

we see them intense. we see them living in cars. or you don't see them. because they are doubled and tripled in apartment buildings like this. this is why we do it. we do it for all the hundreds of homeless kids that come to school after a restless nights sleeping in the shelter. they deserve more. they deserve more. and we deserve more. when you join our movement, will you join our movement. we are just getting started. are you all ready to party and celebrate we -- are you ready to party and celebrate, i thank everyone for being here. i will turn it back over to marcy. please stay. we have delicious food from some local vendors and local mom and pop businesses to support the hoods and support the neighborhoods. thank you all for being here. [cheers and applause]

>> okay. thank you so much. we would like to invite all the speakers to come up and grab a shovel, and we will take a picture, a break in the ground, after that, anybody else is welcome to take a picture with a shovel once we are done. thank you all so much for being here. it is really a great moment for us in the city and the neighborhoods. thank you. [♪] >> i just don't know that you can find a neighborhood in the city where you can hear music stands and take a ride on the low rider down the street. it is an experience that you can't have anywhere else in san francisco.

[♪] [♪] >> district nine is a in the southeast portion of the city. we have four neighborhoods that i represent. st. mary's park has a completely unique architecture. very distinct feel, and it is a very close to holly park which is another beautiful park in san francisco. the bernal heights district is unique in that we have the hell which has one of the best views in all of san francisco. there is a swinging hanging from a tree at the top. it is as if you are swinging over the entire city. there are two unique aspects. it is considered the fourth chinatown in san francisco. sixty% of the residents are of chinese ancestry. the second unique, and fun

aspect about this area is it is the garden district. there is a lot of urban agriculture and it was where the city grew the majority of the flowers. not only for san francisco but for the region. and of course, it is the location in mclaren park which is the city's second biggest park after golden gate. many people don't know the neighborhood in the first place if they haven't been there. we call it the best neighborhood nobody has ever heard our. every neighborhood in district nine has a very special aspect. where we are right now is the mission district. the mission district is a very special part of our city. you smell the tacos at the [speaking spanish] and they have the best latin pastries. they have these shortbread cookies with caramel in the middle. and then you walk further down and you have sunrise café. it is a place that you come for

the incredible food, but also to learn about what is happening in the neighborhood and how you can help and support your community. >> twenty-fourth street is the birthplace of the movement. we have over 620 murals. it is the largest outdoor public gallery in the country and possibly the world. >> you can find so much political engagement park next to so much incredible art. it's another reason why we think this is a cultural district that we must preserve. [♪] >> it was formed in 2014. we had been an organization that had been around for over 20 years. we worked a lot in the neighborhood around life issues. most recently, in 2012, there were issues around gentrification in the neighborhood. so the idea of forming the cultural district was to help preserve the history and the culture that is in this neighborhood for the future of

families and generations. >> in the past decade, 8,000 latino residents in the mission district have been displaced from their community. we all know that the rising cost of living in san francisco has led to many people being displaced. lower and middle income all over the city. because it there is richness in this neighborhood that i also mentioned the fact it is flat and so accessible by trip public transportation, has, has made it very popular. >> it's a struggle for us right now, you know, when you get a lot of development coming to an area, a lot of new people coming to the area with different sets of values and different culture. there is a lot of struggle between the existing community and the newness coming in. there are some things that we do to try to slow it down so it doesn't completely erase the communities. we try to have developments that is more in tune with the community and more equitable development in the area.

>> you need to meet with and gain the support and find out the needs of the neighborhoods. the people on the businesses that came before you. you need to dialogue and show respect. and then figure out how to bring in the new, without displacing the old. [♪] >> i hope we can reset a lot of the mission that we have lost in the last 20 years. so we will be bringing in a lot of folks into the neighborhoods pick when we do that, there is a demand or, you know, certain types of services that pertain more to the local community and working-class. >> back in the day, we looked at mission street, and now it does not look and feel anything like mission street. this is the last stand of the latino concentrated arts, culture and cuisine and people. we created a cultural district to do our best to conserve that

feeling. that is what makes our city so cosmopolitan and diverse and makes us the envy of the world. we have these unique neighborhoods with so much cultural presence and learnings, that we want to preserve. [♪] >> 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.

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