taja gabrielle dejesus. on february 1st, this year, we lost taja a valued resident of san francisco who was lost to hate and violence. she moved to san francisco to be part of the transgender community. she felt a sense of solidarity and support that she had not previously experienced growing up and that's why she came to san francisco. i think we read about her life and experience in the paper. she was active in her church, devout in her faith and was a tremendous resource to the community at large. taja volunteered at a food pantry and community center and regularly attended meetings for causes she supported and she was committed to raising awareness to issues affecting the transgender community especially issues that involved health and disparity in that community. taja was known for being a charismatic and out spoken person for life challenges. taja loved music and fashion. she had a first job and was a fan of madonna and prince. she was strong, independent and selfless. she worked hard and never hesitat

my colleagues, i ask the board of supervisors adjourn our meeting today in the memory of taja gabriele dejesus. i'm also calling for a hearing at this board of supervisors to discuss this report that has been issued by the human rights commission and conducted by the lgbt center. this report outlines the serious and tragic acts of violence that are happening against lgbt people and specifically transgender women and men of color. this city must take proactive measures to protect this vulnerable community, our silence is deadly. and the best thing that we can do to honor the memory of taja and everyone of our sisters who has been the victim of hate is to act and make this issue a priority. my office and i look forward to working on the taja coalition in this community to get your guidance as to what we as a city must do to address this crisis. i want to note a couple of keypoints that were highlights in this report. 60 percent and this is something that i have seen in my own community and areas like the mission. 60 percent of transgender latinas feel unsafe walking around during the day in the

taja gabrielle dejesus. on february 1st, this year, we lost taja a valued resident of san francisco who was lost to hate and violence. she moved to san francisco to be part of the transgender community. she felt a sense of solidarity and support that she had not previously experienced growing up and that's why she came to san francisco. i think we read about her life and experience in the paper. she was active in her church, devout in her faith and was a tremendous resource to the community at large. taja volunteered at a food